Anyone using ink refill kits for empty ink cartridges? (8GB, installed, work)

[howard555]

I got a refill kit offf Ebay.
I followed the instructions and used a tooth pick to make sure I knew which color of ink was in each reservoir.
I insert the red, blue and yellow ink. Then used the empty syringe to withdraw some ink at the bottom to remove air bubbles. Everything works fine, except a Word document with all font 72 red letters print out yellow.
Blue prints fine and yellow prints fine, so I clearly have not gotten red ink in the wrong portion of the cartridge. Green prints fine too, and green is a mix of blue and yellow. Another indication that the blue ink reservoir is pure blue and the yellow is not contaminated with another ink color.
Each section holds 6ml of ink, so says the instructions.
I've put an extra 6ml of red ink and it still prints yellow.
Anyone use refill kits and have any ideas?

[harry chickpea]

Find a color chart on the net and print it. If the colors match, then it isn't the printer.

[howard555]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Find a color chart on the net and print it. If the colors match, then it isn't the printer.

I printed this from the bottom of this page:

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The red came out red.
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I then tried again to print this from a Word document:
ABCDEF
A BCDEF
A BCDEF
A BCDEF

The red B's come out yellow, and all others print fine, except the E's which are purple, print out yellow too.
The black, yellow, blue, green print fine. Purple and red come out yellow.

From previous years of this type issue, I think yellow is a default for "nothing."
I do not think these yellow B's and E's are being seen by the printer as yellow in color.

[reed303]

Have you tried printing from Notepad or Wordpad ?? or the "test page" part of Printer Setup ? I suspect Word or its print driver has a problem

[howard555]

Originally Posted by reed303

Have you tried printing from Notepad or Wordpad ?? or the "test page" part of Printer Setup ? I suspect Word or its print driver has a problem

The ABCDE from above, was a Word document.

The printer is a Deskjet 1220C. Each time a cartridge is removed or installed, it automatically prints a test page. No red.

Notepad appears to only be black and white, no color choices.

I just did annother test from the printer properties. Nice blue, yellow, and green. No red. The sponge inside the cartridge could be dried out. I did put an extra 6ml of red ink in it so it should soak it's way to the bottom. However, a white tissue on the bottom of the cartridge reveals blue and yellow and red ink.
But, red does not print out.

[howard555]

I have another cartridge, same printer and yellow and blue and red ink are clearly at the bottom and it only prints red, no yellow or blue.
It may be the contacts on the side of these cartridges that are bad, or.....

[SorryIMovedBack]

Clogged print head, maybe? On HP, the print head is integrated into the cartridge somehow. Perhaps there is a way to unclog that.

I only own Canon inkjets, and both of them have separate cartridge for each color. The print head is also totally separate from the ink tanks. I have had zero problems with refilled cartridges.

[howard555]

Originally Posted by SorryIMovedBack

Clogged print head, maybe? On HP, the print head is integrated into the cartridge somehow. Perhaps there is a way to unclog that.

I only own Canon inkjets, and both of them have separate cartridge for each color. The print head is also totally separate from the ink tanks. I have had zero problems with refilled cartridges.

I'll try cleaning the print head with q-tip and alcohol.

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Maybe you can answer a question if you own Canon. I was given a small bag of empty Canon color cartridges.
Each one appears to show the white sponge inside is about 50% or more, soaked in ink. As if 50% empty and they no longer printer properly?

What kind of life time do you get out of one of those thin cartridges.
I'm holding a Canon red one in my hand now and I'll post the photo.
Is it really empty and no good.


If the printer head is not part of the cartridge, then why would a new cartridge work?
There are copper contacts on the cartridge that communicate with the printer.
A relative got a new Kodak printer and the printer head in that specific model had to be inserted. That part held the cartridges in place.

[howard555]

The printer head is not the issue. One cartridge prints red, but no blue or yellow. The other one prints blue but no red or yellow. Finally after filling a 3rd one, all 3 colors print fine. So, it is not the printer, it's the individual cartridges where one or more ink partitions is too dry to absorb new ink.

[SorryIMovedBack]

Sorry, but I really don't know how long a cartridge lasts. I don't use the color printer unless I need color, which isn't often. Before I started refilling the cartridges, though, it seemed like they were empty every time I turned around, haha.


"sopping wet," probably, for best ink flow. The Canons that I own are ip5000 and MP640. Each has a small R/Y/C/B cartridge, plus a larger black one, 5 ink cartridges in all. I still see color on that white felt stuff when the cartridge goes empty, but I presume it's trapped in the felt and there just isn't enough free liquid to flow out of the cartridge to print.