How to Refill an Inkjet Printer Cartridge: Guide + Troubleshooting

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Save on ink costs by refilling your inkjet printer cartridges

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: October 1, 2025 Fact Checked

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Refilling the Cartridge

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Troubleshooting

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This wikiHow shows you how to save money by refilling your own inkjet printer cartridges. Though refilling most cartridges is not usually advised by printer manufacturers, you can find reputable companies that sell printer ink refill kits that work just as well as replacement cartridges. If your HP, Canon, or Xerox printer is running out of ink, consider this easy method to refill the cartridges! This will work on any brand that uses inkjet cartridges.

Refilling Ink Cartridges

Buy an ink refill kit that’s compatible with your printer.
Find the fill hole in the cartridge, or puncture the plastic to make one yourself.
Fill the syringe with the correct color ink.
Insert the syringe into the fill hole and slowly push the plunger down.
Stop adding ink when it begins to ooze out of the hole.
Cover the fill hole with a small piece of tape.
Reinsert the cartridge.

Section 1 of 2:

Refilling an Inkjet Printer Cartridge

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Buy an ink refill kit for your printer. Computer & tech specialist Luigi Oppido says you can use an ink refill kit to refill your own ink cartridges.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Interview} Many office supply, discount, and department stores carry these kits for a fraction of the cost of an official replacement cartridge, and you can also pick up an inkjet refill kit on Amazon. Oppido says they generally cost around $15, as opposed to branded ink cartridges, which are in the $40 range.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Interview}
- Kits usually come with everything you need to refill an existing cartridge, including ink, a syringe, seal covers, a manual, and a screw tool.
- Some ink refill kits are universal, meaning they are intended to work for all inkjet printer brands. Others are manufacturer or model-specific.
- Most printer companies advise against refilling your own printer ink. Instead, they recommend that you purchase new cartridges from them directly. Refilling your own cartridges may void your ability to receive tech support from the printer manufacturer, so refill at your own risk.
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Prepare your workspace. Ink can be messy, so lay down some newspaper or paper towels on a flat working surface. Then, grab your ink kit, more paper towels, a pair of gloves you don't mind getting dirty, some clear tape, and safety glasses.
- Printer ink will leave permanent stains on clothing and surfaces.
- Put on gloves to protect your hands. Though ink stains on your skin won't be permanent, they can definitely stick around a long time.
- Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. In the event that ink sprays excessively, safety glasses will prevent the ink from getting in your eyes.
- Read the refill kit's instruction manual. The manual will contain instructions specific to the kit, including information on how to use the included tools. If the manual's instructions differ much from this wikiHow guide, stick to the manual's instructions.
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The steps to do this vary by printer, but the cartridges are usually not too difficult to remove. You may need to turn the printer on so the cartridges move to an accessible location, then pull up a tab to access the cartridge. Check your printer's manual to find the exact location of the cartridges and the steps for removal. Once removed, fold the paper towel in half twice to make an effective spill guard to work over.^{[3]
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Find the ink fill hole on the cartridge. Some cartridges, such as those made by HP, already have a fill hole that doesn't require you to puncture the cartridge.^{[4]
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Research source} Peel back the label from the top of the cartridge to find potential fill holes. If you're working with a cartridge that has multiple inks in a single unit, each color will have its own fill hole.
- If you find more than one hole, only one actually leads to the ink reservoir. Inspect each hole until you find one with a spongy material inside—this is the fill hole. You can verify by attempting to remove some existing ink with the syringe included in the kit.
- Some manufacturers place a twist-off cap on each cartridge that must be removed to expose the fill hole.
- If the fill hole is sealed, you'll just need to break the seal to fill it.
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Create a fill hole in the absence of one. If there is no fill hole on the cartridge (or the hole is covered with a seal), you'll need to puncture the plastic to create one yourself. The best way to do this is to use the screw tool or drill bit that came with your kit to pierce the top side of the cartridge.^{[5]
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Research source} If your kit didn't come with a puncture tool, try a pen, toothpick, knife, or screwdriver. If you're filling one multicolor cartridge, you'll need to do this for each color.
- Be sure to follow any instructions in the kit that describe proper hole-making and placement.
Begin by pressing the syringe's plunger all the way in. Insert the long end into the replacement ink bottle and slowly pull the plunger away to fill the chamber with ink.
Insert the long end of the syringe into the fill hole on the cartridge until you hit the spongy bottom. Then, gently push the plunger down to add ink. Push slowly to avoid adding air bubbles, as they can break the cartridge.
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Stop adding ink when a little oozes out of the hole. This means you've reached the top. At this point, pull the plunger outward just a bit to suck out some of the excess ink, then remove the syringe from the fill hole.
- Clean the area around the fill hole with a paper towel. You'll want this area free of ink and dry before you plug it up.
If your kit came with a seal/stopper that fits into the hole, you can insert it now. Sometimes tape creates a better seal, though. Once sealed, blot the top of the cartridge on the folded paper towel a few times to clear off any excess ink.^{[6]
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If your kit came with more than one syringe, use a different one for each color to avoid mixing colors together. If not, thoroughly wash and dry your syringe between colors. Be sure to blot all excess ink off each cartridge before putting them back into the printer.
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Reinsert the cartridge(s) and print a test page. After putting the cartridge back in the printer, print something to get the ink flowing. If you refilled multiple colors, print something in both full-color and black-and-white to make sure all of the ink prints properly. You may need to print several test pages to get everything flowing properly.
- You’re done! You’ve successfully refilled your ink cartridges. Next, check out how to save printer ink.
- If the papers seem to be smudging ink, try cleaning the ink cartridges.

