How to refill a black ink cartridge

Not everything on this list is essential but will help.

• A clean flat workspace


• Your black ink cartridge


• A black refill kit


• Some paper towels


• A pair od disposable gloves


• Cotton buds or swabs


• Alchohol solution (not for drinking!)


• Some paper


• A bit of patience (always handy)

The main thing you will need is obviously an ink refill kit which can be found in most stores and supermarkets on the high street as well as many retailers online. Generally what you will get in the kit is a bottle of ink (or three or more if you buy a colour refill kit), some gloves, a syringe or needle and a rubber stopper or tape (used to seal the cartridge after refilling).

You will also get full instructions and tips to get your ink cartridge printing to the highest quality. Kits are reasonably priced and come in sets to refill both black ink cartridges and colour ink cartridges. Each kit may be used nore than once for the same cartridge. You can also buy refill sets for specific cartridges and replacement bottles of printer ink.

You can find all your black printer inks and refill kits online. Search for printer cartridge direct inks to see the best deals and prices.

Prices vary from store to store but you should find that the cost of refilling is relatively cheap.

Clear a space on a flat surface. A desk or table is ideal but anywhere flat with space to work. If you have gloves, put them on. Although gloves are not essential, the ink can be difficult to remove so wearing them will protect your hands. Place your paper towels and refill kit close to hand on the work surface along will your black ink refill kit.

Deep breath, you're ready to begin...

To refill your black ink cartridge you will need to remove the cartridge from your printer (consult your printer manual if you're unsure how to take the cartridges out). When handling the cartridge ensure that you do not touch any of the metal contacts that are usually placed on the bottom of the cartridge and also on the front. If you do happen to place any dirt onto these parts, use a swab with a little alcohol solution to gently clean them. Dirt on the contacts may cause the cartridge to fail when printing.

Place a piece of paper towel on your work top and ensure that you work over this. Refilling can become messy and it's safe to say that a little ink may spill or leak as your refilling. Better to be safe than sorry as the saying goes.

Have a read through the instruction sheet that came with your refill kit as this will explain in more detail about refilling your particular cartridge. Remember, this guide you're ready here is just a short, general help guide and if you are not sure, check your kit's instruction sheet.

You will need to locate the fill holes which, depending on your cartridge type, should be found on the top of the cartridge. There may be a label on the top of the cartridge which is covering the fill hole.

**Tip - Using your finger, run it across the label and you should feel a depression under the label that should be the hole

There may be more than one hole, again depending on the cartridge but only one hole will lead to the ink reservoir. In this reservoir there is a sponge. Using a sharp object, such as a pencil, pierce the hole through the label. You can also remove the label altogether. Use the instruction sheet provided with your kit for more information.

Take the ink syringe and extract some of the black ink into it. Now, insert the needle of the syringe into the fill hole of the cartridge. You will need to ensure that the needle reaches the sponge at the bottom of the chamber. Slowly begin to push the ink, using the syringe, into the ink reservoir. You need to do this slowly because you do not want any air to be pushed into the chamber. Air will stop the ink flowing to the printhead resulting in the cartridge not printing properly.

Stop filling when you see the ink reach the top of the hole. The ink level will drop a little as the sponge inside the chamber soaks in the ink. It's important not to overfill the cartridge as this can completely soak the sponge and will cause the ink to flow upwards and away from the printhead.

Once full, dab the cartridge onto the paper towel so that the contacts touch the paper. You should see ink on the paper towel which has flowed through the printhead. Once you see ink on the paper cover the fill hole with the rubber stopper or plug supplied or a piece of tape. Make sure that there are no leaks from the fill hole.

Now that you have a nice freshly filled black ink cartridge you need to make sure it prints out as expected. Firstly, carefully blot the printhead on a peice of folded paper towel. This may need to be done several times until the ink stops bleeding and there is a clear imprint of the printhead visible on the towel.

**Tip - If you see faded blots on the towel, try a wet paper towel and then a dry towel. this should allow the ink to flow again.

Once you are sure that the cartridge is not leaking in any way, you can place the cartridge back into your printer. Try printing a test page or a document to ensure the ink flows. Finally, perform a cleaning cycle using your printer's cleaning program. You may need to complete this a number of times. You now should have your cartridge printing as good as new.

This is a simple guide to refilling a black ink cartridge and if you have any doubts or questions about your particular cartridge type, refer to the full instructions that are provided with your ink refill kit.

When refilling, push the ink into the cartridge chamber slowly. Air is not good for your prints.

Like all things, nothing last forever. After a number of refills, the printhead will eventually wear out. If this happens, buy a new cartridge.

Never let your ink in the printhead dry out. Try and complete a print at least once a week to reduce the risk of the ink drying out and causing you trouble when printing. Likewise, try not to completely empty the ink cartridge before refilling.

If your cartridges can be filled but you don't want the hassle and mess of refilling it yourself then you can still earn a little hard cash for a good cause and also help save the environment. Recycling your ink cartridge so that it may be used again and reduce the strain of producing new cartridges.

For more information about recycling your ink cartridges take a look at out other lens

Recycle your empty ink cartridges