Extend the life of your ink cartridges by following these fundamental printer tips.

Tweak Printer Settings To Ensure Printing Efficiency
Firstly, pay attention to the settings on your printer – most printers allow you to have various levels of print quality from draft to normal to best. Make sure to print internal documents in draft mode whenever possible. Draft mode produces legible documents that allow you to easily read or view documents without using the same ink level. Further, make sure to take advantage of print preview to save ink on possible re-prints, so that you are able to review the document on-screen and make any necessary changes before printing it out.

Taking this idea a step further, it is often possible to maintain the document in electronic format by creating a PDF, which allows you to distribute an electronic copy without using any ink.

Save Money By Using Third-Party Printing Solutions
Since not all documents are created equal, make sure to be careful when printing high-color images or photos, which require high levels of ink. Instead, you can order from discount digital photo printing labs online at a lower cost than you could print photos yourself. While it may be tempting to produce business materials solely on your printer, you can also often save money at the margin by utilizing business card, envelope and post specialists rather than using your home or office printer.

Save Ink By Adjusting Your Printer's Settings
When you do print on your own machine, you can adjust the print settings to reduce the ink volume setting. This will enable you to increase the life of your cartridge while having a small impact upon print quality. To get the most from your cartridge, you can buy a high capacity refill rather than a standard cartridge, which will provide a more dense ink refill that extends your print cycle. There are a number of ways to get your ink to last longer, and, over time, this can produce quite a bit of printer savings.

Problem: Printer output's color is off (doesn't match what's on-screen), there is a strange colored tint to the page.

Solution: You are either nearly empty on one color of ink (cyan, magenta, or yellow), or the cartridge that corresponds to those colors is clogged/malfunctioning.

To find which cartridge color is the culprit, consult the following:

If Yellow Ink Is The Problem:
Green will be printed as blue and/or orange will be printed as red.
If Magenta Ink Is The Problem:
Violet will be printed as blue and/or orange will be printed as yellow.
If Cyan Ink Is The Problem:
Green will be printed as yellow and/or violet will be printed as red.

Problem: Streaks across printed text, some portions of letters obscured and unclear.

Solution: This is often a symptom of a clogged print head. The safest thing to do in this situation is to simply initiate the print head cleaning process from your printer's software, which will then print out several pages designed to clean out the head.

In the case that your printer's software does not offer this feature, it is possible to clean the print head yourself using an alcohol-based solution, however, this does require considerable caution, as damage to the print-head could occur. Never attempt to do this if the print head is attached to the printer.

Problem: Prints perfectly at first for a few pages, and then suddenly fails to print any more.

Solution: This is a strong indication of an air bubble in inkjet cartridges, especially if your cartridge happens to be a sponge-filled cartridge. You can either attempt to clear the obstruction yourself with caution, or simply replace the cartridge.

There are a couple of other common problems that printer users can face (which I will cover in more detail in a later post), but just wanted to get this post out there to guide and help anyone that may be facing similar problems right now.

Refilling ink can be a tricky process the first time.

Refilling ink cartridges can be an economical alternative to buying new cartridges. It does take some practice, but once mastered is generally cheaper than brand-name OEM and remanufactured/compatible cartridges.

Here are some basic tips to get you refilling cartridges like a pro as soon as possible.

The Main Goal Of Refilling

Most ink cartridges are relatively simple in design, more or less a bag of ink encased inside a plastic box. The refill must be performed at such a speed that leaking is not caused (refill speed too fast) or that ink fails to permeate throughout the cartridge (refill speed too slow). Basically, we've seeking the happy medium in between.

Preparing For The Refill

• Work over a sink or drain if possible. Avoid working at a desk or near anything of value.
• Wear old or spare clothing to minimize damages incurred by ink stains.
• Check to see if your ink cartridge has an opening that connects to the ink. Otherwise, you may have to drill a hole yourself, which can get complicated depending on your ink cartridge model.

Safety During The Cartridge Refilling Process

• How safe is ink (e.g. what if I accidentally come into contact with the ink)?
  • Printer ink is considered non-toxic, as it is mostly composed of water and a tiny portion of alcohol and glycol. If ingestion does occur, there is no need to induce vomiting. On average, printer ink has a toxicity similar to that of laundry detergent. If ink gets into the eye, flush with cold water for at least 15 minutes.
• Gloves are recommended to keep ink as clean and uncontaminated as possible and to prevent getting ink on hands. In some rare cares, people have reported allergies to ink upon contact, including symptoms like hives and shortness of breath. Immediately stop if this occurs, and if symptoms persist or worsen, contact a medical professional.

