Be eco friendly & save those ink cartridges
Seven years ago when I first wrote a column about re-filling computer printer cartridges, it was like searching for an underground illicit society. At that time, we were brainwashed into thinking that if we didn’t buy brand new cartridges each time we needed them, we would ruin our machines.
Since then, we’ve gotten both smarter and more eco-friendly, and at the same time stores that sell re-furbished cartridges (for both ink and laser printers) are popping up all over the city. You can bring them in and get them refilled or you can buy the inks and learn to refill them yourselves.
In order to be able to get cartridges refilled however, there are some basics to be aware of for ink cartridges. If you replace an ink cartridge with a spare one, don’t just stick it in a drawer until you have a moment to get it replenished, since the inks dry out. At the very least, put the cartridge along with a moist paper towel into a sealed plastic bag. Interestingly, putting it in the fridge (in the bag) at this point is the best case scenario.
When the printer warning light indicates that you are about to run out of ink, don’t keep going until the well runs dry. The reason for this is that many cartridges have the print head right on the cartridge. The ink acts as a coolant for that head. If the ink runs out you can damage the head by burning out some of the little ink nozzles. If this happens, it is no longer refillable and you must buy a new one. Also, if your print head is on the cartridge, the technicians who do the re-filling can also clean the head and fix problems.
But that low level warning is set at a different level for every printer. Sometimes there is still between 3 and 5% of ink left (or more!), so there is a little bit of wiggle room. The real test is to look at the print coming out, and when it starts to deteriorate, you know you must, at that point, stop using the cartridge.
Not all printer cartridges can be refilled by the after-market dealers below. Their companies spend lots of time figuring out the chemical recipe for each printer – both for the ink and its viscosity. Some printers are not worth the company’s time to develop the ink, so cartridges may not be available. Therefore, no matter how good the deal in the flyer looks for a printer, before you buy you might want to find out if that machine’s cartridge is refillable by these dealers. Otherwise you may be stuck buying at full price from the manufacturer.
Cartridge World, 4808 Pierrefonds Blvd. at Harry Worth St. Phone: 514-626-3455. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a franchise operation run by a friendly husband and wife team. They sell new cartridges and refill ink and laser ones. The company uses quality OCP inks from Germany, and in order to be able to match the needs of different printers, they come in about 170 different viscosities. When you buy a cartridge here, it has been test printed to make sure it will work on your machine, and they replace broken cartridge components after performing a stress test. http://www.cartridgeworld.ca
I-matek, 539 Lepine Ave. at Guthrie St., Dorval. Phone: 514-636-5211. Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This was the first company I found re-filling cartridges. You can save 80% on the cost of your ink jet printer cartridges (Epson, Lexmark, Canon, HP) by learning how to fill them yourselves. Average costs of buying a new ink jet cartridge would be $30 – $50, but refilling costs only $2-$8 Bring your cartridge in and these friendly people will demystify the process, show you how to do it and sell you the kit you need. Laser cartridges can also be refilled by this company for about half the price of a new one. http://www.i-matek.ca
Micro-Jet Technologies, 5512 Sherbrooke St. West at Girouard Ave. Phone: 514-487-4657. Hours: Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. This shop specializes in cartridges for printers (brother, HP, Lexmark, Canon, Epson) and can special order any that they don’t have. New and already re-cycled laser and ink-jet cartridges are available along with kits to do it yourself. Their re-manufactured ink cartridges are machine filled. Photocopy, fax and thermal paper round out the inventory. If you have empty cartridges, you can bring them here, since they donate the value to the NDG minor baseball league.
Island Ink-Jet, Centre Laval, 1600 Le Courbusier Blvd. at St.Martin Blvd. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This franchise chain has little kiosks in malls, and markets a broad range of aftermarket ink-jet and laser printing products. These include ink-jet refill services, do-it-yourself refill kits, compatible ink-jet cartridges and re-manufactured laser toner cartridges. Other locations: 5181 St. Laurent Blvd. (514-278-7658); Plaza Cote des Neiges (514-739-6193); 5400 Jean Talon St. W. (514-344-4096); Plaza Alexis Nihon (514-846-3377); Carrefour Angrignon (514-595-4655); Centre Laval (450-680-1538); Place Vertu (514-335-9645); Mail Champlain (450-671-5100: Fairview Pointe Claire (514-694-4555).