25.02.2018

Can I refill color laser printer cartridges?

This question is asked by most of those who want to buy a color laser printer for home use or company purposes, as well as those who have already made such a purchase. First of all, this is due to the high cost of a set of color cartridges, the cost of which sometimes differs little from the direct cost of the printer. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the cartridges that come with a color laser printer run out rather quickly. In fact, they are demo cartridges, so the amount of toner in them is much less than in full-fledged cartridges.

Refilling cartridges used in color laser printers is in principle possible, but there are a number of pitfalls in this matter. In an effort to increase profits, manufacturers of color laser printers have followed the already proven path, run in inkjet printers. Its essence lies in reducing the cost of the printers themselves while increasing the price of consumables. And so that printer owners would not be tempted to refill the original cartridge with toner or purchase a cheaper, compatible third-party cartridge instead, cartridges began to be equipped with special chips that count the number of copies printed.

All this led to the fact that the printer refuses to print even when the cartridges are fully refilled. The only way out of this situation is to replace the chips installed on the cartridges or reflash the latter. In some cases, when the flashing of the cartridges does not allow achieving the required result, the printer itself must be flashed.

By the way, "stripping" of cartridges is not always a way to guarantee their performance. Manufacturers of color laser printers are developing increasingly sophisticated security protocols that do not allow reflashing of cartridges, even with the use of special programmers. Samsung has gone the farthest in this matter, the latest models of chips on cartridges of which are practically unbreakable.

The very procedure of refilling cartridges used in color laser printers is carried out using a technology similar to refueling monochrome laser cartridges. In this case, it is imperative to thoroughly clean all parts of the cartridge to be refilled. Of particular importance in this process is the complete removal of the waste toner cartridge from the hopper. Neglect of such a procedure leads to a noticeable deterioration in print quality: the cartridge begins to smear text or graphic information being printed out and leave an extraneous background on the paper.

All of the above makes it clear that it is almost impossible to self-refuel a color laser printer cartridge in a home or office. And the point here is not only knowledge, but also the need to use specialized equipment for these purposes, the acquisition of which for personal purposes is inappropriate. In addition, when purchasing a color laser printer, it is better to immediately clarify the possibility of its subsequent refueling, because otherwise the joy from such a purchase will not be long.

In the process of intensive use of your printer, you will soon have to face a choice - buy a new ink cartridge or simply refill an existing one. Of course, the easiest way is to buy a special ink and refill the cartridge you already have. But how do you refill your hp laser cartridge yourself?

The principle of refueling is quite simple, the only thing worth paying attention to is the order of work. Follow all steps of the instructions in a clear sequence and do not forget to prepare the site for the procedure. If you do everything correctly, then problems will definitely not arise.

How to refill an HP laser printer cartridge - getting started

In order to self-refill HP laser cartridges, you need to purchase toner - special ink in the form of powder. Try to find the one that suits your model, the print quality depends on it.

If the issue is resolved with the toner, then you can start working. Find the most suitable place to work and cover it with newspapers in case the toner spills. The powder can harm you, so wear rubber gloves and try to avoid getting the substance in your eyes.

Take precautions

It is important to remember that toner used to refill printer cartridges is quite toxic. It contains such harmful elements as lead and cadmium. Therefore, do not allow the coloring matter to get on the skin and even more so in the respiratory tract. Refuel the cartridge only with rubber gloves and a protective gown!

In addition, it is advisable to carry out all work in a well-ventilated area where there are no children or pets. It is best to wear protective goggles over your eyes and protect your nose and mouth with a respirator mask. Be careful not to spill toner.

Often, a small amount of toner gets on your hands when handling a cartridge. Nobody is safe from this. Even the tidiest craftsman. In this case, it is enough to wash off the toner with warm (but not hot!) Water and soap.

The most important step is the selection of quality ink. The user manual and on the packaging for the printer identify the built-in cartridge models. It is for them that you must buy paint. Unfortunately, there is no ink from a printer manufacturer, so don't skimp on good ink or you'll end up with poor prints, dried nozzles and a faulty printer.

