(This information is presented by Jackstuff.com to give you a general idea of how to refill your cartridge. Always be sure to read the instructions that come with our refill kits before you start.)

Most H-P inkjet cartridges are pretty easy to refill, but one is a bit of a challenge.

1 - Place a sharp knife blade along the joint between the colored cap and the black body of the cartridge. Tap the blade with a hammer to break the glue seal. Cracking the cap will not be a problem, but try to do it neatly. Move the blade around to different places to completely break the seal.

2 - Use a separate syringe and needle for each color. After pulling ink into the syringe, insert the needle into one of the vent holes in the appropriate compartment. When you reach the bottom pull back a bit, then start to slowly inject the ink. As you inject the ink, gradually pull the needle up so you can fully saturate the "sponge".

3 - When you see ink through the clear plastic, pull back on the plunger to draw out 1cc of ink. You want to saturate the sponge without having "loose" ink on top of the sponge. This is an "overfill" situation.

4 - If the printhead is wet and sloppy, set the cartridge upright on newspapers to let the excess drain out.

5 - If the colors look wrong when you first start to print with a refilled color cartridge, it is overfilled. It is not unusual for one color to leech over into the adjoining compartment at the printhead. When this happens, just print some pages of the offending color. Once the small amount of mixed inks have been used up, your colors will return to normal.

1 - Position the cartridge as shown in the instructions, in order to determine the appropriate color for each compartment. Use a pin or other sharp object to label the proper compartments R, Y and B (red, yellow, blue) or M, Y and C (magenta, yellow, cyan). Careful - don't inject ink into the wrong sponge.

2 - Use a ball point pen to push the rubber plug into the cartridge (it's okay - it won't get in the way).

3- Use a separate syringe and needle for each color. After pulling ink into the syringe, insert the needle into the correct vent hole. Start as low as you can go and slowly inject the ink. Gradually pull the needle up so you can fully saturate the "sponge".

3 - When you see ink bubble up through the hole, pull back on the plunger to draw out 1-2cc of ink. You want to saturate the sponge without having "loose" ink on top of the sponge. This is an "overfill" situation.

4 - If the printhead is wet and sloppy, set the cartridge upright on newspapers to let the excess drain out.

5 - If the colors look wrong when you first start to print with a refilled color cartridge, it is overfilled. It is not unusual for one color to leech over into the adjoining compartment at the printhead. When this happens, just print some pages of the offending color. Once the small amount of mixed inks have been used up, your colors will return to normal.

BLACK - 51640, 51645, 51650, C6615, #15
COLOR - 51640C, 56140M, 56140Y, 51644C, 51644M, 51644Y, 51650C/M/Y
(Note - most H-P printers that use the 51640 black cartridge use the C1823 tri-color cartridge - see above.)

1 - On the underside of the cartridge, you'll find a small circle of black plastic. Using a sharp knife, peel or scrape off the plastic to reveal a ball bearing. WIth a ball point pen, push the ball bearing into the cartridge (it won't get in the way).

2 - After pulling ink into the syringe, insert the needle into the cartridge and slowly inject the ink.

3 - When you see ink start to bubble out the hole, pull back on the plunger to draw out 2-3cc of ink to avoid an "overfill" situation.

4 - Squeeze the large sides of the cartridge firmly while you thread the setscrew (provided) into the hole.

5 - If the printhead is wet and sloppy, set the cartridge upright on newspapers to let the excess drain out.

6 - After returning the cartridge to the printer, if it doesn't print at all, there may be a minor pressure problem in the cartridge. Simply take out the setscrew and then thread it back in. This should equalize pressure to allow proper flow.

Note H-P has two "#14" cartridges. This section refers to the older #14 cartridge which has a transparent body and a grey cap. Do not confuse this cartridge with the new #14 cartridge which is made of black colored plastic.

This cartridge is responsible for 99% of the "horror stories" you've heard about refilling cartridges - largely because of incorrect filling technique. Unlike most other inkjet cartridges, this cartridge is not a "sponge in a box". Here's how to do it RIGHT.

1 - Drilling a hole anywhere in the top or sides risks poking a hole in the internal bladder, ruining the cartridge. Filling through any hole in the top causes a loss of "vacuum" required to hold the underside "checkvalve" closed, often resulting in serious leakage. You must use the special device provided with the kit to inject & draw out air and inject ink via the checkvalve opening.

2 - With the special device on an empty syringe, place it against the checkvalve on the underside and inject air to collapse the bladder.

3 - Fill the syringe with ink, place the device against the checkvalve and inject the ink very slowly. This is the trickest part of the entire procedure. You must hold the syringe perpendicular to the base of the cartridge while the device is pressed firmly against the checkvalve. Most people have a bit of difficulty finding just the right way to hold the cartrdige and syringe at first. But usually, after spilling some ink onto the newspapers, they "get the hang of it". You must inject the ink very slowly. Trying to go faster will only result in more spillage. It'll take 4-5 minutes to fill the cartridge (it holds 35-40cc !)

4 - The cartridge must be fully refilled. It will not "re-start" if you fill it mostly. Return any ink left in the syringe to the bottle.

5 - With the plunger pushed into the syringe, hold the empty syringe in the same position and pull the plunger out (to pull some air out of the cartridge). As you pull back, you'll first see some bubbles, then liquid ink. When you see liquid ink, let go of the plunger, allowing the ink to be pulled back into the cartridge; you will have pulled out some air.

6 - Set the cartridge on newspapers. If ink leaks out, repeat step 5. You may have to "pull air" 2 or 3 times. Sometimes, it isn't necessary at all. If ink leaks out, you need to "pull air".

7 - While this procedure is a bit tricky, it sounds more difficult than it really is. Most customers go through a few moments of "I'll never get this", then get the feel of it. By the time they've finished the first refill, they're feeling pretty good about it.