• Remove the plastic refill transport clip from the cartridge if it has been placed on your cartridge to protect the printhead and prevent drying out.
• Open the cartridge replacement door on the printer as required.
• Typically the printer cartridge carriage will align for easy access.
• Replace the cartridge in the appropriate slot in the carriage / Black or Colour.
• Make sure the cartridge is seated properly.
• Close the cartridge replacement access door.

Assure that the cartridge printhead is facing downward when holding, storing, or transporting your cartridge. This will maintain the flow of ink toward the printhead. If the cartridge is transported with the printhead facing up, ink will migrate away from the printhead and the cartridge will will not print until reprimed.

As noted in your cartridge installation instruction sheet, it is always a good practice to run a printhead cleaning cycle after reinstalling a refilled cartridge. This can help to assure that the cartridge is fully primed and will draw ink uniformly across the printhead. Performing too many cleaning cycles however, is not recommended as your cartridge may be prematurely depleted of ink.

If you are not sure how to complete a cartridge printhead cleaning cycle, refer to your printer manual for the correct procedure.

After your cartridge has been refilled you will be provided with a Cartridge Installation Instructions sheet for the particular model refilled. It is important to read and follow the instructions prior to installing your refilled cartridge. Additional cartridge care and troubleshooting information is provided on the back of this sheet.

Avoid touching the electronic film or electrical contacts on the cartridge as this can damage the electronics and lead to printing errors. Similarly, touching the cartridge printhead should also be avoided. 

After removing the cartridge from the printer for refilling you may reuse the plastic transport clip which protects both the electronics and printhead. If a clip is unavailable carefully place the cartridge in a plastic bag for transport. After the cartridge has been refilled the store will provide a transport clip.

NEVER use adhesive tape to try to protect the printhead and electronics during transport, as the adhesive can clog the tiny print nozzles and impede printing.

Printing frequently will assure that the ink at the cartridge printhead does not dry out. Printing at least every 1 -2 weeks is recommended. If extended periods of time pass between print functions, ink can harden in the nozzles and the cartridge will appear to malfunction or be empty as the flow of ink will be impeded. If this occurs, remove the cartridge and place on a damp paper towel for several minutes. Often this will soften the clogged ink and allow printing to resume.

Never allow your cartridges to be removed from the printer for extended periods without covering the printhead or the cartridge will dry out. After removing your cartridges from the printer affix the plastic transport clip provided when the cartridge was refilled. 

• Assure that the plastic transport clip was removed from the cartridge prior to placing the cartridge back in the printer.
• Assure that the correct colour cartridge is inserted into each printer slot. 
• Often cartridges must be snapped into place. Assure that cartridges are inserted and snapped in place correctly. Refer to the printer manual for ink cartridge installation.

If your printouts were previously not streaky and start to become streaky, this may be an indication that the ink is starting to deplete and the cartridge should be refilled again. If you experience streaks through your printouts soon after the cartridge was refilled with minimal prints completed, try completing a cartridge printhead cleaning cycle to help to re-prime the cartridge. Alternatively, remove the cartridge and place on a damp paper towel until you notice the ink starts to wick into the towel. Replace and initiate printing. If the above does not rectify the issue, bring the cartridge back to the INKstation location and store staff will top up and refill the cartridge free of charge.

Typically, if there is a problem with blurry print or text that appears to have a shadow this is a mechanical alignment issue with the printer. It is possible that when removing or replacing the cartridges that the carriage was slightly nudged  off-line. Simply run a printer alignment function to remedy this problem. Refer to your printer manual for instructions on how to complete an alignment.

For some cartridges that have low ink volumes, it is often a good idea to allow the cartridge to sit for a few hours in the printer, or overnight. This allows time for all of the ink to flow down to the printhead. Try printing.

If you require printing immediately, try placing the print cartridge on a damp paper towel for a few minutes until you notice ink starting to wick into the paper towel. Fequently this step will help to quickly draw the ink down to the printhead. Try printing. If the cartridge still does not print bring it back to the INKstation location where it was refilled.

