This Guide Contains information for the following issues scroll down to find the solutions:
- My printer doesn't recognise the cartridge or it is telling me the cartridge is missing or faulty
- I have inserted both cartridges into the printer at the same time and receive an error message telling me that cartridges are missing or faulty
The Cartridge doesn’t print - The printing is poor; colours are missing or are very feint
My Cartridge does not fit in my printer
I see leaked ink in the packet
My printer says the cartridge is EMPTY even though I just installed it.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Cleaning Your Printer
Ink Tank Style Cartridges (HP 364, HP 920, HP 940, HP 88, Lexmark 100)
HP 364 XL Black
HP 364 XL all Colours
Kodak 10 Cartridges
Problem: My printer doesn't recognise the cartridge or it is telling me the cartridge is missing or faulty
First check if the cartridge is the correct model for your printer.
If the problem persists then remove the cartridge from the printer and CAREFULLY rub the circuitry on the front of the cartridge with a moist tissue or pencil eraser (pencil eraser works best) as there may be some debris stopping the contacts from communicating with the printer. Put your old cartridge back turn off the printer for a few minutes and then turn it back on. Replace the old cartridge with the new one. It should work.
Problem: I have inserted both cartridges into the printer at the same time and receive an error message telling me that cartridges are missing or faulty
First we need to identify which cartridge is causing the problem.
If you test your old working black cartridge with the new colour cartridge that we have provided.
Then remove both cartridges and test your old working colour cartridges with the new black cartridge that we have provided. Once you have been able to establish the problem cartridge try the procedure in the previous question to get the cartridge working.
Problem: The Cartridge doesn’t Print
Please make sure the cartridge clip is removed and the blue tape has also been removed from the cartridge. If this has already been done try to print a cleaning page from the maintenance section of the printer software. If the problem still persists try the following:
Remove the cartridge(s) from the printer and sit the cartridge(s) on some moist kitchen roll making sure the bottom on the cartridge (where the ink comes out from) is in contact with the kitchen roll.
Leave the cartridge sitting on the tissue for 20 minutes, and then re-insert the cartridge back in to the printer. This is shown in the figure below
Try doing a few more head cleans/Nozzle cleans through the printer software to get the ink flowing, this should get the ink flowing again.
Problem: The printing is poor; colours are missing or are very faint
Check whether you installed the cartridges in the right slots. We have seen this problem when the customers accidentally switch the cartridges while installing. Re-install the cartridges in the correct slots and you should get the perfect prints. This check is necessary with some printers that have colour coding only for cartridges since the remanufactured cartridges may have different colour tops
Sometimes, during transportation, the cartridge may have been laying on one side, causing the colours to mix, or the print head to dry out. This does happen with both original and remanufactured inks. Allow the newly installed ink cartridge to rest for an hour whilst installed in the printer then run the head cleaning option and an alignment page if required (not all printers offer alignment pages but all printers will have a head cleaning option in the maintenance section of the software, refer to printer manual if you cannot find it) and then set the printer to print in “BEST” mode using all the colours. This will 99.9% fix your problem.
Problem: My Cartridge does not fit in my printer.
We only sell remanufactured cartridges which mean that we only use the original empty cartridge made by the printer manufacturer to remanufacture, so the only way it won’t fit is if the cartridge clip/blue tape has not been removed, the wrong cartridge has been ordered or the wrong cartridge has been sent. If you are sure the label on the cartridge matches up with the model your printer takes refer to your printer manual to find out how install the cartridges correctly.
Problem: I see leaked ink in the packet.
Very rarely, a little ink might leak out for different reasons. Wipe the cartridge surface and blot the nozzle on a damp cloth. The cartridge is ready for use.
Problem: My printer says the cartridge is EMPTY even though I just installed it.
Pretty much most remanufactured cartridges will read as empty; this is because the original manufacturers prevent us from resetting this option. We can assure you though the cartridge you have received and filled to max fill volume. Click okay to any Error Message and continue printing. Some models can be reset but this is done on individual printers, most of the information can be found by doing a simple Google search “reset ink counter for [printer name])
99.9% of the time, if you ignore the warning and proceed with printing, the settings get corrected on their own, but if it refuses to print then here's what to do...
Try installing the cartridge again making sure your computer and printer are both on (power turned on). Change the cartridge on the printer by taking it out, and then putting it back in. Close the cover, or press the button on your printer that tells it to return to normal. The printer control program should come up. If it doesn't, you may have to search around somewhere in your printer utilities and try to find where the "Install New Cartridge" option is. When you find it, open the printer utilities and select "Install/Change cartridge". (Go through the steps described in this printer function)
This approach will tell the software that a new cartridge has been inserted and force it to reset the internal page counter to zero.
To Disable Canon Printers Ink Monitor
Click on Start button > Settings > Control Panel > Printers > (right click on printer model) > Printer Preferences > Maintenance Tab > View Printer Status > Option.
