Frequently Asked Questions about our ink cartridges and refills:

An inkjet refill kit is simply that, a container of ink that allows you to refill your existing ink cartridge.  As the printer prints, the ink is used up from the reservoir in the cartridge.  But just because the cartridge is empty doesn't mean its no good - cartridges can typically be reused 5 or more times before print quality begins to degrade.  The refill kit allows you to replace the ink that was used up and continue using the cartridge you already have, and in the process you can save 50% - 80%!

2.  Does the refill kit come with everything I need?  Is it hard?

Yes!  The kit comes with everything you need, including the container of ink, clear simple instructions, and whatever else you may need for your particular printer.  It is important to carefully follow the instructions to ensure top quality printing, and the process is really quite simple, and easy to do.  

3.  Can I refill my current cartridge, or do I need a special cartridge?

You can refill your existing cartridge!  There is no 'special' equipment to buy.  Everything you need is included in the refill kit, including instructions.

4.  Why can't I find a compatible cartridge for my printer?

Some printer manufacturers have patented printer cartridges.  In those cases, it is not possible for another manufacturer to produce compatible cartridges.  In these cases, we must refill existing cartridges to save money on printing.

5.  Why are there both refills and compatible cartridges available for my printer?

In the case of printers where compatible cartridges are available, we still offer the refill kits.  They are somewhat less expensive, and some customers prefer to use the cartridge several times before discarding it.  Other customers prefer the convenience of just installing a new compatible cartridge.  Its your choice!

6.  How many refills can I get with your refill kits?

In virtually all cases, the refill kit will provide enough ink to refill your cartridge one time.  In a few cases, the printer manufacturer uses identical ink formulation in different printers with differing size cartridges.  In these cases, the refill is sized to refill the largest cartridge one time, and the smaller cartridges would be refilled twice.  Our factory has chosen to make the kits refill your cartridge once because customers have expressed concerns about how to safely store partly used refill kits.  With the single-use size kits, this issue is resolved.

7.  Does your ink differ from "universal ink"?  If so, how?

Our ink is NOT "universal ink"!  The ink products sold by Ruby Distributing are specially formulated for each brand and model of printer, to ensure print quality equal to or better than the original equipment cartridges.  Why is this important?  It is very important because the different printer manufacturers use differing technologies to print the page.  Because of the different technology, the formulation of the ink varies from model to model and from manufacturer to manufacturer.  It is impossible for any "universal" formulation to provide the same quality of printing as the original equipment cartridges.  For this reason, we say "Even if you don't choose to purchase our ink, please don't purchase "universal" ink because you will not be satisfied with print quality."

8.  How can you sell for so much less than the original manufacturer?

There are two main reasons we can sell for so much less.  
First, the original manufacturers have a sales strategy with inkjet printers to sell the printer at very little profit, and make their profit on selling ink!  They know that people must have ink to use the printer, and by making a large profit on ink, they actually make more. For example, in its last fiscal year, HP reportedly earned nearly half its profits from printer consumables - only about 10% of its sales made about 47% of its profits!
Second, we don't have a brick and mortar storefront to support.  Those big-box superstores pay a lot of money in rent for that nice location, and a lot of money in salaries of staff to be open when you want to visit.  By having an on-line presence, we can accept your order anytime you want to shop, and ship it out virtually the next time the Post Office is open.  This provides the convenience our customers want without having to have such a large overhead.  Because of this, we can have lower margins than the superstores have.
The combination creates a great opportunity for you to save on top quality ink, and reduce your printing costs as much as 80%!

9.  What is PayPal, and how does it work?

PayPal is a service that allows you to use your credit card to pay for items you purchase on-line.  It is free to you, there are no fees whatsoever.  In addition, PayPal is currently offering a new subscriber bonus of $5.00 just for signing up!  That means you can save $5.00 off your first order by using PayPal.  By using your credit card, you have all of the consumer credit protection available to you by law, which protects you against fraudulent practices by the person from whom you are buying.  
For more information, follow this link to PayPal's site:  https://secure.paypal.x.com/affil/pal=sales%40rubydist.com 

10.  Troubleshooting: No printing after installing new cartridge

Generally, not printing is due to either air bubbles in the nozzles or because the label was not removed to expose the airvents.
Air can be introduced by handling during shipment or improper storage.  Always store the cartridges with the nozzle (ink out holes) down.  If air is suspected, run through the cleaning cycle up to 5 times.  If this does not clear it up, it may be necessary to remove the cartridge and blow through the air vent holes in the top to force ink out the nozzle.  (Note that compatible cartridges are no more likely to experience this problem than the original equipment cartridges.)
If the label is not removed properly, it will not function properly.  Remove the yellow tab portion only.  If the label is not removed, the cartridge will not function as it will not be able to draw air in as it attempts to expel ink.  If too much of the label is removed, too much air will be allowed in and the cartridge may drip.