1. Let's go to the gas station. Remove the cartridges from the carriage by pulling on the plastic tip or pressing the release button. Examine the reservoir. On the back you will see a sticker that covers the filling holes, carefully remove but do not throw away! Usually there are ready-made holes in the cartridges for refueling, but if you haven't found any, then make neat punctures with a needle in the corresponding grooves.
2. Draw 2-3 ml of paint into the syringe, insert the needle 2-3 centimeters into the cartridge and slowly inject the liquid. It takes 15-20 seconds for 1 ml of ink. Filling the container with a strong jet, you risk getting air bubbles, which is categorically contraindicated. Overfilling is indicated by ink droplets on the bottom. Take some paint with a syringe, and blot the nozzles with a paper towel and wipe with alcohol. Return the sticker back.
3. Refilling a color cartridge requires care to avoid confusing ink reservoirs. A quick way to identify ink is to directly insert the needle into the container and pump the remaining ink into the syringe. Use a new needle and syringe for each hole to avoid mixing paints. Inject ink into each reservoir before filling and wipe the printing system with alcohol after filling.

An important recommendation. Print five, in some cases more, test pages to ensure that the toner is correctly positioned in the reservoir and evenly onto the print rollers. Only after that you can start full-fledged work.

Summarizing the above, I would like to add - although the price of refueling a laser printer cartridge is not very high, but why should anyone pay something if it can be done independently and, moreover, without much effort.

How to refill the cartridge yourself? Personally, I have asked this question more than once, since the printer has long been a part of my life.

And everything always happens like this: a person buys a printer, uses it for a while, and is very happy. But soon the cartridge, naturally, runs out.

And it ends much earlier than the person expected it. But you just bought a cartridge?

And the fact is that when buying a printer, a DEMONSTRATION cartridge is inserted into it, which has a small resource. And now a person is faced with a simple question: is it possible to refill the cartridge at home by yourself or buy a new one?

The cartridge can of course be bought, but it is often more expensive than the printer itself. (There is a really good option: buy laser cartridge or inkjet cartridge in China, it will be much cheaper)

And this is done on purpose, since the printer is dead without a cartridge. It is noteworthy that HP has the main revenue from the sale of cartridges, since their cost, compared to the store price, is very low. AND the revenue is almost 1000%!

It is worthwhile to immediately understand that refill the cartridge yourself at home not always simple and depends on the type of printer and the specific model of the cartridge. Here are some guidelines for refilling your cartridge at home.

1. How do I refill an inkjet printer cartridge myself?

The most common printer is still an inkjet printer, since at a low cost, it allows you to print color photographs.

When a person goes to a store, he often buys a gimmick of low cost, and only then learns that the cartridges for this "cheap" printer will cost him VERY dearly!

And of course a person immediately begins to think about how he will refill the cartridge later? And this is done simply.

The first thing to do is buy a GOOD ink for your cartridge. ( buy paint cheap again possible in China) If you buy bad paint, the photos will be terrible.

Another disadvantage of poor ink is that it will dry out quickly and the cartridge will periodically fail to print images. Blowing out the cartridge will result in the fact that almost a third of the cartridge will immediately be blown out! In addition, it is worth remembering a simple but important truth:

Cartridge manufacturers NEVER release ink or even refill kits for their cartridges!

But now you have bought ink, how can you refill the cartridge now? Everything is done simply: the syringe is filled, a hole is looked for on the upper end of the cartridge under the sticker, through which air comes out. It is very small, but the needle of the syringe just fits.

You can tear off the entire sticker, but then be sure to glue it back, since there is a whole labyrinth of air bleeding. If you just leave a hole, the ink will flow randomly through the cartridge nozzle.

Or you can simply drill the cartridge with a thin drill and fill it, and seal the hole with plasticine, or simply with chewing gum. Everything seems to be simple, but the disadvantage of inkjet cartridges is that if it really dries up, then such cartridge repair is very difficult.

You can, of course, try to soak it with distilled water with a small addition of ammonia, but this does not always help. In a short video on how to restore and refill the cartridge yourself.

Another good option is this. (I advise buy CISP in China , will be much cheaper!)

This device is very useful for those who print a lot, for example, photographers. I myself have installed such systems on several printers, and I can say that they showed themselves on a good side.

An inkjet printer is certainly good, but laser printers have replaced them. And even color laser printers are affordable for many today.

