Please note: This is not a Lexmark approved procedure. Do not put anything other than our recommended ink into the cartridges. This procedure is new and is subject to change without notice. It is intended for use by the printer owner.

Step One: To be successful the cartridge must be in good working condition and should not have been empty for more than an hour. If it has been empty for days, we suggest you get a new cartridge. Pry the plastic top off the cartridge using a thin pocket knife or similar tool. See photo at right. Step 2: Fill your syringe or prepare the bottle with the correct ink. To prepare the bottle, place the o-ring inside of the cap and put the needle on the end of the cap, then screw the cap on the bottle.
Step Three: Insert the needle into the sponge as far as possible. Then, draw back slightly, 1/8". The needle must be inserted all the way, except for the slight drawback, before injecting the ink. If you were to inject ink into the top of the sponge, it would create an air pocket in the sponge and the cartridge would not work properly. Drawing back prevents the needle from being blocked by the sponge material. Make sure you are putting the correct ink in the correct chamber, or you will contaminate the sponges with the wrong color ink. Also, be sure to rinse the syringe and needle with warm water between colors, or this will contaminate the next chamber you refill.
Compress the bottle or syringe slowly and firmly to inject the ink. Always keep the needle as deep into the sponge as possible. Pull the needle out and reinsert it at a different angle once or twice during the refilling process. Keep injecting slowly until you see ink begin to appear at the top of the sponge. Stop at the very first sign of ink in the sponge. Do not put any more ink into the chamber. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the other colors. Again, be sure to rinse the syringe and needle with warm water between colors, or this will contaminate the next chamber you refill.
Step Four: Wipe any excess ink from the cartridge. Fold a paper towel 4 times and hold it against the print head. You should see a nice triple-colored spot of ink develop. Do not wipe across the print head, only blot it. Hold the Paper towel against the print head for 2 to 3 minutes. This will remove any excess ink and air trapped at the bottom of the sponge.
Step Five: Install the cartridge in the printer and run one cleaning cycle. Set up an 8x10 page of cyan, magenta, and yellow rectangles using your word processor or graphics software. Print 10 color pages. On the first page it may not look perfect, but by the 10th page it should look very good. If you have skipping and white areas with no ink, see the trouble shooting section below.
TROUBLE SHOOTING Air in the Sponge - Air or foamy ink in the sponge will make the cartridge print intermittently. Fold a paper towel 4 or 5 times and press it against the print head. Wrap some rubber bands or string around the cartridge and the paper towel and let it set for one hour. This will wick ink and trapped air out of the sponge. After the hour is up, you should have a paper towel that is soaked in ink. Wipe off the cartridge and put some more ink into it. Install in the printer, run a cleaning cycle and print some solid color pages. Clogged Jets - If you get skipping or severe banding this indicates that some of the jets are clogged. This is common with cartridges that have been empty for more than one hour. Boil some water in a tea kettle and pour some into a saucer. Hold the print head, just the bottom of the cartridge, in the hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Then take the cartridge to the printer while it is still warm and run a cleaning cycle and print solid color pages. You may have to repeat this a few times to get it going. Electrical Problems - If you are getting plenty of ink on the paper towel, but nothing is coming out of the cartridge when you try to print, then it is an electrical problem. Under the foil on the side of the cartridge, there is some electronic circuits. They are very delicate. If something has impacted or hit this surface, chances are the electronics are damaged. The only remedy for this is a new cartridge.

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