For best performance it is recommended that you refill prior to running out of ink.

Damage to the print heads could result from running a dry cartridge.
For additional information please see: http://www.alotofthings.com/inkjetinformation/BurnItUp.htm

DO NOT SEAL CARTRIDGE COMPLETELY!
It is a common misconception that these cartridges are sealed AIR TIGHT.  Fact is they are not.  When you initially look at a cartridge from the top you'll see that around the label are little indentations in the plastic.  These indentations are part of the air vents that leads into the colors chambers.  Sealing these completely will prevent air from getting into the cartridge and ink from getting out.  Note:  The amount of ink that leaves the cartridge must be equal to the amount of air that gets into the cartridge otherwise a pressure build up occurs.


DO NOT!
Here are a few DO NOT do for you just to make sure your colors do not contaminate and you do not damage the cartridges.
DO NOT place cartridge in a zip lock bag unless it is in a cartridge clip.  Contact with the bag can cause color to bleed and wick into another chamber.
DO NOT store cartridge on its side.  Storing a cartridge on its side can lead to missing colors when ink settles to one side of the cartridge.
DO NOT use your printer or cartridge if temperature is below recommended printing temperatures.  If ink is too cold it will not flow properly through the cartridge filter screen.  This can inadvertently cause missing and burn the jets.
DO NOT seal the entire cartridge top--do not seal cartridge air tight.
DO NOT reapply the original blue tape used on the bottom of the cartridge.  This can cause cross contamination as it does not create a completely air tight seal.  It does though assist in pulling ink out of the cartridge which can wick into another set of jets



INK LEVEL INDICATORS:
Ink Level Indicators do not always work.  This means that even on brand new cartridges the ink level indicators may be wrong.  Users of HP cartridge commonly have issues with erroneous ink level indicators showing yellow in available when there is none in the cartridge.  This can be a result of a few things;
1. HP ink level indicators are designed to fail so close that erroneous information is given if printer is shut off and turned on too many times.
2. This is accidental and that HP ink level indicators are inefficient
3. Ink determined available for use contains ink that can not actually be used by the cartridge.  The filter screen placement as shown on the image to the right displays that the screen sits slightly higher than bottom of the cartridge.  Therefore though there is "X" amount of ink in the cartridge this does not mean all of the ink is used.   It is recommended for this reason that you refill when ink level indicators first come on--or before they come on at regular intervals.  This is something we call "topping off" a cartridge


COLOR SHIFT:
Color Shift, such as a green tint in out put can be the result of filling ink too quickly or allowing ink to wick at the bottom of the cartridge.
Essentially what occurs is that ink from one chamber is allowed to wick back up into another chamber.  To resolve this issue you will need to perform several cleanings.  Wait 20-30 seconds after each set.


ISSUE RELATED TO BRAND NEW CARTRIDGES & HP PRINTER DESIGN
"HP has indications that the lubricant on the printer carriage assembly tabs and the flex circuit contacts on the print cartridge can collect debris (fibers and dust), which may cause poor output. The lubricant is used to ensure that the interaction between the pen and the carriage assembly does not cause tears in the flex circuit."
Anyone of our cleaning recommendation used on page one will assist in resolving this issue.


DO NOT STOCKPILE EMPTY CARTRIDGES WAITING TO REFILL
One of the most frustrating things we hear is when a consumer contacts telling us they have been saving cartridges up and are now ready to refill a bunch of them at one time.
There are a couple of reasons why saving partially empty or empty cartridges to refill at a later time is of a great disadvantage.
The first and foremost is the cartridges ability to retain ink once the sponge has sat empty for some time. Sponge material found in inkjet cartridges is not the same material as used to clean your dishes or car. Some sponge material will deteriorate rapidly and others shrink when void of ink.
Now, if you are attempting to refill but the sponge has pulled away from the screen material located at the bottom of the cartridge (even if ever so slight) then you may experience a flow of ink that is not suitable for printing. In other words it can drop more ink than it is supposed to.
Though there are other example, some of which are covered above in the DO NOT portion of this page, the bottom line is: do not expect a great deal of success if you are stock piling and waiting to refill cartridges.
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