2. How do I refill a laser printer cartridge myself?

I would like to note right away that the powder used for filling laser printers is VERY harmful! But this of course does not mean that by filling one cartridge a year you will undermine your health. Just take basic precautions when refueling and refill the cartridge in a well-ventilated area.

Remember: even an army gas mask does not hold the toner from the cartridge, so all dust masks are simply USELESS!

If I scared you and you do not want to risk your health, then it is better to take the cartridge to a special company, where you can refill the cartridge in 15 minutes. You can follow, for example, the link and see the prices for such services.

If you are not scared, and nevertheless decided to refill the cartridge yourself, then buy toner here and prepare a newspaper on the floor or table. Refilling a laser printer cartridge is very easy if you guessed right with the model.

The fact is that in some cartridges there is a cork through which the toner is simply poured. To get to the cork, you need to remove one of the side covers of the cartridge, having previously unscrewed a couple of screws.

This completes the refilling of the cartridge. If there is no such plug, then you will have to disassemble the cartridge almost completely and pour toner into the slot. What's the conclusion? Before buying a laser printer, find out about the structure of its cartridge - is there a cork in it?

Another difficulty in refilling a laser cartridge can be a CHIP. Therefore, it is also better to immediately find out if it is possible to refuel this cartridge at home without unlocking the CHIP?

Well, to make it more clear, here is a video on refilling the cartridge. Your cartridge may have a slightly different device, but the principles remain the same.

It is also worth noting that if you buy a color laser printer, then you will need to refill 4 cartridges, and this may not be cheap, and the required color toner may not be on sale.

In these ways you can refill the cartridge yourself for inkjet and laser printers. If you know any other subtleties, please write about them in the comments.

13 comments

13 comments to the article "How to refill the cartridge yourself?"

About the laser cartridge. In addition to refilling with toner, it must be cleaned of waste toner; it has a special container for this. If this is not done, it will quickly fill up (and very quickly with non-native toner) and the result will be a damaged cartridge, and then a printer.

Agree. But as a rule, this is not relevant at the first refills. But when you refuel more than once, then yes. But I noticed that quality is not so important for many, if only the text is visible, since they are just typing drafts.

hmm, not that difficult.

It is not very difficult, the main thing here is ACCURACY, as you can easily uvazyukat everything :) And besides, the powder is harmful, it is better not to breathe.

It's not about the printer, it's about the cartridge. Some cartridges have a cap, and some cannot be refilled without complete disassembly. The best option is to go to the gas station and ask the guys which models are the best. They are constantly changing and difficult to keep track of.

I have a Samsung ML 1660 with just such a plug, but I bought it already 4 years ago, this model is unlikely to be on sale yet.

Hello everybody. Progress in the field of resuscitation of inkjet cartridges is weak. Wait for a message about the beginning of the release of a trial batch of "Reanimator Solution". Acts almost instantly. Compatible with water-soluble and pigment inks. You turn the cartridge over, apply 2-3 drops of the resuscitator to the working platform, after 2-5 minutes the cartridge is ready for use. In particularly difficult cases, the shutter speed can be increased. The solution does not attack the plastic and metal surfaces of the cartridge. About 10 years ago, this miracle product could be bought via the Internet, it is a purely Russian development, I see that it is still relevant.
I liked the video report from the intensive care unit, the filming is just great !!! I wonder if microlocking is possible so that you can see how intensively the cartridge nozzles are cleaned. At decent magnification, this is impressive.

Thank you very much, I liked your advice and came in handy, it's really bad that refilling of newer cartridges is not described. For example, HP 650 cartridges as in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jossDP4xI1A

Thanks for the stuff. Very helpful. I work as a master for refueling cartridges in Krasnodar, for those who cannot refuel themselves, I can refuel if anything ...

Time to refuel

It's no secret that the vast majority of home printers today are inkjet printers. And no wonder: the cheapest inkjet printer costs 3 times less than the cheapest laser printer. True, there is one "but" here. The cost of inkjet printing is much higher. And the cartridges run out very quickly - you won't have time to look back. But they are worth ... In general, you can't save enough money. What to do? Do you really have to buy a laser printer?

