New Ink Cartridge Not Working?

A new ink cartridge not working can be a frustrating (and costly) experience. At Easyink, printers and cartridges are our business.

So every day we hear from customers and help them with their printer problems. We’ll walk you through the most common causes of a new ink cartridge not working, including the following:

Some Reasons For A New Ink Cartridge Not Working…

1. Do you have the right cartridge for your printer model?  There are so many different cartridges to choose from… and with many of them looking alike… it’s easy to get it wrong.What many people don’t realise is every cartridge is made for a specific machine only. They’re not interchangeable. It should effortlessly slip into its place in the printer. Make sure its the right colour for the slot that it’s in. You need to use the right cartridge, end of story.
2. Is the cartridge broken or physically deformed? Sometimes a physical deformity or damage can prevent the cartridge from fitting correctly. Some ink cartridges have a latch or clip that is easily broken.
3. Is the cartridge firmly installed? Some cartridges give a lot of resistance until the seal is pierced. It seems to especially affect Brother printers, and all it requires is a little more pressure. We’ve had a lot of customer’s call with this problem.
4. Is the chip being read correctly by the printer? In our experience this is one of the most common reasons for a new ink cartridge not working. Most ink cartridges come with a microchip that communicates with the printer. If it’s the wrong chip or the wrong version, the communication will fail. Or if the chip has a bad connection with the printer. This results in error messages and a printer that refuses to operate.

   Here’s something to try when you have a “new ink cartridge not working” microchip problem: Remove the cartridge, wipe the microchip and fit it firmly back into the printer. With some printers the problem can be fixed by:

   * Removing all the cartridges 
   * Unplugging the printer’s power supply for 30 seconds 
   * Turning it back on
   * And then replacing each colour in the order the printer asks for them

   If you still have a cartridge recognition problem you’ll need to try a replacement ink cartridge.

5. Is the breather hole blocked? If the cartridge has a tape or seal over the air vent, that will stop air getting into the cartridge and prevent ink to flow into the printer.
   

   Occasionally the removable tape can leave behind some of the clear backing, and block the vent (see the image). You’ll need to pierce the membrane in order to allow air into the cartridge through the air vent. But DO NOT REMOVE the clear film found on the nozzle of the cartridge (removing that one could result in a messy ink spill).

6. Is ink getting through to the print head? This problem is so common with inkjet printers that the manufacturers build in a cleaning cycle to purge the ink line, and suck ink into the print head.Run through that cycle a few times. Customers have reported up to 10-12 cleaning cycles being required to get the print head properly clear.

   Sometimes it helps to let the printer rest for a few hours if the blockage persists after a few cleans.Ink is designed to dry quickly after it hits the paper so whenever its exposed to air it dries quickly. For this reason minute amounts of ink are periodically sucked through to keep the print head clean.

   Don’t turn off your printer when you’re not using it. Leave it plugged in and turned on 24/7, so that it can keep your print head moist and operational.

7.   Are you using good quality ink? Inferior ink can stop your printer from working and permanently block the print head. Make sure you buy your ink cartridges from a reputable supplier.

   At Easyink our ink is not the cheapest on the market because we fully guarantee the cartridges we sell. So if your printer is damaged by the use of “compatible” cartridges supplied by us, we will repair the printer. Or if necessary replace it with an equivalent printer up to the value of $1000+GST.

How To Avoid Getting The Wrong Ink Cartridge

Genuine printer cartridges are not cheap, and there’s little chance of a refund once you’ve opened the box. But at Easyink we work hard to help our customers get the right cartridge every time.

Our process is simple… if you type in your printer model at checkout, we’ll check that the cartridges you’ve ordered are correct for your printer. If they’re not we’ll contact you and make sure the order is fixed before we process it.

And if the cartridges you receive are incorrect for the printer model you’ve given us, we’ll pay all costs to get the right ones to you ASAP (and pay freight to get the others back to us). If you’ve opened them and they’re not resalable, we’ll take that loss ourselves.

Plus, if a genuine cartridge fails, we’ll work through the returns process with you. Each manufacturer has different procedures and warranties but we’ll do everything we can to get the issue resolved.

Or if a compatible cartridge fails we’ll send a replacement out straight away, and we’ll pay any freight costs to get the faulty cartridge back to us.

And to take it a step further… if you have any problems with your printer while using “compatible” cartridges supplied by us… contact us ASAP and we’ll get to work immediately to get you up and running again.

You’d have to agree we can’t possibly make it any fairer than that.

So if you’d like to purchase the right cartridge for your printer, click here and type your printer model into the search box… or call us on 0800 893 797 to speak with a member of our team.