On this page, you'll find a host of information to get the most out of your compatible cartridges including instructions on how to bypass error messages and a guide to manually cleaning your cartridge.
- HP Compatible Ink Cartridges Problem Solving
- Canon Compatible Ink Cartridges Problem Solving
- General Ink Cartridge Troubleshooting
Whether you've bought cartridges which are compatible with HP, Brother, Epson or Canon printers; Cartridge People has provided all the advice you need to get the most out of your printer ink products.
If you are having problems printing and have tried the solutions on this page, you can contact our Customer Services team.
HP Compatible Ink Cartridges Problem Solving
What to do if...
Ink levels are showing as low
It is quite normal to see your HP printer display a message saying your ink levels are low or empty when you first install compatible ink cartridges.
This is due to HP wishing to discourage you from using non-branded cartridges in their machines. In reality, it’s easy to bypass the alerts and continue printing. Should you come across a message regarding ‘Used’, ‘Counterfeit’ or ‘Non-HP’ ink cartridges; just choose ‘Yes’, ‘Continue’ and/or ‘OK’ to bypass the various alerts. This will enable normal print operations.
NOTE: Upon installing a refilled cartridge, the printer may show a “Low Ink” alert message once. Simply select ‘OK’ to proceed.
During normal printing you may see two levels of ink low warning messages – again this is normal.
You will know when to change the cartridge by keeping an eye on the quality of your prints - as soon as the text or colours start to fade; this is the right time to change the cartridges over.
Prints look faded after a new cartridge is installed
A couple of the nozzles may be blocked or the ink may need a little encouragement in being released - this is common when a cartridge has been stored for a while or is new. To help rectify this please follow these instructions to run a cleaning program on your printer.
1. Open the control panel menu and select “printers”.
2. Choose the printer to be cleaned and right click. Select “properties” in the drop-down menu.
3. Choose the tab for cleaning. Various printers might have it listed under different names such as services, cleaning or maintenance.
4. Select the printer’s cleaning programme. (Shown as “Nozzle Clean” “Deep Clean” or similar)
If you are using a ‘Text Quality’ cartridge we would also recommend to go on to your printer's maintenance settings, you should be able to change your printer's settings to “Picture Quality”, this will ensure a better quality of print.
We anticipate that your order should work perfectly in your HP printer, the above advice is simply to ensure you get the most out of your order to enjoy outstanding results.
Canon Compatible Ink Cartridges Problem Solving
Here you will find a host of information to get the most out of your compatible Canon cartridges including instructions on how to bypass error messages and a guide to manually cleaning your cartridge.
What to do if...
Ink levels are showing as low
Having bought a non-branded Canon cartridge, it’s not unusual for the Canon printer refuse to show ink levels or show them as “low”. This is due to the printer realising that the cartridge is not an original Canon product but there is a simple process you can follow to bypass this message and print as normal.
If/when the printer shows a low ink warning, press and HOLD the STOP/RESET button on the machine for five seconds and then release it. This will kickstart the printer into printing correctly for you - you will still see incorrect ink levels but by doing this trick you can still use the cheaper ink cartridges successfully. The STOP/RESET button looks like this:
You will know when to change the cartridge by keeping an eye on the quality of your prints - as soon as the text or colours start to fade; this is the right time to change the cartridges over.
Your Canon printer shows an E5 error
Although printer errors can differ by model number, typically the E5 printer error for Canon printers refers to a problem with an ink cartridge. Possible causes of the error include:
- Ink cartridge is not installed properly
- Wrong ink cartridge installed (unsupported type of cartridge)
- Printer is not detecting the ink cartridge correctly, if at all
For a comprehensive list of Canon printer error codes, visit our dedicated information page.
The ink cartridge is not installed properly
If the cartridge is not installed correctly, try removing the cartridge from the printer and reinstall it. Make sure it is fully installed and snaps into place securely. Then try printing again. Make sure you turn off the printer and turn it back on to reset the error message.
The wrong ink cartridge is installed
If the wrong cartridge is installed, you need to purchase the correct cartridge and install it into the printer. The printer models which support a cartridge are usually listed on the side of the cartridge’s packaging.