Materials Needed During The Refilling Process

• If you are new to refilling your own ink cartridges, it is recommended that you go to a site like 4Inkjets or 123Refills and purchase a printer-specific ink refill kit, which will contain all of the components necessary to complete the refill.
• For a true DIY job, some tools that may be needed include:
  • A screwdriver (size depending on ink cartridge model)
  • Glue or wax (as a sealant)
  • Tape

Last Notes

Getting a ready-made refilling kits online from either 4Inkjets or 123Refills is highly recommended for both ease of use and increased ink compatibility.

Follow these buying guidelines and you will be ensured quality results from your remanufactured ink cartridge.

Remanufactured ink cartridges provide a great cost-effective alternative to buying original equipment manufacturer (OEM) cartridges from the printer producer. Recycled cartridges are disassembled and cleaned, replacement parts added and the ink refilled to produce these cartridges. There are factors to take into consideration when choosing this option, and certain brands and practices will achieve better quality than others.

During the course of remanufacturing printer cartridges, the cartridges are rebuilt by hand meaning they must be checked for any errors following this. Some manufacturers do not test their cartridges due to the costs involved, and for this reason may not be a reliable choice in case of errors in a cartridge. This may not only affect the quality of printout, but also the correct functioning of your printer. It is also extremely important that the components used in the remanufactured cartridge are of high quality: if they are they will provide excellent quality printouts, though the components required will vary according to different printer models.

1. Check The Page Yield

One of the most important considerations when purchasing a remanufactured cartridge is how much you can print before it runs out of ink, otherwise known as the "page yield". The standard test of the yield of a cartridge is by noting how many pages can be printed at 5% page coverage. Some remanufactured cartridge companies may only quote the OEM yield, or will not quote a yield for their cartridge at all, so it is important to be wary when looking at this information.

2. Does The Manufacturer Produce Specific Models For Your Printer?

Check to see if the remanufactured cartridge seller uses one toner across all printer cartridges or different toners for different models. The toner used will work differently according to the model, and often the yield will be improved when a toner is used to match an individual printer model.

3. Verify Page Ink Density Is Up To Standards

You will also want to make sure that the quality of your printouts are up to standard, where the density of the ink will measure how dark text will be printed. This should normally fall between the range of 1.3 and 1.6, though this number should only be formulated after a number of cartridges have been tested and you must make sure that the manufacturer does so.

4. OEM Brand Labels Should Not Be Present

Importantly it is illegal to leave the OEM brand on remanufactured cartridges, so check that the cartridges are labeled correctly and informatively, letting you know exactly what you are purchasing and which models the cartridge is for.

Bear these factors in mind and there is no reason why you will not achieve top results with a remanufactured cartridge.

Where Can I Find Remanufactured Ink Cartridges That Meet The Above Criteria?

Carries a wide selection of remanufactured ink.

Conforms to strict remanufacturing standards to deliver quality ink products.

The dots created a minuscule, so small that several fit on each millimeter of printing material (the dots themselves are more narrow than a human hair) and are multi-colored, which allows for sharp images to be created.

Inkjet Cartridge Components

Inside of an ink jet, the print head contains the core of the mechanical technology which controls the nozzles. When you install the ink cartridge, the stepper motor is used to control the movement of the cartridge across the printing medium, creating the mechanical process that develops the image. A standard belt is utilized to connect the print head to the step motor, while a stabilizer ensures a predictable, steady motion. The printing medium, most commonly paper, is controlled by a paper feeder and a series of rollers which ensures that the printing process moves in coordination with the output.

From that point, there are two primary technologies used by inkjets to transfer ink.

Lexmark Z640 Thermal Printer

Thermal Transfer Method

The most common thermal method uses heat to create ink bubbles which expand and contract to create images on the printing medium. This method utilizes hundreds of nozzles to improve image quality, which allows for a high resolution image without the cost of laser toner. Generally, the more nozzles that an inkjet has, the better the image resolution will be. Today's ink jet printers offer a high level of resolution, at near laser-quality.