In fact, not everything is so bad: there is an opportunity to significantly reduce the cost of maintaining the printer. To do this, you just have to learn how to refill the cartridges yourself. Here's an example. The proprietary cartridge for my HP DeskJet 640 printer costs about $ 30 (cost to print, thus 4 cents per page), while a compatible third-party cartridge costs just over $ 20 (3 cents per page). Expensive, isn't it? But if you refill an empty cartridge yourself, then the cost of printing one page can be only 0.1 (!) Cents. Of course, there is a risk: refueling is not possible every time. But "he who does not take risks does not drink champagne." True, if you do decide to refill your cartridge, you should know that the print quality will almost certainly be worse than in the case of using the "proprietary" one.

So what do you need to refill a cartridge? There may be several options here. The first is a dedicated gas station. This refueling method is the easiest. Insert the cartridge inside the machine, fill in ink and press the button. That's it, nothing else is required of you. True, it does not do without its drawbacks. First, the price of a gas station is high ($ 150-200). And secondly, machines can only fill a certain type of cartridges. In general, this method is suitable, perhaps, only for organizations.

The second option is a special set, which includes a device for creating a hole, a syringe with a refill attachment and a cartridge holder. All this allows you to achieve good results for just $ 10. There are also cheaper kits - in them you will find an awl or screw cutter, a syringe with ink and a rubber or plastic stopper. By the way, when buying a kit, be sure to check if it contains instructions for refueling. If this option seems too expensive to you, then just buy ink, take an ordinary awl, scotch tape and a medical syringe. True, for the first time it is still better to use the kit.

It is helpful to do a little bit of theory before practice. Let's see what a cartridge is. Basically, the print unit of any inkjet printer consists of three main parts. First, there is a reservoir filled with ink and a capillary system that brings them to the nozzles of the head. This design is implemented differently in different models. So, for example, in some cartridges the ink tank is filled with a special absorbent sponge (something like foam rubber). In other models, the ink is held in the reservoir by the difference in internal and external pressure. Well, in some cartridges this is due to a special bag filled with air.

The head is the second part of the printing unit. At the same time, for some inkjet printers, the head is on the cartridge and changes with it (for example, for HP printers). For other models, it remains in the printer, and only the reservoir changes.

In addition, each cartridge is equipped with its own chip that controls the ink supply. In principle, it is he who implements the printing process. If the chip fails, the cartridge cannot be restored.

All this is not very difficult, but for refueling to be successful, you need to know these things. In addition, the correct ink must be selected to obtain a good result. The point is that there are many different inkjet inks available. In the overwhelming majority of cases, dye-based inks are used (the dyes in such inks are water-soluble). Fast-drying ink is less common (it is not washed off with water, but dissolves in an alkaline environment, such as saliva). Pigment ink can be seen even less often (the pigment does not dissolve in water or in an alkaline environment).

In addition, inks are classified into three types according to their functional properties: regular, high-resolution and non-standard. The first type of ink uses a simple dye without any additives, so they are the cheapest. True, the print quality in this case leaves much to be desired. High-resolution ink is a completely different matter: the result is visible even on plain paper. This ink practically does not blur on it, which allows you to really talk about high resolution.

Non-standard inks stand a bit apart. Finding them is much more difficult, and they are mainly used by professionals. This type includes, firstly, ink for printing on photo paper (and sometimes certain inks require a certain photo paper), and secondly, inks with a non-standard color gamut.

What is the best ink for home refills? The answer to this question is pretty simple. Take a look at any computer company and see what ink they have that is suitable for your cartridge. Each refill kit must be labeled with the brand of ink. Just look in the documentation to see if it fits your cartridge.

But do not flatter your hopes - you are unlikely to find yourself any ink other than the standard. Although there are high-resolution waterproof inks on the market, and even photo inks, you will have to run to find them.

In general, the problem of choosing ink should be taken very seriously. When you come to the store, try to take only branded paint. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to take HP ink for an HP printer - it is enough to take an "almost branded" ink, for example, from LG, which produces compatible cartridges and refill kits for almost all printers. It's another matter if the store tells you: "What company - I don't know, but it will work for your printer." Should you trust a company that is afraid to write the name on its products? Well, if you nevertheless took a chance and bought this "something", then be prepared for unstable blurry ink and incomprehensible colors (of course, not always, but in more than half of the cases).

Well, now that we have acquired the necessary theoretical knowledge and selected ink, we can proceed directly to the filling itself. This process is quite different for cartridges from different manufacturers. Therefore, let's take a closer look at it.

