Modifying Canon inkjet cartridges for Top-fill refilling

Guide to show how to expose and open up the original fill hole in Canon inkjet cartridges, and demonstrates the options available to plug/seal it again after refilling.
Find our Canon compatible refill bundles on: www.octoinkjet....
NOTE: This video is NOT a complete guide to refilling a Canon inkjet cartridge. The process of chip resetting, refilling and/or troubleshooting are not included.

[@CakeBoxPlymouth]

10 years this video came to public view, I still found it very useful.

[@wassupjg]

Hi, thanks for video, might be a silly question but why not just insert ink into the already open hole at bottom of the cartridge?

[@octoinkjet]

Actually you can but it's not as easy as just pushing ink in, because the ink will take the vent channel exit before anything goes near the spongeless reservoir part of the cartridge. So, the way to refill the cartridge via the outlet port is to use the Vacuum fill technique which is basically pulling the air out and allowing the ink to replace it. Video pending on that.

[@CathannSmith]

Thank you so much for the video it sure is less expensive buying ink and refilling cartridges.

[@JoAnn77PL]

First of all - thank you so very much for this instruction. However, a quick question - I've just bought Canon Pixma MG-5750 and would love to know if I will be able to use that method for re-filling cartridges. The original set of cartridges is waaay too expensive to even consider it and the third-parties' products are sparse in Poland. So, I was thinking - refill would be optimum for me. Can I or can I not use this method? Cheers!

[@octoinkjet]

+JoAnn77PL Hi, glad it has been useful. Regarding the MG5750, unfortunately the x50/x51 and later x70/x71 cartridges are not particularly refill friendly with clear differences between the setup cartridges and those sold as XL types. Unlike earlier models you can't refill the setup cartridges beyond the sponges as the spongeless section is completely sealed off, unlike XL types. Throw in issues with the chip design and materials being a lot harder to reset or replace and original cartridges are not as refill friendly as earlier models. We've switched to using third party refillable cartridges instead for the x50/x51 cartridge printers as they avoid most of the above. We've not looked at the x70/x71 versions yet but those may be out now through aliexpress or similar.

[@raegansamsoneventing]

thanks for this! Just helped me install!

[@Chalky.]

I've done a lot of cartridge refills over the years having to buy a new chip resetter for each new printer, but now I just buy refillable cartridges with auto reset chips.

[@mohamadhh4937]

I have maintenance office in Egypt and we have problem with editing on canon maxify 5150 original cartridge We need to connect an external tank to increase the size of the internal tank, and we face a problem in the process of connecting them together

[@octoinkjet]

Not something we've played with so can't help with this one but you may find some useful info or willing collaborators on the PrinterKnowledge.com forum.

[@chuindovu]

thanks, are there no problems with the printer rejecting this cause of the computer chip that later on warns you your cartridge is empty

[@octoinkjet]

You would need a compatible chip resetter (eg: a REdSETTER) for your specific cartridge type to retain ink level monitoring. It is still possible to refill a cartridge without a chip resetter, but you would be forced to disable ink monitoring when the printer detected the cartridge was being refilled.

[@adriantwiss600]

Videos from other providers suggest drilling out the ball seat with a 5/32 inch drill bit. Am I right in thinking that the plugs you supply make this unnecessary?

[@octoinkjet]

We're updating our guidance on this so a new video will follow soon-ish. The ball itself won't come out if you drill it and I honestly wouldn't try drilling through the label but once the label has been excised and ball removed then drilling the original fill channel, with a 4mm (5/32") drill bit, does provide a much cleaner and more reliable plug hole. We now have the longer 4mm diameter plugs available too.

[@izuizuan8792]

My printer have 2 black cartridges and one more is bigger which is pgbk..what is the different between bk and pgbk ink ? And can i use the same black ink for both of that cartridges ??

[@octoinkjet]

The larger PGBK cartridge contains pigment black ink, while the thinner CLI-?BK cartridge will contain the dye ink or photo black. You can potentially use dye black ink in a pigment ink cartridge but definitely do not put pigment ink in the dye ink cart.

[@alireza071]

Hi what about canon 570 and 571 do i have to reset the chip or not thank u

[@octoinkjet]

You would need a compatible chip resetter (eg: a REdSETTER) that could reset the 570/571 cartridge types to retain ink level monitoring. It is still possible to refill a cartridge without a chip resetter, but you would be forced to disable ink monitoring when the printer detected the cartridge was being refilled.

