HP printers are known to produce excellent quality prints. However, with their ink cartridges being high-priced, HP users are not keen to purchase them after the very first use. As a consequence of that the demand for compatible and re-manufactured HP ink cartridges has increased rapidly. These compatible and recycled ink cartridges come at half the price of original HP ink cartridges. Besides, a HP user can also opt for ink refill kits that are less priced as well.

In order to refill ink in the cartridges, a printer user can either choose to get the refilling done from an office supply store or an ink-refilling outlet. In case the user wants to do the refilling all by himself, then the only requirement is to read and follow the instructions carefully, given in the refilling manual. By following the instructions carefully during the refilling process, the printer user can ensure a longer life for the printer cartridges. Some of the guidelines are:

• Inside the printer the metal parts of the ink cartridge come in contact with the printer head. Hence, touching the metal parts during the refilling process should be avoided at any cost. This is because the metal parts are sensitive and if damaged, it could mean inferior or shoddy print outs later on.
• During the refilling process it is obvious that there will be ink spills and it becomes vital on the part of the user to set it right. The reason being, if a leaking ink cartridge is put back into the printer, there are chances of the printer getting damaged? In case, if the cartridge is found to be leaking the need is to immediately staunch the leaking with soft paper towels. A few dabs on the leaking area can fix the problem, though rubbing the cartridge must be avoided.

Proper handling of the HP ink cartridges during the refilling process will increase the longevity of the cartridges and ensure that the cartridges can be put to use for more than 5-6 times.