How often an ink cartridge could be refillable is a common question , this article is specifically about cartridges with printed heads attached. If you own a two cartridge printer produced from HP, Canon, Dell and Lexmark you’ll most likely know about this type of design.
There isn’t a clear and simple answer to the amount of instances an ink cartridge could be refillable and this is because the original ink or toner cartridge makers designed the cartridges to only be utilized once, occasionally an additional refill just isn’t required.
On the other hand, on the flip side, there are people who have gotten more than a dozen refills from the same cartridge. To extend the life of your cartridge, refilling your cartridges prior to when they’re completely empty is suggested, and not allowing them to dry for too long. There are several components of this kind of ink cartridge that, when properly maintained, will prolong the life of the cartridge, as explained below.
Contacts
The golden dots visible on the strip of copper in the toner cartridge are actually electronic contacts that the printer utilizes in order to recognize the cartridge. If one of these contacts is damaged or blocked, or if lines that run along the strip get scratched, or dirty, it could cause disruption or even cease communication between the printer and the cartridge.
The natural oils of your hands can trigger problems. So it is suggested to avoid touching contacts as often as you can.
If your printer is unable to recognize the cartridge you have installed it is suggested taking it from your printer, and then giving it a good wipe once or twice with a piece not-fibrous material (like food tissue).
Printhead
These cartridges utilize a set of tiny nozzles inside the printhead, which apply ink directly to the paper while printing. If the cartridge is used for a long time or the cartridge was not used for a period of time the nozzles may become dry or blocked and cause stripes that are one or more color missing in your print. If you’ve encountered problems with the quality of your prints, it is recommended following the cleaning procedures that are described in this article.
Because of the huge number of microscopic components in the printing head, there are mechanical issues that severely impact print quality, or even stop all ink flowing out of the cartridge. Unfortunately, mechanical issues with the printhead are permanent and can’t be solved by the end user.
Sponges
The ink in the cartridge is held by sponges, which regulate the flow of ink.
If you’ve recently filled your ink or toner cartridge with new ink and find that the colors are not showing up in the prints It is possible that the location of the ink in the cartridge is the reason.
Conclusion
On average, we’ve discovered that the majority of cartridges work good for about four to six refills. Certain cartridges, especially those of the “tank only” kind can last up to 20 , or perhaps more, refills.