Refilling Epson cartridges

Epson replacement cartridges are simply a reservoir filled with ink. The head and print mechanism are located in the printer and cannot be replaced. More precisely, they are subject if they fail, but this will have to spend an amount that reaches 75% of the cost of a new printer. And what is most interesting, the Epson printing unit "flies" most often because of the use of counterfeit cartridges or home refills with bad ink, and the warranty in case of such breakdowns is invalid. So if you are the owner of an Epson printer, think about it ten times before deciding to refill! However, the process itself is very simple.

The most important thing is not to remove the cartridge from the printer for more than a minute: otherwise the print head will dry out and you will have to struggle with cleaning it. And this, believe me, will not lead to anything good. The way out of this situation is quite simple and ... not very pleasant: you will have to purchase another cartridge - I took out an empty one, inserted a full one at once.

The refueling procedure itself, as I said, is extremely simple, and it is the same for color and black models. The only difference is that in color cartridges you need to fill from 3 to 5 different compartments (according to the number of colors). This is done as follows.

As soon as you took the cartridge out of the printer, immediately cover the exit hole with a pre-prepared piece of tape. Further steps depend on the cartridge model. If the tank has holes (they must be sealed with foil) on the lid, then you are in luck, otherwise you will have to drill them yourself. Having dealt with the holes, we introduce the needle of the syringe to the bottom of the cartridge and slowly pump the ink. That's all. It remains only to glue the filling holes (see, do not accidentally cover the ventilation holes).

Refilling HP cartridges

In cartridges of this company, the print head is combined with the reservoir. This is a great advantage, because in case of unsuccessful refilling, the cartridge is simply thrown away and a new one is bought, and the printer will not be damaged. HP color and black print cartridges differ in design.

The first, like the models from Epson, have a reservoir with a sponge, and they fill up the same way. First, we glue all the holes with the exception of those located on the top cover. It is through them that we introduce the needle of the syringe and slowly (when refueling almost any cartridge, the ink must be injected slowly) we pump the ink. Then you need to wait for a while until the ink dissolves on the sponge.

The process of refilling the color cartridge for the HP DeskJet 400/500/600 is slightly more complicated. First you need to remove the top cover (this is not as easy as it seems at first glance). Under it you will find 3 holes for different colors. We glue two of them, and in the third we pump new paint with a syringe. Then we glue the other two, and so on. At the end, remove all the tape and put the top cover back in place. You can fix it with the same tape.

Now let's deal with black cartridges. In the HP DeskJet 400/500/600 models, the pressure inside the reservoir is created by special air bags. Keep this in mind, as after damage to such a bag, all ink will leak out, and the cartridge will have to be discarded. In older models, the difference between external and internal pressure is used, and therefore, such a problem cannot arise.

For younger models, the refueling process is as follows. First, tape all the vents on the bottom and lid of the cartridge with tape. Then we drill a hole in the corner of the cartridge (by the way - on some models there may be a ready-made hole; in this case, you just need to push a special ball inside that closes it). Next, use a syringe to pump ink. After that, tightly seal the hole with tape (or, if you use a special kit, plug it with a stopper). This is where the most mistakes are made. The hole must be closed very tightly. Otherwise, the cartridge will leak, and often this happens when it is already inserted into the printer. Trust me, this is very frustrating.

That's all. Peel off the scotch tape from the ventilation holes. Now all that remains is to pump a little air into the upper technological hole. Be careful not to get dirty, as this will cause ink to drip from the nozzles on the head. The air injection should be stopped when ink stops flowing from the overpressure hole, which is located at the bottom of the cartridge (usually 2-3 cubes are enough). By the way, for some cartridges (for example, for HP 51645A), you do not need to pump air, but, on the contrary, pump it out. For this, the filling kits have a special suction cup. We take this simple device, click on it, attach it to the print head nozzles and release the pressure. As a result, excess air is pumped out of the cartridge. It must be pumped out before the ink comes out of the nozzles.

It is much easier to refuel using a special cartridge holder. In this case, you will no longer need to glue the ventilation holes - they will be covered by the holder (everything except the top one). You just need to drill a hole for the refueling, then fill the cartridge, and then pump some air into the upper vent hole and seal the refueling hole. That's it - you can take out the finished cartridge.