[@WhiteHorseStudioArt]

Wow.. this is like.. a gift from paradise... thank you for explaining!

[@TheRedpool]

Hi and thanks for the tutorial. Do you think, is it possible to re-fill the Canon PIXMA PRO IP 100s? Thanks in advance. The only issue is this, when the ink runs low, the printer starts to messing about and keep warning you that the ink is low and stops printing (at least, this is my experience.)

[@octoinkjet]

Assuming you mean the Pro-100S in which case you definitely can reset and refill the CLI-42 cartridges in those. We have a full refill bundle as well as pre-modified cartridges that are ready to refill with our version 2 inks: www.octoink.co.uk/pid/740

[@aryana2324]

Hello can it be done with canon pixma ts8240 cartridges please?

[@octoinkjet]

The video here is a better guide for your printers cartridges: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4KrgXV3ec-ritk

[@usamashaid8303]

Sir plz tell Can i use this method on canon pixma ix 6550

[@octoinkjet]

Hi Usama, It will work with the CLI-571 cartridges but you might find this video more useful. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4KrgXV3ec-ritk NB: The CLI-551/PGI-550 cartridges are physically the same as the CLI-571/PGI-570 carts.

[@lifehackertips]

Do the chips need resetting? How do you do that?

[@octoinkjet]

Depends on the cartridge type but for chipped carts you can either use a chip resetter (if available) or disable ink monitoring to all the cartridge to be reused. There’s other videos on our channel that tackle both scenarios.

[@katht52]

Is this for all Canon injet cartridges. I have CLI 655 & CLI 651 printer in the MX926. Many thanks

[@octoinkjet]

kath tarawa The 650/651 cartridges are a very different design to the earlier types. The general premise may apply but the starter/setup cartridges are deliberately limited to stop you using the spongeless section. We've opted to use third party refillable cartridges for those types instead of OEM but there are other resources about the x50/x51 types out there.

[@plusimmusic]

When pulling out the ball. I found that a thick pin pushed into the ball deep enough will let you pop it out. Best way to do this without pushing too hard into the ball is to heat up the pin beforehand so that it just melts into the center of the ball. If this makes sense?

[@octoinkjet]

That does work but be careful to wait until the need has cooled before levering the ball out or you can melt a channel into the side of the fill hole and create an air leak even with the plug installed.

[@markn3474]

Wow whered you get those plugs they are perfect for this

[@octoinkjet]

Mark Nolan We actually sell them individually or in bags of 10 and 25 including lipped and low-profile variety... www.octoink.co.uk/categories/Inkjet-Refilling/Tools%2C-Spares%2C-Parts/Plugs-%7B47%7D-Seals/

[@quicktipsmechanical7093]

got a canon mg6460, refilling it is the easy part but i cant figure out how to reset the ink levels, it wont let me print still says its low on ink

[@octoinkjet]

+QuickTips Mechanical You can't reset the chips on the PGI-650, CLI-651 original carts so might want to look for compatible refillable carts or similar. Given you appear to have an Australian model, try contacting Rihac.com.au to see what they have.

[@gamail9904]

Hi, would the MX860 (PGI-520/1) have the same problem?

[@octoinkjet]

If your cartridges use the PGI-520 and CLI-521 chips then we have the compatible chip resetter (known as REdSETTER) on our OctoInkjet store: www.octoink.co.uk/products.php?productid=216

[@harshiljain7849]

will this work for my canon mg5470..it has cli 751 cartridges

[@octoinkjet]

The CLI-751 cartridges are the same as the 551's here in the UK.. the fill ball is under the little 2D barcode but yes the process is much the same. A new video will be on KZbin (soon) that shows the whole refill process for your cart type.

[@octoinkjet]

The new video is now up here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4KrgXV3ec-ritk

[@liverpoolfowler7587]

Is it a original cartridge? Why is it transparent ?

[@octoinkjet]

The CLI-8 cartridges were transparent... as are the CLI-42's. Sadly, not all of the newer type are, particularly in smaller desktop printers.

[@danytex9109]

Vous ne parlez pas de la puce sous la cartouche qui lorsque la cartouche est vide bloque l'imprimante, même si on la remplit de nouveau . Faut il la reseter ? avec quel matériel ? n'y a-t il pas en dessous de la cartouche aussi une détection de niveau d'encre ? remplir c'est facile, mais qu'elle fonctionne sur l'imprimante , c'est autre chose.

