Choosing the Right Ink Cartridge for your Printer
When choosing the correct ink cartridge for your printer and for your inkjet printer, it is very important that you choose a good quality ink that ensures you get high quality printing results. Refilling your old cartridges may seem like a good idea and sound less expensive but it can require more technical skills than most of us have, and anyway, the procedure can vary from cartridge to cartridge. Many inkjet cartridges are not simply containers that hold ink, they also have built in electronic circuits. The circuits or âchipsâ as they are sometimes referred to, need to be reset after the ink cartridges have been refilled. Without the correct tools, knowledge and skills to refill them, it is better to consider going for the next best option and buying a good quality compatible or remanufactured ink cartridge.
Replacing Inkjet Cartridges:
Identify the make and model of your inkjet printer.
This may sound like an obvious one but more and more inkjet cartridges are returned to suppliers because of an error made in the selection of the cartridge needed. The printer model will usually be located on the back or on the bottom on the printer. It could be located on a sticker on the front of the printer â use this to check the ink cartridge you need and make a note of it. It is sometimes the case where the printer will take more than one size of ink cartridge, and you may be able to purchase a high capacity cartridge which will last a lot longer and work out cheaper in the long run.
Checking out your user’s manual
Getting familiar with your printer and learning how to change the ink cartridge in your printer plus finding out what type of ink it uses will require reading up on the users manual that comes with the printer. In fact, these days some of the printers donât have a manual with them but your download the installation guide and user manual from the manufacturerâs website.  Every printer is different, and you will need to familiarize yourself with the steps to change the ink cartridges properly and the users manual is the best place to start. If at all possible, open the printer cover and read the product code on the ink cartridge. It may be necessary to go into your printer utilities to activate the âhow to change an ink cartridgeâ instruction. This will move the print heads into position for you to see the ink cartridges and read the numbers you require. However, if there is no cartridge present or you cannot open the inkjet printer without actually physically changing the inkjet cartridge, then consult your user’s manual or go online to check it out further.
Choosing a replacement ink cartridge
If you are choosing an inkjet cartridge form an online supplier then the website will usually list all the printers that will work with a particular ink cartridge. Most websites that supply ink cartridges have a search facility that will allow you to type in the product code of the cartridge and take you straight to the options to buy. Sometimes, however, it will be necessary to type in the full product code of the ink cartridge if you know it as not all search facilities on websites can recognise a partial code or number from an inkjet cartridge. The other option is to go for a drop down search facility â where it is offered and select your printer; first by brand, then by printer type and lastly by the actual model number. This will ensue that you find the correct ink cartridges that work with your printer.
- Published in Ink Cartridges, Inkjet Cartridges
Remanufactured Ink Cartridges FAQ
What should I do if the ink cartridge warning light comes on after I insert the cartridge?
Sometime the ink cartridge warning light will come on after you first install the new remanufactured ink cartridge. The following tips will help to resolve this issue.
- Switch off the printer and leave for at least two minutes and then restart.
- If the light still appears after this, remove the cartridge â following carefully the printer instructions on how to replace an ink cartridge.
- Clean the face of the copper colour âchipâ plate with a clean soft cloth to remove any static or grease that may be preventing a good contact.
- Re-insert the ink cartridge to see if this has helped resolve the problem.
- If the problem is not resolved, the next step to try is to switch the printer off, disconnect the printer â USB lead and leave for 2 minutes, this may give the printer a chance to reset itself and possibly recognize the ink cartridges.
What if I am not satisfied with the print out quality of my remanufactured inkjet cartridges?
If you are unhappy with the quality of the print out from you remanufactured ink cartridges, it may be necessary to perform a cleaning cycle with your printer.
- Follow the instructions to perform a cleaning cycle on your printer, this can be found in your printer utilities or maintenance section. This may often mean performing the cleaning cycle on the ink cartridge several times before it is completely clean. You should always run a test sheet after each cleaning cycle to see if the cleaning has improved. This is important, as the printer will boost the strength of the clean (i.e. force more ink through the nozzle) when it sees that you are continually cleaning and printing a test sheet.
- If you are still not satisfied with the results following the cleaning cycle there is another option to try.
- Remove the inkjet cartridge from the printer, fold a paper tissue or piece of kitchen roll and moisten it with warm water. Place the moistened tissue on a flat surface and wipe the print-head while at the same time exerting a slight pressure on the cartridge. This can be repeated if necessary to help remove a clogged print head that the printer cannot clean.
- If the problem is not resolved at this stage, the next step is to switch off the printer, remove the USB lead and leave for 5 minutes, in the case of the Dell 944 we find that if you switch off, remove the power brick for 10 â 15 minutes then this will reset the printer and prevent it from showing its own message of âincorrect cartridgeâ installed.
- If none of the above work then it is likely that the inkjet cartridge is faulty and should be returned to the supplier for replacement.
Are all remanufactured inkjet cartridges give the same?
No, very often you will have no problems whatsoever with your remanufactured ink cartridges, in fact you can sometimes have issues with the an OEM cartridge (original manufacturers cartridge).
- Published in Ink Cartridges, Inkjet Cartridges