With black cartridges of older models, everything is much easier. It is enough to separate the film covering the special hole near the nozzles and push the ball-stopper inside. Then pour ink inside and seal the hole tightly with tape. Now all that remains is to turn the cartridge over and wait until the excess ink runs out.

Refilling Canon Cartridges

This company went to meet the lovers of home refueling. In its latest printers, only the ink tank (like Epson) or both the ink tank and print head (like HP) can be changed. This allows you not to be afraid to refill the cartridges (in case of unsuccessful refueling, the cartridge is simply thrown away and a new one is bought) and, at the same time, minimizes the cost of purchasing branded ink (replacing a Canon cartridge is cheaper than replacing an HP cartridge, since you can only buy an ink tank) ...

Canon cartridges hold the ink inside the reservoir with a sponge, so they don't need to be completely sealed. BC-20 cartridges are refilled through the side vent. To do this, you need to widen the hole a little, insert a needle into it and pump ink. That's all. By the way, do not forget that you cannot glue this hole.

Cartridges like BC-21 and BCI-21 are slightly more difficult to refill. First you need to tape the outlet holes with tape. Then cut off the top cover with a knife. You will find filling holes under it. Pump each ink one at a time, dipping the needle to the middle of the cartridge (not all the way!). Just do not mix up the colors - each color's fill port is exactly above the same color's outlet port. Now all that remains is to secure the lid in place by wrapping it with tape. The most important thing is not to accidentally seal the ventilation holes.

By the way, there is another way to refill these types of cartridges. There is a special fiber membrane at the bottom of each cartridge. It is enough to slowly drip ink onto it, which will be absorbed. However, with this method of refueling, you can enter too much ink into the cartridge, and they will pour out through the ventilation holes. This will not damage the cartridge, but of course you will get dirty.

Refilling Lexmark Cartridges

The reservoirs of these cartridges are aligned with the printheads. The ink is held inside by a sponge. The refilling process for Lexmark cartridges is similar to the refilling process for Canon cartridges and is just as safe for the printer - if it fails, the cartridge is thrown away and a new one is bought. In the process of refueling, first you need to widen the vent hole, then insert the syringe needle into it to the middle and slowly pump ink. In color cartridges, you need to remove the top cover and use a syringe to inject paint into three compartments. Then reattach the cover ... and that's it.

conclusions

As you can see, refilling an inkjet printer cartridge is not at all as difficult as it might seem. The main thing is to observe caution and safety rules. I think you understand that inkjet ink has an amazing dyeing power. Therefore, the entire refueling process is best done in the bathroom. Those who are safe, as you know, God takes care of.

And finally, I want to warn you that not every refueling will be successful: usually a cartridge is enough for 2-3 refills, but sometimes it can "cover" after the first one. However, don't be upset. Remember, a little practice, and you will not fear looking at the slowly creeping up the numbers on the price tags of branded cartridges.

The question of how to refill a laser printer cartridge is not as difficult as printing users imagine. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

So, do not forget that cartridge powder is very harmful to human health. Of course, you should not be afraid of the refueling procedure, which takes place once a year, but you should not treat it negligently. Normal safety precautions must be followed.

To find out how to refill the laser cartridge yourself, you need to familiarize yourself with all the instructions for the device in advance. The procedure should be performed in a well-ventilated room. Using dust masks will not do any good. If you have any doubts that you can do it yourself, it is better to know exactly how to refuel such equipment. The only question will be cost.

If you still decide how refill hp laser cartridge by yourself, it is recommended to purchase the powder in specialized stores. Before the procedure, the working surface is covered with a newspaper or other similar protective coating.

The figure below shows that: Unlike charging inkjets, refueling laser cartridges implies almost complete disassembly and subsequent assembly.

Sometimes the laser cartridge has a special stopper through which the powder is poured into the toner. To do this, you just need to remove the side cover of the device. If there is no such part, then the equipment will need to be disassembled completely. Therefore, before purchasing a printing device, we advise you to check if it is equipped with a toner plug.

Self-refilling can be difficult due to the presence of CHIPs that are difficult to unlock if not self-zeroing oriented.

Your purchase of a color laser product involves refilling four cartridges, which may or may not be available for sale. Therefore, you should think about the advisability of buying.