Piezo Electric Method

Another electric technology controls the ink flow through electric transfer which can improve the level of detail in the images, although this method is less commonly used. With this method, each nozzle contains a crystal which holds a charge that creates a vibration which controls the flow of ink. Since this method is controlled by a mechanical, programmed process, the variation in output is lower and the overall level of quality is higher. Today's photo jet printers can achieve resolutions of over 1440 dots per inch, which allows for creation of lifelike, photo quality pictures.

But how can you refill an ink cartridge or laser toner from the comfort of your own home or office?

Canon Inkjet Cartridge Refilling Kits

Refilling Inkjet Cartridges

There are many ways to refill an ink cartridge; some are more dangerous than others. For the average user, the best solution is to purchase a DIY ink refill kit from a retailer like 123Refills or 4Inkjets. These are available for both inkjet and laser printers. The content of each kit varies depending on the manufacturer, but the process is the same.

The inkjet refill begins by injecting the ink into the cartridge. Using the included syringe and needle, the injection is either performed through a hole in the cartridge or by removing the entire top of the cartridge and then injecting the ink. Depending on the demand, one may choose to buy ink in bulk so that multiple refills can be performed at a steep discount.

After the injection, small adjustments are made to ensure proper air balance within the cartridge. Once the refill is complete, the cartridge must be reinstalled and have test prints run. Sometimes, the ink must be forced through the sponge at the bottom of the chamber before the initial flow. Lastly, the print heads must be cleaned and inspected to prevent any blockage.

Refilling Laser Toner

For laser printers, toner bins can be refilled in much the same way as inkjet cartridges. The first method involves using a syringe and needle, and the second method involves using a funnel to add more toner. From my personal experience, the best places to get toner for refilling is either 4Inkjets or 123Refills. Laser printers are often more difficult to refill as the basic technology is much more complex than an inkjet. Laser printers need to have the waste hopper emptied as well, which can be dangerous if any of the loose toner dust is inhaled.

The second and final reason why laser printers are more difficult to repair is the cleaning procedure prior to adding more toner. Laser printers have complex blade and drum systems that need to be cleaned and inspected for any wear and tear.

• Horizontal white lines
• Inconsistent ink coverage (areas in paper where ink is faded)
• "Ghost" images - image that has already been printed shows up again, but much more faded
• Splotches of ink appear on the printed page

Canon PIXUS Printhead

What can be done to try to remedy these issues?

1. Clean the cartridge print head nozzles using alcohol and a cotton swab. The nozzles could be clogged, which leads to uneven dispension of ink. It's also possible to clean the print head via your printer's software (if there is a "Head Cleaning" or equivalent option).
2. Verify that the paper type in the printer matches the paper type listed in the printer's setup.
3. Check that the print head ribbon is securely attached, as it could have come loose.
4. Disconnect the printer from its electrical outlet, and clean the print head electrical contacts with alcohol to remove any paper dust that may have accumulated.
5. Restart both the PC and the printer, and then make sure that all connections are tightly secured.

If the above tips are not successful in solving your printer problems, then I would look at possibly replacing the ink cartridge altogether, as it may be an issue with the print head itself.

Today I'm going to go a bit into the more numerical side of determining what kind of performance you can get out of a given inkjet cartridge. I'll cover some of the basic terms that you'll encounter when purchasing and comparing inkjet cartridges, and hopefully give you a better idea of what exactly they mean so you can make more educated buying decisions.

Defining Page Yield

The straightforward and short definition of page yield is that it is the number of pages that can be printed out of a given cartridge. However, you may ask - wouldn't this number differ based on the type of printing that was done? For example, if "Draft" printer settings were used throughout the life of a printer cartridge, that cartridge would certainly produce more pages than a ink cartridge used on the "High Quality" setting.

The answer is that page yield is measured using a standard called 5% page coverage. The definition of 5% page coverage is approximately the amount of ink used to print a 8.5 inch x 11 inch page with a light heading and title, and three paragraphs of double spaced text.

Therefore, the amount of printed pages you'll be able to get out of your printer varies on how the average amount you print compares to this 5% page coverage. If you regularly print photos from your printer, your page yield will be significantly lower than the manufacturer's quoted page yield, and vice versa if you usually print on "Draft" settings with only a few lines of text on average.

How Is Page Yield Officially Determined?

If you're really interested in how exactly this figure is obtained, then check out the official International Organization for Standardization writeups for page yield, titled "Method for the determination of ink cartridge yield for colour inkjet printers".

Or you could just take our word for it...