Something to Think About

When using your printer on a regular basis we all know that replacing ink cartridges can be expensive. It is often tempting to squeeze every last drop of ink out of the cartridge before finally giving into the fact that a new cartridge is needed. Inadequate supplies of ink can significantly reduce the quality of your print jobs and can lead to costly, irreversible damage to some printers. When your printer gives you an ink level warning, when the levels fall too low, take note and replace your ink cartridges, it keeps your printer running smoothly and more efficiently, saving you time and money in the future.

Handling Ink Cartridges

1. Handle your cartridges with care. Do not touch the print nozzle with your hands.
2. A cartridge will usually dry out within two days. Do not let unwrapped cartridges sit outside of the printer or the print nozzle may become clogged with dry ink. If you are not going to use a cartridge for a long time, wrap it with plastic wrap and put it in a zip-lock bag. Do not use adhesive tape to wrap the cartridge.
3. If the nozzle becomes clogged from exposure to air, you can soak the nozzle area in warm water for a few minutes to dissolve the dried ink. To do this, place the cartridge in a white Styrofoam cup (Styrofoam is soft and will not damage the cartridge nozzle) and fill with water until the cartridge is halfway submerged. Blot the cartridge dry and try printing again.
4. Refill your cartridge as soon as you see signs that the ink is getting low (such as light prints or white streaking). You never want to let a cartridge completely run out because it may damage the print head. If you are going to be printing a large number of pages, run a test print first and check the level of your ink to ensure that you do not run out in the middle of your print job.
5. Never place a leaking cartridge back into the printer. Minor leaking after a refill is normal and will stop when the air pressure inside the cartridge is balanced. If the cartridge is leaking heavily, place it on a folded piece of paper or in a disposable cup and let the excess ink run out. When the leaking stops, wipe the cartridge clean and put it back into the printer.
6. If you do not use your printer often, clean the print head before printing.

Re-Filling your Ink Cartridge Successfully

1. Always fill your cartridge that you are currently using, you don’t want to use a cartridge that has been outside of the printer for too long as it might dry out.
2. Try to re-fill prior to running out completely, if your printer is producing light faded prints or streaking, see if a printer signal light is on or flashing, these are good indications that it is time to do a re-fill.
3. Always make sure you read your printers manual and follow your directions carefully, they all vary.
4. Use the correct ink for your printer model. There is not one specific ink that will work for all printers. If you do use the wrong ink, the ink droplets could clog your printer, and it could result in reducing the life of your printer.
5. When you are re-filling, pour the ink slowly, so no overflow happens and the result is contamination of other colours or an inky mess on you!
6. After you have re-filled, set somewhere safe to let the cartridge sit for about 15 minutes.
7. Slow and steady works well for re-filling.
8. If you require specific instructions for your cartridge type, please conact Inkjet Etc Client Care.