How to Change the Chip on Ink Cartridges

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As of the time of publication, virtually all major printer manufacturers offer budget models costing less than $100 – and even printers priced below $50. However, with many budget printers, the cost of ink cartridges quickly out-paces the price of the hardware, if you print a lot of documents. By refilling cartridges yourself, you can save a considerable amount of money versus purchasing new ones, or even remanufactured units. Before using a refilled ink cartridge, though, you may need to change or reset its "smart chip" before the printer will accept it and print documents again.

Replace Smart Chip

Purchase an ink refill kit and smart chip compatible with the cartridges used in your printer. You can usually find kits that include smart chips at office supply stores or online retailers (links in Resources).

Power off the printer and remove the cartridges according to the directions in the user guide or the labels on the inside of the maintenance door cover.

Refill the cartridge according to the directions in the ink refill kit.

Orient the cartridge so that you can access the smart chip on the bottom. Use tweezers or a utility knife to pry on the smart chip gently until it disengages from the plastic tabs that hold it in place. Alternatively, use the tweezers to pull the chip out from beneath the tabs if it has an access opening that allows you to slide it out of the casing. Remove the old smart chip and set it aside.

Insert the new chip into the slot or beneath the tabs on the bottom of the cartridge. Push the chip down into the tabs gently or slide it into the slot until secure.

Insert the ink cartridge back into the cartridge carriage of the printer. Power on the printer and use it as you normally would.

Reset Cartridge Chip

Purchase a stand-alone chip-reset device for your model inkjet printer or buy a refill kit that includes one. You can buy reset devices at some office supply stores and from many online retailers (links in Resources).

Remove the cartridges from your inkjet printer according to the directions in the user manual or the labels on the inside of the maintenance cover or panel.

Orientate the cartridge so that the pins and smart chip are visible. Align the pins on the smart chip with the metal leads or pins on the chip-reset tool. After aligning the leads or pins, press the chip reset tool against the smart chip and hold it. Press the button on the reset tool, hold it down for approximately five seconds and wait for the LED light on the reset tool to stop flashing. After the light stops flashing, disengage the chip-reset device from the smart chip on the bottom of the cartridge.

Reset the smart chips on the other cartridges used in the printer as needed. Reinsert the cartridges into the printer according to the directions in the printer user guide or the cartridge instruction labels on the printer.

Power on the printer and use it normally. After you use the tool to reset the smart chip on the cartridge, the printer application will no longer display "cartridge empty" or "cartridge near empty" warning messages.