How should I handle my cartridge?

Never touch the electronic print head with any abrasive material. Use care when setting your cartridges down and do not place the print head in contact with any surface besides the printer.

What is this tape on my cartridge?

An adhesive tape can be found on some models of inkjets. It may be one of several different colors and is used to protect the print head during transportation.

Please remove the adhesive tape before installing the cartridge into your printer.

Why is my new ink cartridge not printing?

This can happen to cartridges with attached print heads such as HP, Lexmark or Dell. All cartridges are weighed and tested before leaving the factory so lack of ink isn't the problem. It usually has to do with the print head of the cartridge not having any ink to feed it. This happens because cartridges are kept flat or upside down for weeks or months before being used and the ink settles away from the print head. The easiest remedy is to open the box and stand the cartridge upright for a few minutes before using. Then get a damp paper towel, fold it into quarters and sit the cartridge print head down onto it. Hold the cartridge down to the damp paper towel for three minutes. This will help pull the ink out of the print heads, priming them and getting them ready to print. Finally, install the cartridge into your printer and print a few test pages.

How can I get dried ink out of my inkjet print head so I can print again?

Place the clogged cartridge in about 1/4 - 1/2 inch of warm water for a few minutes. When ink starts to slowly leak out take the cartridge out of the water and dry it using a soft cloth to "Q-tip." Then place it back in your printer and run the print head cleaning utility that comes with your printer software. You may have to run this 2-4 times before printing quality is reestablished. If your print head is destroyed, as can happen, you will have to buy a cartridge and refill that cartridge before it is fully empty.

I am getting poor quality images from the printer, how can I tell if it is a problem with the printer or a problem with the toner cartridge?

 Change the toner cartridge and print several pages. If the problem persists, it is most likely a service problem with the printer. If the problem goes away, it is most likely a problem with the toner cartridge.

My printer says "LOW TONER" and I just put a new toner cartridge in - What should I do?

Have you ever put a "new" cartridge in the machine and the low toner light goes on. You may have mistakenly put an empty cartridge in the machine. If your office is like most, the toner cartridge is usually stacked near the printer. Mark your boxes as empty to avoid the frustration of running out of toner when you have to get that document printed! Also, you can remove the toner cartridge and inspect it for a seal that needs pulled prior to operation. Often the seal has not been pulled and the toner is not detected in the printer.

Cartridge Installation Instructions

Dell® Series 5, 6, 8 All-In-One & Fax inkjet printer models   click here (PDF)

Dell® Series 7, 9, 11 All-In-One & Fax inkjet printer models   click here (PDF)