What Is This? 

An Ink Jet Cartridge On Life Support? No! It's A.... If you have a HP Inkjet printer then this is a little "thingy" you need to know about.  This device is commonly referred to as a "Snap and Fill" adaptor. Snap and fill adapter?  It's really very simple.  If you refill your own cartridges, or are thinking about it, then do yourself a big favor.  Spend a few bucks and get one of these things.

This clever device lets you refill the cartridge Without Having To Open The Cartridge Or Make A Hole In It.

Come on! Refill without making an opening?  No, really.  It not only works, it works very easily.  You just "snap" the ink cartridge into the holder.  Then after you have put some ink into the syringe, you just hold the cartridge upside down, and pull back on the plunger.  Back. Not in?  Right.  At first you pull back (just a little, you will see the air coming through the clear hose, when only ink is coming out of the cartridge, and the air is in the syringe, STOP), this makes sure all the air is out of the cartridge and the filling hose.  You then turn things upright.  The air now goes to the top of the syringe, with the hose that is connected to the cartridge now at the bottom.  This way, when you now slowly push the plunger in, you only are forcing ink into the cartridge.  No air (stop pushing before you force all the ink out of the syringe.  If needed you can get more ink into the cartridge by repeating the process, but do not force the air back into the cartridge).

Forcing?  Yes...  This thing literally forces the ink into the cartridge right though the print head, and into the cartridge.  Forces it...  Yes, and it is easer then it sounds. 

Too much ink?  To keep from pushing too much ink into the cartridge, just use a slow and steady pressure to push the ink in.  When you feel the pressure (or the effort needed to push the ink in) increase, STOP.  You have filled the cartridge.  Do not over fill the cartridge.  It will not help you and if you do not "rupture" the internal "ink bag", the cartridge and air pressure will only force the overfilled ink out all over the place.  In this case less is more.

After filling the cartridge up, you just put a piece of tissue paper around the holder, and the filler hose (to catch the small amount of ink that will seep out of the filler hose), and after backing off on the plunger just a little (to release the pressure), you just pull the now full cartridge right out of the holder.  You can then just empty any unused ink, from the syringe back into the inkbottle.  By the way…  Do yourself a favor.  Wear rubber gloves.  It saves having to wash your hands after you’re done.  And don't do this over the living room carpet.  Accidents do happen.  Yes, even I have knocked over an inkbottle.

Personally when I get a new cartridge I put it on a postage scale and note the weight.  When I refill it, I can see if it's full by re-weighing it.

So does this work?

Yes.  I got my Snap and Fill at the local computer fair from a place called The Ink Dot ( www.theinkdot.com ).  I have refilled the same cartridge over three times without any problems.

Before it's empty.

Also do yourself a favor when refilling any ink cartridges.  Do it before they are empty.  Not only will the cartridge last longer, but you will save needless damage to your print heads, from trying to print with no ink.

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