Printer Tips

Why is my new ink cartridge not printing?
This can happen to cartridges with attached print heads such as HP, Lexmark or Dell. All cartridges are weighed and tested before leaving the factory so lack of ink isn't the problem. It usually has to do with the print head of the cartridge not having any ink to feed it. This happens because cartridges are kept flat or upside down for weeks or months before being used and the ink settles away from the print head. The easiest remedy is to open the box and stand the cartridge upright for a few minutes before using. Then get a damp paper towel, fold it into quarters and sit the cartridge print head down onto it. Hold the cartridge down to the damp paper towel for three minutes. This will help pull the ink out of the print heads, priming them and getting them ready to print. Finally, install the cartridge into your printer and print a few test pages.

How can I get dried ink out of my inkjet print head so I can print again?
Place the clogged cartridge in about 1/4 - 1/2 inch of warm water for a few minutes. When ink starts to slowly leak out take the cartridge out of the water and dry it using a soft cloth to "Q-tip." Then place it back in your printer and run the print head cleaning utility that comes with your printer software. You may have to run this 2-4 times before printing quality is reestablished. If your print head is destroyed, as can happen, you will have to buy a cartridges and refill that cartridge before it is fully empty.

How should I handle my cartridge?
Never touch the electronic print head with any abrasive material. Use care when setting your cartridges down and do not place the print head in contact with any surface besides the printer.

If after installing a new print cartridge, you may receive a message appearing on the front panel that the print cartridge is "low on ink". This may be due to the installation of the cartridge with the printer power turned off. Ink cartridges should always be installed with the power turned on.
Note: HP all-in-one printers and multi-functions track ink usage by counting the drops of ink sprayed. According to Hewlett Packard this is the best method for determining how much ink remains in the cartridge.

Review the information below for your model.
IMPORTANT: According to Hewlett Packard they will not provide assistance for refilled or remanufactured ink cartridges because HP cannot control the quantity or quality of the ink used*
*Thus, if you need support for your printer you should never mention that the cartridges are refilled or remanufactured.

Instructions: HP Officejet 500, 600, 700, HP Fax 910, 920
These models count the ink drops used by the cartridge. You must manually reset the counter when a new cartridge is inserted. To reset the counter, follow the steps below:

1) Turn on the unit
2) Open the top cover to access the print cartridges.
3) Remove the new cartridge that is causing the message.
4) Reinsert the cartridge and close the cover. The following message will appear on the front panel: Press 1 for new cartridge or press 2 for a used cartridge.
5) Press the number 1 on the numeric keypad of the HP product.

If the message, "Press 1 for new cartridge or press 2 for a used cartridge" does not appear after removing and reinstalling the new cartridge, and the low ink warning message still displays, follow the steps below:

1) Turn on the unit.
2) Open the top cover to access the print cartridges.
3) After the cartridges stop moving, unplug the power cord.
4) Remove both cartridges and close the top cover.
5) Plug the power back in. The unit will reinitialize and a message will appear to insert the cartridges.
6) Open the top cover and reinsert the print cartridges. Close the top cover. The message, Press 1 for new cartridge or press 2 for a used cartridge, should appear. If it still does not appear, the unit may require service.

All other HP all-in-one products
The low ink warnings will not prevent printing on most products. Press Enter to clear the error message and continue printing. When colors are incorrect or the print becomes faded, replace the cartridge. The warning occurs so you can get a new cartridge before the current cartridge is completely empty. It also prevents lost faxes because of low ink on fax capable products.

The cartridges used in these products have unique hardware identification numbers assigned to them. The all-in-one records the ID of the print cartridge when it is installed. When the number changes, the unit knows that a new cartridge has been installed and resets the ink counters. Because of this, a low-ink message should not appear with a new cartridge.

If the HP products is indicating that the ink is low after installing a new print cartridge, it does not recognize that the new print cartridge was installed. Perform the steps below to try to correct the problem.

1) Turn on the HP product.
2) Open the print cartridge access door.
3) Remove both cartridges.
4) Wipe the electrical contact points of the print cartridge with a cloth. Print cartridges ship from the factory with a thin coating of protective grease on them to prevent oxidation. This coating may be preventing good electrical contact.
5) Unplug the power cord, wait five seconds, and then plug it back in.
6) Reinstall the print cartridges. Perform a print cartridge alignment if prompted.

Except for the models listed above, the all-in-one printers may display low ink warnings when using refilled or remanufactured (generic) print cartridges. Review the information below...

Remanufactured or generic print cartridges
According to Hewlett Packard: "The ink level tracking may not work correctly if you are using remanufactured or generic print cartridges. Because HP does not control the remanufacturing process, HP can not guarantee that our products will work correctly."

This statement is actually more amusing then accurate on most all-in-one products when you consider the Hewlett Packard 15, 17, 21, 22, 27, 28, 45, 56, 57, 58, 78, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 100 cartridges. This statement is also a contradiction to above statements by HP because of the fact that the cartridges do not hold the level of ink in the cartridge. The printer holds the level of ink that is supposedly in the cartridge. If you are installing a remanufactured cartridge then the printer has never seen that ID number on the cartridge. The printer should automatically recognize that the cartridge is new, not low on ink. This would denote that the problem is not the cartridge but an error with the printer.

Dell recently changed their software and recycled cartridges now read as empty or low even when they are full of ink. Your computer cannot determine any level of ink on these cartridges, and therefore will give a message saying that the cartridge is empty, or not full. This is incorrect, these cartridges are FILLED WITH THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT OF INK as the genuine Dell cartridges.

Please read the instructions below to install your cartridges and bypass these error messages.



Dell's software will improperly read the ink level for your new remanufactured ink cartridge. The ink level may read as empty, or be less than 100% filled with ink. This is not the case. Your cartridge is filled with the exact same milliliters (mL) of ink as the genuine Dell cartridges, and will function normally with your printer.



"Complete-A-Print box" - DO NOT check the 'Complete-A-Print' box. If it is already checked, please uncheck it. This will avoid additional warnings regarding your remanufactured cartridges. In no way does this harm your printer or reduce the quality of your printer. You can always check this box at a later time.



"Print jobs may not print as expected" - As noted above, when receiving this page, also make sure that the 'Complete-A-Print' box is UNCHECKED. You may also check the 'Don't display this dialog again' to avoid this warning in the future.

Once completed, your ink cartridge is installed.



Cartridge Tips
Let’s make your cartridge the best it can be.


When your computer alerts you that your cartridge is low on ink, do not keep printing. If you continue printing you will burn out your cartridge.

After getting your cartridge refilled at Think reInk, run 3 to 4 color print tests or nozzle cleaning to prime the nozzles of the cartridges.

If you have your cartridge refilled and your computer is still saying “low ink” keep hitting “continue.”
If that doesn’t work, try to out- smart it. Keep an extra cartridge and take turns using them.
The printer will read a different set of identity numbers, this should solve your problem.

When you bring your cartridge back to Think reInk to be refilled, “Clip it and Zip it.” Put the provided clip back on it and put it back in the zip lock bag.

Keep an extra black cartridge on hand. The normal user will go through 2 black cartridges before you go through 1 color.

Keep your cartridge stored at room temperature and avoid exposure to extreme conditions. Such as freezing temperatures or excessive heat.
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