How to Refill Epson PictureMate Cartridges

By Ryan Casima

The Epson PictureMate is one of Epson's smallest and most portable photo printers. It is shaped like a small boom box and prints 4-by-6-inch photos. The cartridge used in the Epson PictureMate is the T557. It is a rather complex cartridge as it is structured to fit in a very tiny printer. However, it does not use any of the infamous electronic chips, which makes refilling the cartridge that much simpler.

Flip open the cartridge door on the rear of the printer. Move the cartridge lever to "Release." Gently pull out the cartridge from the printer.

Place the cartridge on a few sheets of paper towel.

Peel the large white label off of the back of the cartridge. Locate the engagement tabs, which are on the top left and right corners on the ink cartridge case.

Push in the engagement tabs to remove the casing. Gently pry open the five locking tabs located in between the ink casings.

Fill the ink syringe in the refill kit with 5 ml of ink. Slowly insert the syringe needle into the sponge of the ink casing and carefully force the ink into the sponge. Using too much force will expand the sponge.

Repeat Step 5 for every ink color that needs to be refilled. Wipe the filling hole(s) with a paper towel to remove any excess ink. Close the case by snapping the locking tabs in place and replace the casing; you should hear a click from the engagement tabs when you replace the casing.

Insert the PictureMate cartridge into the printer.

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