Section 2 of 2:

Troubleshooting

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The printer isn't printing the refilled color. If the color you refilled won't print, there are a few common causes with easy fixes:
- It may be because there's too much suction under the seal. Remove the tape or seal over the fill hole to let out excess air, replace it, and then try printing again.
- Another reason colors may not appear on the page is ink clogs. Some printers have built-in cleaning cycles, so try that first. If there isn't a feature like this, or it doesn't work, you can try to remove the clog using a cotton swab or cloth dipped in a small amount of distilled water (don't use tap water) to clean around the cartridge.^{[7]
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The printer still thinks I'm out of ink after refilling the cartridge. You likely need to reset the cartridges. The process to do this varies by printer, but you'll usually find a "Reset Ink Levels" option in your printer's menu.^{[8]
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Print quality is degrading over time. After refilling a printer cartridge 4 to 5 times, the quality of the cartridge will degrade, and the cartridge will need to be replaced.^{[9]
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Research source} Check out our guide to properly disposing of ink cartridges to learn what to do with your old cartridges.
- It's also possible the cartridge ran dry before you were able to fill it again. If you let the levels completely run out before refilling, the print heads can dry out, causing poor print quality. Try adding ink to your cartridges before they're completely empty.^{[10]
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How much is it to refill ink cartridges at Costco?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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In the United States, as at 2019, it will cost around $8 to $10 to get an ink cartridge refilled. For Costco outlets in other countries, refer to the relevant Costco website, and remember that the prices will change over time.

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How do you refill ink cartridges for Canon?

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You’ll find step-by-step instructions for refilling Canon ink cartridges in this wikiHow: How to Refill Canon Ink Cartridges.

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Can I refill ink cartridges?

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Yes, in many cases you can refill ink cartridges. However, if the cartridge has dried ink inside it, don't try refilling it as it will likely not work properly. For Inkjet printer cartridges, follow the step-by-step instructions explained above. Also, before refilling a cartridge, check the manufacturer’s instructions in case there are some specific things to be aware of. When refilling, be sure to do so where spills can be contained and won’t damage anything in your house or office.

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Tips

Try not to touch the metal parts on the cartridge. Oil from your fingers can disrupt contact with the printer. You can use a cotton swab moistened with rubbing alcohol to gently clean these contacts.

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Overfilling a cartridge could cause it to stop working prematurely.

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Avoid letting your ink cartridges run dry. Check and refill them periodically for best results.

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