Getting Started with Ink Refilling

Welcome. If you're new to ink refilling, or new to Precision Colors, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start refilling with confidence. We'll cover how refilling actually works, what equipment you need, how to choose the right Starter Kit, and what to expect on your first refill.

Why Refill?

Refilling printer ink isn't a compromise. Done right, it's an upgrade.

The cost reality. OEM ink cartridges are one of the most expensive liquids you can buy by volume. A single round of cartridge replacements on a photo printer can cost more than the printer itself. Refilling drops that cost by 80–90% for most users.

Quality you can trust. We formulate our inks to match or exceed OEM color profiles, longevity, and print head safety. Many of our customers tell us their prints look better after switching. That's not because OEM ink is bad. It's because our inks are tuned specifically for the printers and applications they're used in.

Less waste. A single refill kit replaces dozens of disposable cartridges over its lifetime. The empty cartridge stays in service, your wallet stays full, and the landfill stays a little emptier.

Who this guide is for. If you've never refilled before, or you've tried it once and got overwhelmed, you're in the right place. We'll keep things practical and skip the jargon where we can.

How Refilling Works

At its core, refilling is simple: your printer's cartridges hold ink. When that ink runs low, instead of throwing the cartridge away and buying a new one, you put more ink into the existing cartridge.

The execution has a few wrinkles worth understanding before you start.

The two refilling methods

Most refilling falls into one of two camps:

Neither method is universally better. We pick the right one for each kit based on the printer family.

Chips and chip resetters

Modern printer cartridges have small electronic chips that tell the printer how much ink is left. When the chip thinks the cartridge is empty, the printer refuses to print, even if you've just refilled the cartridge with fresh ink.

There are two ways to handle this:

• Chip resetters are small electronic devices that reset the "ink level" on a reusable chip. Press the chip against the resetter, watch a light blink, and your cartridge reads as full again. One resetter works for the life of the printer.
• Replacement chips are one-time-use chips that come pre-programmed as full. You swap the old chip for a new one when you refill.

Most of our Starter Kits use resetters. They're cheaper over time and more environmentally friendly. A few printer families require replacement chips instead, and those kits include them.

A note on cartridge modification

Some printers, particularly larger format and professional models, work best with refilling once their cartridges have been physically modified to make refilling easier (typically drilling a small fill hole or installing a refill plug). This sounds intimidating, but for the printers where it applies, it's a one-time five-minute job and we provide clear instructions.

For most popular printers, no modification is needed. The cartridges are designed in a way that makes refilling straightforward out of the box. Each printer family's product page will tell you which approach applies.

What You'll Need

Every successful refill setup includes four categories of equipment:

1. Ink. The consumable. Available in various bottle sizes (commonly 2 oz, 4 oz, 8 oz, and larger). Match the ink type to your printer (more on dye vs. pigment in the next section).
2. A refill method. Either Squeezy bottles (which double as the ink container) or syringes and needles for syringe-based refilling.
3. Chip handling. A chip resetter or replacement chips, depending on your printer.
4. Storage and accessories. Refill plugs to seal cartridges between uses, storage clips to keep cartridges from drying out, and sometimes a digital scale for precise filling.

Dye vs. Pigment Ink

Most printers are designed for one or the other, and we sell the type the printer manufacturer recommends for each model, except in cases where customers are converting a printer to a specific use. For most printers, you don't have to choose; the printer already did.

Dye-based inks dissolve fully in their carrier liquid. They produce vivid, saturated colors and are the standard for most consumer photo and document printers. Most Canon Pixma printers, for example, use dye inks.

Pigment-based inks suspend tiny particles of solid color in their carrier. They produce sharper text, better water and fade resistance, and richer blacks, which is why they dominate professional photo printing and document printing where archival quality matters. Most Canon Pro-series and Epson Pro/SureColor printers use pigment inks.

If you ever wonder which type your printer uses, check the printer family page on our site. We list it clearly for every supported model.

Choosing the Right Starter Kit

Every Starter Kit comes in up to four tiers. The exact contents differ by printer family, but the philosophy is the same across the board:

As you move up in tier, you trade DIY for convenience. The Basic Kit gives you everything you need at the lowest entry point, but expects more hands-on work. Each step up removes friction (fewer steps, smoother tools, less to figure out), all the way up to the Ultimate Kit, which is the closest thing to "drop in and print" we make.

The tier structure

Not every printer family has all four tiers. Most have two or three. We don't pad tiers with filler just to fill space. You'll only see the tiers that make sense for your printer.

A simple decision rule

• Want to learn refilling and don't mind a hands-on first run? → Basic Kit
• Want a smoother experience without paying for the works? → Standard Kit
• Want a refined, repeatable workflow? → Pro Kit
• Want the easiest, most polished setup we make (when available)? → Ultimate Kit

Finding Your Printer's Kit

To find the right kit, you need to know your cartridge family, not just your printer model.

A cartridge family is the group of cartridges your printer uses, identified by a code like CLI-42, PGI-72, or T-Series 49. One cartridge family typically covers several printer models.

Where to find your cartridge code

• On the cartridge itself. Pop open your printer and look at any installed cartridge. The code is printed on the label (e.g., "CLI-42 BK", "PGI-72 PM").
• On the printer's spec sheet or manual. The supported cartridge family is always listed in the technical specifications.
• Search our site. Type your printer model into our search bar and we'll route you to the matching kit.

A note on multi-printer compatibility

Many cartridge families work across several printer models. If you have more than one printer that uses the same cartridge family, a single Starter Kit can serve all of them.

If your printer isn't listed on our site, it's possible we don't yet support it, or it goes by a different name in your region. Reach out to support and we'll let you know.

Your First Refill: What to Expect

The first refill is the longest. The second one is much faster. By the fifth, you'll wonder why you ever bought OEM cartridges.

Time commitment. Plan for 20–30 minutes for your first refill, including reading the instructions, getting your workspace set up, and going slowly. Subsequent refills usually take 5–10 minutes.

Workspace setup. Set up over a paper towel or a clean surface you don't mind getting a drop or two of ink on. Wear something you don't care about. Have a small trash bag handy for empty bottles or used paper towels.

The general flow:

1. Remove the cartridges that need refilling.
2. Refill them using the method specified in your kit (Squeezy bottle or syringe).
3. Seal them with the included plugs.
4. Reset the chip (or swap to a fresh chip).
5. Reinstall the cartridges and run a nozzle check.

That's it. Each Starter Kit ships with detailed printed and digital instructions specific to your printer family, so you won't be left guessing on any step.

Frequently Asked Questions