For the above noted HP cartridges, the printer ink levels will no longer be visible after refilling and will be greyed out. THIS IS ENTIRELY NORMAL and will not interfere with printing or quality. Simply print until you start to see the quality fading or becoming streaky. The cartridge would then require refilling again.

Although most HP inkjet cartridges are supported for refilling, there are a few exceptions as noted below. If your cartridge is not working and is among the non-supported models identified below, it may have been erroneously refilled at the store. Return it for a refund.

Non Supported HP Cartridges For Refilling

• HP setup cartridges labelled “Setup H” can have a higher than normal failure rate as these were intended to be one time use test cartridges that came with the original printer. HP models 62, 63, 64, 65, 302, 303, 304 marked ” Setup H ”  ideally should not be refilled although it is possible for them to work in some cases. Standard versions of the above noted cartridge models not bearing ” Setup H ” may be refilled easily. Set-up versions of other models of HP cartridges not listed can be refilled.
• HP inkjet cartridges bearing the “Instant Ink” logo are linked to the Instant Ink Program. Once a printer is enrolled in the HP “Instant Ink” program, the cartridges are locked-out by the printer and cannot be refilled. If you would like to refill your cartridges, you must un-enroll from the instant ink program. Refer to this Section for instructions on how to un-enroll. 

After re-installing a refilled cartridge sometimes you may see pop-up or nuisance messages such as “Low Ink”, “No Ink”,  or “Refilled Cartridge” as provided below. THIS IS ENTIRELY NORMAL. Your refilled cartridge is entirely full. Simply press any of “OK” / “Proceed” / “Continue” / “Cancel” / “Yes” / to dismiss and you can continue to print. Print until the quality fades or becomes streaky. At this point it may be time for another refill.

A small paper slip has been inserted in the plastic bag with your refilled cartridge. It is important that you carefully read the instructions sheet as it contains pertinent information regarding your ink cartridge refill, alerts and pop up messages, and how to bypass. As well there is valuable information on the back of this card regarding cartridge care and troubleshooting tips.

After re-installing a refilled cartridge sometimes you may see pop-up or nuisance messages such as “non genuine cartridge”, or “counterfeit cartridge” . THIS IS ENTIRELY NORMAL, and is the printer manufacturer trying to sell you a more expensive non refilled cartridge. Your refilled cartridge will work fine and does not void any warranties. Simply press any of “OK” / “Proceed” / “Continue” / “Cancel” / “Yes” / to dismiss and you can continue to print.

In the case that the following message is displayed, select NO.

If you have received a “Cartridge Error”, or “Incompatible Cartridge” message it may mean that your cartridge is electrically damaged and your printer is not accepting it. This is an electrical fault with the cartridge and is not linked to refilling. Typically, this could happen during transporting or removing the cartridge, if the electronic contacts were touched, or if the cartridge was banged or dropped. As a result, it is always important to protect the cartridge electronic film that is very sensitive by using a cartridge clip if available or putting the cartridge in a plastic bag. 

SOLUTION:

In order to try rectify, try removing the cartridge and gently wiping the electrical contacts with a soft damp lint-free tissue to try to resolve as in some cases the contacts may be dirty or oxidized. Also gently wipe the electrical contacts in the printer carriage. Re-insert the cartridge and try printing.

If the above does not work, bring the refilled cartridge back to the store for a refund and receive an extra stamp on your frequent refiller card. After you purchase a new OEM cartridge, it can now be refilled. 

For newer printers HP has introduced a ” Cartridge Protection ” feature that allows your cartridge to be used only in the first printer it was installed in. As a result the carriage will be locked to that specific printer. If you buy a new printer that takes the same inks, you will not be able to use this cartridge in your new printer as it will be locked to your initial printer. This means that the ink cartridges cannot be refilled, recycled or remanufactured for use in the new printer.

If you are installing protected original ink cartridges that have been refilled, you might see the message “HP Protected Cartridges installed, Replace Cartridges”. This will mean that they will not work with your printer and will only work with the printer that is locked to. Simply try the cartridges in another printer that uses the same model.