11.  Troubleshooting:  White lines through print

Possible causes are: 1) a blocked inkjet, 2) lack of ink in the tube, or 3) scratches or smudges on the printhead.  
When the cartridge is removed and refilled, there is still no ink in the inkjet tube when it is installed.  The cartridge must be put through the cleaning cycle to draw the ink down into the inkjet tubes.  This may take several cleaning cycles, similarly to installing a new cartridge.
The printhead includes the electronic circuit board (a copper plate on the side of the cartridge) which tells the printer what to print.  If the white points on the copper plate of the printhead are scratched or smudged with ink, the printer will not be able to read the signals properly.

12.  Troubleshooting:  The cartridge leaks after refilling 

Possible causes are:  1)  cartridge is overfilled, 2) cartridge is not repressurized, or 3) cartridge has been punctured.
If the cartridge has been overfilled, the excess will spill out through the printhead or the air vent hole.  This will not cause any permanent damage to the printer, but it can make a mess, so a leaking cartridge should never be installed in a printer.  Allow the excess ink to drain or draw some of the ink out of the cartridge before installing.
If the cartridge is not re-pressurized (more common on HP cartridges) it will leak.  After refilling, the air vent plug must be removed immediately after inserting the refill hole plug.  The HP cartridges have a diaphragm action inside them which controls how much ink can drop through the printhead.
If the needle of the refill ink bottle is inserted into the wrong hole, the cartridge may be damaged and will be unusable.  HP cartridges have an air vent hole in the center of the top of the cartridge which can be mistaken for the refill hole.  If the wrong hole is used, the bladder inside the cartridge will be punctured and the cartridge will be unusable.

13.  Troubleshooting:  No print after refilling HP cartridge

The printhead may be clogged with dry ink.  This can occur if the cartridge has been left out of the printer for more than a couple of days.  The printhead must always be kept moist.  This can be corrected by immersing the bottom portion (only!) of the cartridge in distilled water for a period of time.  After a couple of cleaning cycles, it should print properly.
The printhead may be smudged with ink, if ink ran down onto the printhead during the refilling process.  If this occurs, very gently wipe the printhead with a moist tissue.  The white points on the copper plate are what gives the printer the signals to print.  If these points are smudged or damaged, the printer will not print properly.
The printhead and copper circuit board are quite delicate and be easily damaged.  This can occur by improper removal, rough handling, placing the copper plate down on a hard surface, or knocking the plate.
To check for this damage, look at the printhead through a magnifying glass and look for scratches or lines through the white points on the copper plate.
On some of the HP cartridges, the refill kit includes a plastic protector to be used while removing the cartridge for refilling.  This must be used to avoid damaging the white contact points on the cartridge.

14. Is it safe to purchase via credit cards? Is it secure?

YES! Your credit card information is safe and secure when you purchase at Ruby Distributing! Your information is secure, because our website uses a secure server for processing credit card transactions. This means that the information you type is encrypted as it is sent over the internet. Only the designated recipient has the key to unlock the encryption. Your information is safe because your transaction is processed on-line in real time. You send your card information to the payment processing center, not to us. The payment processing center checks your card for authorization and, when approved, sends us the money and a notification that you paid. We never see your credit card information - we just know you sent us the money. So you don't have to worry that our employees could do something with your card information because we never see it. In this way purchasing from Ruby Distributing is more secure than presenting your card at your local store!

15. What is a 'prepaid mailer' and how does it work?

The prepaid mailer is simlar to a prepaid phone card or to prepaid film processing you purchase, it is not a refill kit. Everything you need to have your inkjet cartridge remanufactured (refilled) by us is included in the purchase price of the mailer. Just follow the easy instructions on the back of the mailer and drop it in the mail (postage is prepaid - you're sending it by Business Reply Mail). The factory does the rest! Its inspected, cleaned, refilled, and tested prior to sending it back to you. And all of this is done within 24 hours of receiving your cartridge. Both black and color cartridges are available to be refilled. The same mailer will work for cartridges for Hewlett Packard, Canon, Apple, and Lexmark printers. For your convenience in searching, we have listed them by printer manufacturer in our database. So, if you want to save about 50% on your ink but don't want to actually do the refilling yourself - check out the prepaid mailer! The quality of printing is guaranteed to be of equal quality and equal reliability as the factor originals, and you will save about half.

16. Where can I find drivers for my printer?

Here are driver locations for most printers: (These links are provided only for your convenience. No endorsement or relationship is implied. No guarantee is made of suitability of any driver for your use. Since we do not control these sites, no guarantee is made that you will find the desired driver there.)

General: Driver Guide.com has drivers for most anything --> http://www.driverguide.com/
Apollo:
http://www.ap-sure.com/myapollo/support/P2100U/2100_drivers_download.htm
Apple:
http://www.info.apple.com/support/downloads.html
Canon:
http://www.usa.canon.com/support/files/disclaimer.html
Compaq:
http://www.compaq.com/support/files/
Epson:
http://support.epson.com/filelibrary.html
Hewlett Packard:
http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/eng/software_drivers.htm
Kodak:
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/software/thermalDrivers.shtml
Lexmark:
http://www.lexmark.com/drivers/
Samsung:
http://www.samsungsupport.com/fxprmenu.htm