My Printer Won’t Work after Refilling

Yep! This is a statement I have heard over and over again from users who generally cut corners by refilling ink cartridges themselves. I had discussed regarding the repercussions of using cheap refills as an alternative to branded ones and this one falls in the same category.

A user on CNET had a similar problem recently and his query went something like this: My printer gave the following message “The following ink has run out” with the picture of the colored ink cartridge out of the socket appearing. I promptly removed and replaced the refilled colored and black ink a few times to ensure that they are in position but I still cannot print. Please help. Thanks.

The solution to this problem is complex and cannot be determined by an error/warning message displayed by the printer. Such a problem could arise due to damage to the chip on the ink cartridge or generally speaking, the chip on the cartridge needs a reset before inserting back on the printer. There are applications available to take care of it.

Secondly, the inks manufactured by branded companies are irreplicable and there is a chance that printer heads could get damaged by using other unspecified inks. Also, the quality of prints offered by refills is quite far from the manufacturer’s prints.

Here is CNET author’s reply: Generally, it is not advisable to use refillable ink systems or third-party ink cartridges. It may be cheaper (lots cheaper in some instances) but the ink quality may not be as good and may clog up your printer’s ink head. Also, should your printer be damaged due to the use of inks other then the original manufacturer’s, the warranty will be void.