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Bad Way to Fill Refill Ink in the Printer Cartridge

By July 26, 2019No Comments6 min read
printer-cartridge-refill

It all started in 1440 AD. When the demand for cheap writing experienced an immediate resurgence. Before this all the books were handwritten. Johannes Gutenberg, a German goldsmith, made a machine whose design was based on the principle of squashing grapes. This was a semi-automatic printer which had a screw and a plate. The plate is where wooden carved letters were arranged. When the screw has turned the plate, it then presses against a paper and imprints the letters on the paper attached.

This was the first semi-automatic printer. The history of the electronic printer we use today started with Chester Carlson in 1938, when he invented the Xerox machine. It is the machine we still use today to make copies of documents. In 1971 Xerox Engineer Gary Starkweather added a laser beam to the Xerox machine to convert it into a laser printer. Injet printer was invented in 1976, and after 1988 it was one of the most used printers.

Like any other machines, a printer also has different components- which includes the Ink cartridge, Paper Transport, Fuse roller, Primary, and Transfer Corona.

Ink cartridges can be tricky to refill. Here are some of the ways which should be avoided while doing the refilling.

  1. Do not refill the ink if you are not experienced or being supervised

A lot of things can go wrong, which can affect the print quality or even the printer itself. Mainly people prefer buying printer cartridges over new ones because it is cheaper. But filling a printer cartridge requires some expertise. Therefore it is critical to initiate the process only in the presence of an experienced individual.

  1. Refilling Sponge Based Cartridges

There are cartridges which have internal sponges. These kinds of cartridges need air to drain out the rest of the ink left in the cartridges. Mixing up old ink with the new can affect the quality of the ink. Usually, this is done by putting the same volume of air through the cartridge as of the ink.

If the air fails to enter the cartridge, then do not commence the refill process. There are holes above some of the cartridges for air insertion. These holes may not be that much significant to notice, but blocking one of these holes can cause a problem. Use expert help to find these holes.

  1. Reuse of Original Tape

Some print heads have inbuilt cartridges. The print head is a part of a printer which has nozzles fitted into it for spraying ink on the paper. Normally tri-color cartridges are fitted into these print head. Tri-color cartridges are used with black to produce different colors, like the professional four-color press.

Using the original tape while storing cartridges is efficient with HP printers, but not others. Following the same procedure for other printers might end with unnecessary draining of the inks, which may flow into another jet or creates huge trouble. Like damaging documents or affecting the printer.

  1. Cleaning Cartridges with Water

Some printers advice to use water for cleaning the cartridges. It is advised to use this direction only with the printers which include water in their manual. Not all cartridges need water for cleaning.

In some of the cartridges, the contact points are glued to the cartridge itself. If the cartridges are left in a water container, then the water might drain into the jet. Before refilling that cartridge one has to drain it completely, a drop of color can affect the ink. Use a coffee filter or paper towel for wiping the water from the ink cartridges.

  1. Purchasing Refilling Kits

People usually get attracted to attractive sale deals and buy cartridges even when they do not need it. Sometimes a customer can find himself having no inks in the cartridges. This happens when the printer is not shut down properly, and it uses some of the inks while doing the cleaning cycle. Refilling kits assures that it can be refilled real quickly, but without an expert, it is hard to do. Without the presence of a professional, it can also cause other complications with the printer. Always use the printer wisely to avoid any mishaps. Turn off after the use.

  1. Refilling Cartridges When They Are Inside the Printer

Some printers allow refilling the cartridges while they are inside the printer. However, some people do it with every printer they occupy. First of all, as said before it is not an easy work to it yourself, and then refilling in a wrong way can create more issues. One may spill some ink into the printer and damage it. Even a single extra drop of ink in the ink cartridge can cause lots of issues.

It is always preferred to reach out to a professional while refilling the ink cartridge.

Even after professional supervision, something may go wrong with the ink cartridges. Here are some of the precautions one should follow to ensure minimum numbers of issues.

  • Try to avoid dislocating any other components of the printer. It can cause further printer problems.
  • Do not open the cartridge ink lead. Opening it can cause dust and other particles to get trapped in it. Also, avoid exposure of the cartridge to the sun.
  • Before using the cartridge, shake it well for the toner to get distributed throughout evenly. It is important to have good print quality.
  • Buy the company referred ink cartridge for the printer. Low-quality ink can cause a lot of problems.
  • Follow the instructions provided in the manual while making changes or replacing. It is better if a specialist is hired to do all these.

Here are a few things about how a refill can go bad and their precautions. These should be followed to avoid overflowing or drainage of ink. Also, other components apart from the cartridge should be cleaned at regular intervals. This helps in operating the printer for a longer period.

Always be careful while handling a printer. Even experts make mistakes sometimes. Avoid doing things that need professional help, and always use branded products.

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