How to prevent the “HP Protected Cartridge” Error Message

Preventing the error message from appearing can be achieved by disabling the genuine cartridge protection feature in your printer settings.

Should you have a printer that’s not connected to the internet, you can go to “settings” on the printer menu and simply select the “disable cartridge protection” option available as shown below. If your printer is connected to the internet refer to the HP support information on how to disable.

If you have received this message it may be due to a communication problem between the printer and the cartridge. Remove the cartridge from the cradle and gently wipe the electronic strip with a lint free cloth, using isopropyl alcohol preferably or alternatively a damp lint free cloth. Also wipe the electronic contacts in the printer carriage. re-install the cartridge in the printer cradle and assure that it is seated properly. Try to print again.

HP “Instant Ink” Program Cartridges

Once a printer is enrolled in the HP “Instant Ink” program, the cartridges are locked-out by the printer and cannot be refilled. If you would like to refill your cartridges, you must unenroll from the instant ink program. Refer to the Section for instructions on how to unenroll. It is important to note however that once a cartridge has been locked out due to enrollment in the Instant Ink program, it will still remain locked out even after you have unenrolled from the program. Any new cartridges purchased after you have unenrolled will now be refillable.

To restore you printers default settings, simply refer to your printer manual for procedures for your specific model. This can usually be done easily for the printer dashboard on your computer.

For the above noted HP cartridges, the printer ink levels will no longer be visible after refilling and will be greyed out. THIS IS ENTIRELY NORMAL and will not interfere with printing or quality. Simply print until you start to see the quality fading or becoming streaky. The cartridge would then require refilling again.

A small paper slip has been inserted in the plastic bag with your refilled cartridge. It is important that you carefully read the instructions sheet as it contains pertinent information regarding your ink cartridge refill, alerts and pop up messages, and how to bypass. As well there is valuable information on the back of this card regarding cartridge care and troubleshooting tips.

After re-installing a refilled cartridge sometimes you may see pop-up or nuisance messages such as “refilled cartridge”, “non genuine cartridge”, or “counterfeit cartridge” . ThIS IS ENTIRELY NORMAL, and is the printer manufacturer trying to sell you a more expensive non refilled cartridge. Your refilled cartridge will work fine and does not void any warranties. Simply press any of “OK” / “Proceed” / “Continue” / “Cancel” / “Yes” / to dismiss and you can continue to print.

If you have received a “Cartridge Error”, or “Incompatible Cartridge” message it typically means that your cartridge is not communicating properly with your printer and your printer is not accepting it. Make sure that the correct colour cartridge is in the correct slot and is seated, or clicked in fully. Try removing the cartridge, gently wiping the electronic chip contacts and replace in the correct slot. Also try placing a cartridge from the second set, have the printer accept this, then replace the same cartridge in the printer again. If the above does not work bring the refilled cartridge back to the store for a refund and receive an extra stamp on your frequent refiller card. After you purchase a new OEM cartridge, it may be refilled. 

If you have received this message it may be due to a communication problem between the printer and the cartridge. Remove the cartridge from the cradle and gently wipe the electronic strip with a lint free cloth, using isopropyl alcohol preferably or alternatively a damp lint free cloth. Also wipe the electronic contacts in the printer carriage. re-install the cartridge in the printer cradle and assure that it is seated properly. Try to print again. 

After installing your refilled inkjet cartridge, it is necessary to disable the ink level monitoring feature of the printer to allow printing to continue. Typically, after re-installing your refilled inkjet cartridge into the printer the black and or colour ink lights will be blinking as shown. Your printer panel may differ slightly.

After the first print job is sent to the printer, you will see a message similar to the one below indicating that the printer is not reading the cartridge ink level correctly and gives you the option to turn off the ink level monitor for printing to resume. The message will prompt you to press the STOP/RESUME button on the printer as detailed below to allow printing to continue. IT IS IMPORTANT AT THIS STAGE THAT YOU DO NOT PRESS “CANCEL PRINTING”.

The STOP/RESUME button can be located on the front panel of the printer and may be marked “STOP”, “RESUME”, “CLEAR”, “RESET” or any combination of these as shown, Hold this button down for 10-15 seconds. The printer will usually beep to acknowledge, but this varies from model to model.