[@octoinkjet]

This video does not demonstrate the whole process of refilling and was never intended to do so. A video that shows how to refill will be completed in the future but isn't currently available. But to cover your points/questions... 1. The chip does need to be either disabled (by accepting the warranty warnings and disabling the ink monitoring for the affected cartridge) or by using a chip resetter. We recommend the second option with the REdSETTER unit as you retain ink monitoring. 2. If you reset (using a REdSETTER) then the printer retains the use of the prism and will warn you that the cartridge is low even if the chip thinks that the cartridge still has more ink left. As I said, this video only demonstrates the process of physically preparing a cartridge to allow refilling (ie: open fill hole) and sealing the refill hole when finished. Hope that clarifies things.

[@danytex9109]

octoinkjet quel redsetter utiliser pour les PGI 550 et CLI 551 ? Merci.

[@octoinkjet]

The 550/551 chips are a completely new design and type that no longer uses the old style green circuit boards. Now the chips are a very thin printed type of circuit that is very fragile. My understanding is that it makes the process of resetting nearly impossible or very difficult so no redsetter (or other resetter) is available. We are leaning towards refillable cartridges with Auto Reset Chips (ARC) as the only viable option but those also have some problems that we're waiting for a solution no. Short version... Canon have worked hard to make refilling/resetting more difficult.

[@edafeola]

does the seal bit have to be completely air tight shut? I put the ink in and but then it just started leaking from the bottom part

[@octoinkjet]

You do need to seal the fill hole so that it's air tight or the ink will leak out the bottom as you've found. Only the vent hole/matrix should be open to the air.

[@taylorv817]

That's great but if you check my video i use a regular screw to plug that hole.

[@octoinkjet]

Ref: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rouYZKuom7h7orM You can use a screw yes but the rest of your video does a bunch of things that make things harder rather than easier... In the interests of a little constructive criticism: 1. Using Sellotape or similar to seal the outlet means your ink is going to leak everywhere (as you saw)... The adhesive is water soluble so if you need to use tape go with something aluminium tape, a compatible orange storage/transport clip or rubber band the original orange clip on instead. 2. Water soluble adhesive can become a problem at the outlet with residue left over and then getting into the printhead. 3. You need to make sure your screw is not going to react (ie: rust) with the ink or again you end up adding more problems in. Best material is a plastic/nylon screw using that approach but key point... your printer may have little or no clearance above the cartridge so a screw it going to jam against the internal ceiling and stop the printer working. MG/MX printers in particular suffer from this... Understand where you're coming from and the rule; "if works why fix it" applies but there's a few things in there that long and/or short term are going to cause problems so hopefully the above points are useful.

[@paulcoggins]

think i might use a matt knife rather than just the glad for those who are not too handy

[@octoinkjet]

edward coggins Good point. Key requirements are that the blade is sharp and you are patient. Blunt blades and rushing the process, are sure fire ways to recreate a Magenta style ink effect and a lot of unnecessary swearing.

[@phillipabbott3543]

I drill a hole in the side and cover it with electrical tape.

[@octoinkjet]

Wouldn't recommend that as the electrical tape has water soluble adhesive. If you want to go that route, aluminium tape will do the job.

[@MrGUSGUS2]

is this product still available?

[@octoinkjet]

The technique shown in the video is pretty generic so did you have a particular printer and/or cartridge in mind?

[@vansinger36]

Why not just buy a new cartridge? Do you cut open your toothpaste tube to scrape out the dregs?

[@octoinkjet]

+Ken Pollard : The process described allows you to refill the original cartridges. Granted there are third party refillable cartridges designed to be refilled, but in most cases the original cartridges have a better design and component quality (particularly the various sponges) than most compatibles so it's worth the effort if you're wanting to use bulk ink and refill. Obviously doesn't suit everyone but it's not intended as a sales vehicle, just a tutorial on how to prep' for refilling.

[@fishmanfairclough7530]

+octoinkjet Not sure this comment deserved a reply, Ken obviously isn't your market. Great instruction but could have done with a video showing how to apply the ink and soak the sponge.

[@octoinkjet]

Agreed.. We're intending to focus on the refilling and ink side of things in April/May so resources like that are on the list.

[@scuttlebuttons]

+Ken Pollard Ink is insanely expensive. You can buy toothpaste at the dollar store.

[@bob10point]

Damned British accent PLUS not talking into the mic made it hard to understand a word you said. Learned more from watching than listening.

[@octoinkjet]

The audio quality is definitely not great and the whole video needs an update. As to the accent. Well...