A printer cartridge refill is available for most brands and models of inkjet printer cartridges. Refilling ink cartridges is part of the growing attempt to save money through bypassing brand-name products. Inkjet printer supplies are very expensive, and the use of compatibles and refills cuts down substantially on operating costs.

The difficulty of refilling largely depends on the brand involved. Professionally refilled cartridges are available for Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Lexmark; they are known as remanufactured ink cartridges. HP has patented its print head/cartridge combination, so only refilled HP ink cartridges are available.

Refilling Epson and Canon Cartridges

Epson and Canon put the print head inside the printer. This means the ink cartridge is pretty much just an ink container with no sensitive parts. Some companies only sell compatibles for Epson because they state there is a risk of spill and damage to the printer. Other companies say all cartridges can be easily refilled with no problems.

Refill kits for Epson are likewise available from some companies, and not sold at all by others, again because of the perceived risk. Certainly, most reputable companies seem to agree that there is no such thing as a "universal" refill kit. All inks are absolutely not the same and not interchangeable. When ordering any printer cartridge refill, be sure it is specifically matched to your printer model.