Refilled printer inks: Pros and cons

With the current financial crisis, cutting costs is probably high on most peoples lists. Refilling ink cartridges would seem to be an excellent way of re-using ink cartridges and can also be considered a very green and carbon friendly solution. However, is refilling ink cartridges a good idea?

Pros

Refilling cartridges can be the most cost-effective way of keeping computer printers going, however it is not always the most viable solution. Easy to do On the positive side refilling can be done in the comfort of your own home with an easy to use kit available from the Internet. A green solution It provides a 'Green' solution which is environmentally friendly and has positive effects on the carbon footprint. Cheap It is a cheap solution giving excellent savings over buying a new cartridge. A quick option If done at home, it has the convenience of speed, a cartridge can be refilled very quickly if you have the pack and syringe pre-purchased ready for when you need to refill.

Cons

Unfortunately, it is not a solution which works in all cases, a such there are several considerations that people should put into place when deciding whether to refill their printers cartridges. Possibility to dry out Colour cartridges get less use than black and white and thus their nozzles can dry out. If the cartridge has the nozzles built into it, as seen on HP cartridges, then the inkjet cartridge will be written off. Clogged cartridges Any attempt to refill a clogged cartridge will be doomed to fail and thus it is often best to buy HP colour ink brand new. Black cartridges generally do not have this problem as any print job will use some black ink so, unless a cartridge has been left to dry out, should refill without problem. Creates a mess The other negative is related to refilling at home, is it can be fiddly and extremely messy. Moreover, the needles used can be very sharp and thus, there is a health hazard associated with refilling at home. Final word Overall refilling cartridges can be a very cost-effective solution for those who are budget conscious. It always carries a risk and indeed, if using a professional shop to refill, you should make sure that you can get your money back should the refill fail.