Depending on your printer model, you may need to turn your printer off and on again for this to be registered, and you may also need to repeat the process for each cartridge.

If you have the status monitor open on your screen, you should see yellow exclamation marks (status monitor thinks there is a problem) change to red crosses (status monitor off), as shown below:

When you have successfully disabled the status monitor, you will no longer get reports of empty cartridges when they still contain ink.

The procedure for resetting the Canon low ink Message and too disable the ink status monitor is detailed on the ” Inkjet Cartridge Installation Instruction ” paper slip inserted in the bag of your refilled cartridge. It is always important to read the instruction sheet and to follow the directions especially if this is you first refill.

If the computer displays this message as shown below, simply follow the procedure to hold down the reset button in order to reset the printer and disable the ink status monitor as outlined previously.

For the above noted Canon cartridges, the chip has been reprogrammed at the store so the printer ink levels will be visible and reset to full. If the SmartTech Station location has forgotten to reset your refilled cartridges, or if it was not done correctly, either bring the cartridges back to the store to be reset again, or it is easy to shut off the ink monitors using the same procedure found above under the Canon 30, 40, 41, etc. group of cartridges.

A small paper slip has been inserted in the plastic bag with your refilled cartridge. It is important that you carefully read the instructions sheet as it contains pertinent information regarding your ink cartridge refill, alerts and pop up messages, and how to bypass. As well there is valuable information on the back of this card regarding cartridge care and troubleshooting tips.

After re-installing a refilled cartridge sometimes you may see pop-up or nuisance messages such as “refilled cartridge”, “non genuine cartridge”, or “counterfeit cartridge” . ThIS IS ENTIRELY NORMAL, and is the printer manufacturer trying to sell you a more expensive non refilled cartridge. Your refilled cartridge will work fine and does not void any warranties. Simply press any of “OK” / “Proceed” / “Continue” / “Cancel” / “Yes” / to dismiss and you can continue to print.

If you have received a “Cartridge Error”, or “Incompatible Cartridge” message it typically means that your cartridge is not communicating properly with your printer and your printer is not accepting it. Make sure that the correct colour cartridge is in the correct slot and is seated, or clicked in fully. Try removing the cartridge, gently wiping the electronic chip contacts and replace in the correct slot. Also try placing a cartridge from the second set, have the printer accept this, then replace the same cartridge in the printer again. If the above does not work bring the refilled cartridge back to the store for a refund and receive an extra stamp on your frequent refiller card. After you purchase a new OEM cartridge, it may be refilled. 

If you have received this message it may be due to a communication problem between the printer and the cartridge. Remove the cartridge from the cradle and gently wipe the electronic strip with a lint free cloth, using isopropyl alcohol preferably or alternatively a damp lint free cloth. Also wipe the electronic contacts in the printer carriage. re-install the cartridge in the printer cradle and assure that it is seated properly. Try to print again. 

For Brother cartridge models 101, 103, 105, 107, 201, 203, 205, 207 the cartridge chip will be reset at the INKstation location. The cartridge will perform the same as a store bought OEM cartridge. The ink levels will be reset to full.

If you receive a pop-up nuissance message indicating that the ink is low, the cartridges were likely not reset properly at the store. Simply press “OK” and printing will resume as this will not impede your ability to print. You may take the cartridges back to the store to reset again, or simply just press “OK” each time the message pops-ups and printing will continue. 

For cartridge models 61, 65, 71, 75 select “YES” if you receive a message asking if a new cartridge has been installed. The cartridge will perform like a store bought OEM cartridge. Ink levels will be reset to full.

The procedure for resetting the Canon low ink Message and too disable the ink status monitor is detailed on the ” Inkjet Cartridge Installation Instruction ” paper slip inserted in the bag of your refilled cartridge. It is always important to read the instruction sheet and to follow the directions especially if this is you first refill.

Brother tank cartridges have small clear window located midway along the end the cartridge. Hold the cartridge both horizontally and level and the ink level will be visible in the window.