In the options menu you must left click on the enable status monitor. The check mark will disappear and the ink monitor is now disabled.
If you get a pop up message saying anything and the printer is flashing orange. Click ok on the computer, if no ok button. Hold the feed button on the printer for a few seconds.
If the above doesn’t work
Insert the cartridge(s) into the print and try to print a document from your computer
Wait until a message appears telling you the cartridge is empty and need to be replaced before you can continue. Now hold down the cancel button on your printer for 5 seconds then release (the round button with a diamond shape in the middle). If the message still appears then hold down the cancel button for another 5 seconds
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Cleaning Your Printer
Sometimes an ink cartridge can have problems due to dirty printer. Dirty printers can create problems for both OEM and remanufactured cartridges.
The answer is a clean printer. You will need cotton swabs, warm water, paper towels and a flash light. You need to get the cartridge carriage to move off the docking station and to the middle of the printer. Usually you need to turn the printer on and open the cover. Sometimes there is a cartridge button to push. With the carriage in the middle, unplug the printer - this keeps the carriage moving unexpectedly. Use a flashlight to see the docking station if needed.
Clean the rubber seats in the docking station with cotton swabs and warm water. The seats are usually square and match the size of the nozzle plate. If there is a wiper blade, it will be about a quarter inch long and just to the left of the docking station - clean it as well. Now remove the cartridge from the carriage. Soak a paper towel and then squeeze out the excess water. Fold it long ways several times until it is about 12 inches by 1 inch, several layers thick. With a handhold on each end of the towel, slide the towel back and forth as it goes under the carriage - some carriages can be lifted up slightly to make this process easier.
While the above tips give general guidelines, we suggest you to refer to your printer manual for specific maintenance instructions.
It is not uncommon for newly bought remanufactured tank style inkjet cartridges to exhibit faint prints or light printing. Sometimes this will be described as "the blacks print like greys" or inks are not coming out right, or the inks just won’t flow to the paper.
Keep in mind that these cartridge types do NOT have printheads on the cartridge; rather the printheads are in the printer.
Technically, what is going on is that the ink is simply not flowing all the way to the paper. What is causing that, can only be 1 of 2 things:
1) The printheads in the printer are clogged (can occur due to a period of inactivity, causing ink residue to clog the heads) --> solution is to run the print head cleaning cycle through the printers maintenance menu function
OR
2) The ink is not flowing through the cartridge (not even reaching the printheads in the printer). This is the most overlooked issue.
So what could cause ink to not flow through the cartridge?
These cartridge types are sealed at the manufacturing level to preserve freshness and to prevent leaking. This means that the OUTLET PORT is sealed (where the ink comes out of the cartridge and is on the bottom of the cartridge), but also the BREATHER HOLE is also sealed (which is on top of the cartridge). The outlet port is easy to identify, it’s a circular opening about the size of a penny coin. The breather hole however is a tiny hole, the size of a pin prick or toothpick prick. There is protective tape over the breather hole that needs to be removed in order to get the ink to flow. The breather hole is on the top of the cartridge and is covered by a sealing tab. The tab should have instructions on it to "PULL", thereby removing the tab and exposing the breather hole to air.
If the tab has been pulled, make sure that it did not tear leaving the breather hole still covered. You may need to manually remove the plastic from the breather hole if it’s still covered.
How can you determine if the cause of the ink flow problem is due to the breather hole or due to clogged print heads? If another cartridge prints but the 1st one doesn’t, then the print heads are fine, so you can rule that out. Try all the other solutions to get the ink going again and if the problem still persists contact us.
HP 364 XL Black
HP has now changed the HP 364 XL Black cartridge. This is very important to note. The original reference was CB321EE it is NOW KNOWN AS CN864EE.
We are unable to supply the old HP 364XL cartridge (CB321EE). As we use the original empty cartridges to remanufacture our products HP has replaced this cartridge with the new version (CN684EE) which has been designed to replace the old cartridge in ALL printers. HP says that this new cartridge is compatible with your printer, even though it does look like it won't fit. It is physically smaller in size than the original and therefore fits either to the side or in the centre of the slot. Please see their website for more information.
HP 364 XL all Colours
Error Messages: You may get error messages such as “non genuine ink cartridge installed” or “hp cannot guarantee the print quality of genuine cartridges”. Click ok to ALL error messages and it will allow you to print.
HP 364XL Photo Black
Please note this is separate to the black cartridge it is the same size as the colour cartridges, not all printers will take a photo black cartridge. Check your printer manual for more information.
Kodak 10 Cartridge
If the Kodak ESP printer ink cartridge is not being detected by the printer, follow the below procedure:
Once the Carbon Strip has been removed, re-insert the cartridge into the printer.
Please note: Ensure the chip on the cartridge is not touched by bare hand as this can cause damage
Note: If you have an older ESP model, DO NOT update your firmware via the Kodak website as this may stop our compatible inks being detected in your printer. More details on this firmware issue will be posted when we have further information.