Save Money, Refill your own cartridges.

We no longer offer a refill service for most ink cartridges due to the complexity of some of the new cartridges on the market. Many of the printer companies now put small chips on thier ink cartridges. The manufacturers will state that it is to help the end user when in actual fact they are designed to inhibit the use of refills. For example, some printers will do extra head cleans if they know there is a refill, this means you use more ink and save no money for your efforts. Some printers will do a firmware update which changes the way it reads the chips on the cartridge and sometimes rejects them. Our compatible cartridges are constantly being updated for this reason.

We can sell you ink and syringes to fill your own cartridges, but this is also becoming increasingly harder to do. Only available on limited models.

If you have an older printer with no electronic chips then you can refill without any problems. If you have a Canon or Brother printer with individual ink tanks, then you may be able to refill with the use of a small tool called a resetter for a minimal cost. We dont recomend refilling Epson, HP or Lexmark cartridges as they are less likely to be successful.

Refilling Tips (How to save money $$$)

The average cartridge can usually be refilled 2 to 6 times, but some are much more.

With the average cartridge refill saving up to 90% over the cost of buying a new one, it makes sense that the more refills you can get out of a cartridge, the more money you can save. In some cases you can refill with more ink than the original cartridge contained. If you can refill your cartridge 6 times instead of purchasing a new one each time, the savings would be substantial. We also offer compatible cartridges for most models as a replacement option or to have a spare. These compatibles often offer larger ink volumes for similar price to refills, if you want to refill them, they are often easier to fill as they are see through.

Always wear gloves and place newspaper down. Always refill slowly and be patient. Captain Cartridge can only offer minimal support if you refill yourself. (Google has plenty of info).

Understanding your Cartridge

A print head works by super heating the ink, which causes it to expand and shoot through the microscopic holes. This happens thousands of times per second through each of the sometimes hundreds of openings contained on the printhead. The printhead needs the liquid ink to be running through to keep it cool (much like a car needs oil to keep cool).

The main cause of a cartridges lifespan being shortened (and in some cases the printer) is running a cartridge completely dry. If the cartridge continues to be used when the ink has run out, or partially run out, the print head will start to burn out. If the cartridges are just ink tanks, then the printhead is part of your printer, this means you will need a new printer when your printhead burns out. Most printers these days are designed to last about 1 1/2 years, but are very cheap to replace.

If you are going to refill your cartridge, refill straight away, then place in a sealed bag or container.

If your ink cartridge is just an ink tank with no printhead or electronics then placing the cap on is OK.

Most newer machines have a “Low Ink” warning, refill then, or at the first sign of fading print, as continuing will shorten the cartridges life or the printers life, and cost more money in the long run.

Remember "A stitch in time, saves nine"....so don't run them till they are dry!

Things you can do to help get the most refills:

Refill as soon as you are aware your cartridge is nearly empty. (Putting it off may mean spending more later.) Stop printing at the first sign of any ink running out. If faded print does not improve with one or two printhead cleans, its time for a refill or new cartridge.
If possible store in a ziplock bag or airtight container while awaiting refilling, this will slow down the drying out process and minimise blockages.
Avoid touching any copper connections and printheads on cartridges.
Best to have a spare set, or at least a spare of the Black which is most commonly used.