Printer is not detecting the ink cartridge correctly, if at all
It’s possible that the printer won’t detect the cartridge after you install it. This issue could be due to the printer being dirty (excess ink in the ink cartridge tray or ink overflow tray). Try cleaning the printer thoroughly and installing the cartridges again to see if this fixes the problem.
Over time, inkjet printers can become dirty due to excess ink “leaking” out of the cartridge. Ink can build up on major components of the printer, causing the print quality to decrease. When this occurs, it may be necessary to clean the printer.
Top Tip: Always try the printer’s self-cleaning feature before attempting your own clean up. All printers today have some type of self-cleaning ability that is usually accessed by pressing and holding one or more of the buttons on the front of the printer.
General Ink Cartridge Troubleshooting
This advice can be applied across a number of brand compatible products including those sold for use in Brother, Epson and Dell printers.
Prints look faded after a new cartridge is installed
A couple of the nozzles may be blocked or the ink may need a little encouragement in being released - this is common when a cartridge has been stored for a while or is new. To help rectify this please follow these instructions to run a cleaning program on your printer.
1. Open the control panel menu and select “printers”.
2. Choose the printer to be cleaned and right click. Select “properties” in the drop-down menu.
3. Choose the tab for cleaning. Various printers might have it listed under different names such as services, cleaning or maintenance.
4. Select the printer’s cleaning programme. (Shown as “Nozzle Clean” “Deep Clean” or similar)
If you are using a ‘Text Quality’ cartridge we would also recommend to go on to your printer's maintenance settings, you should be able to change your printer's settings to “Picture Quality”, this will ensure a better quality of print.
We anticipate that your order should work perfectly in your printer, the above advice is simply to ensure you get the most out of your order to enjoy outstanding results.
Ink Cartridge "Chips"
In remanufactured cartridges, the chips sometimes have a record of how many pages were printed and they cannot be reset, even though the ink tank is refilled to maximum capacity. As a result the printer reads the chips and tells you that the cartridges are empty, even though they are not.
What to do if you see a “low ink level” message displayed
The printer software measures the level of ink by remembering the number of pages that have been printed since the last cartridge was installed. The printer then ESTIMATES how much ink is left and when the cartridge should be replaced. If you change the cartridge without letting the printer driver reset it will still think you are using the old cartridge.
Try installing the cartridge again using the “install new cartridge” option, you should be able to find this in your manual. This will tell your printer software that you have installed a new cartridge and force it to reset the internal page counter.
If this is not a success there could possibly be a problem with the communication between the cartridge chip and your printer. This can occur during the manufacturing stage in the factory and is usually affected by dirt, such as dust or even a fingerprint, on the copper contact plate on the cartridge.
Ink Cartridge Cleaning
Occasionally, there can be a problem with the communication between the copper chip on the cartridge and your printer. This can occur during the manufacturing stage in the factory and is usually affected by dirt, such as dust or even a fingerprint.
Please follow these cleaning instructions to resolve the problem:
- Place some old newspaper down to capture any spillage of ink.
- Remove the cartridge from your printer – switch your printer off.
- Using a piece of damp kitchen roll, gently wipe the copper plate on the cartridge to give it a thorough clean.
- Allow the chip to dry.
They look a little different
Newly made compatible cartridge may look slightly different to the original cartridges. This is due to patenting of the original products. Even though they may look slightly different they are designed to fit.
Firmware Updates
Firmware/software updates can tell the printer how to communicate, how to move motors, fire nozzles and most important of all, how to recognise original versus compatible (non-original) cartridge chips.
By using compatible or remanufactured cartridges you are cutting into the manufacturer’s primary source of profit. Because of this, they update firmware which may interfere with the printer’s operation if using compatible or remanufactured cartridges. Firmware on the printer can then produce the message regarding low or zero ink levels if the machine detects a cartridge that is not a manufacturer’s original cartridge. It can on occasion prevent the printer from accepting the cartridges completely.
However, please try the following troubleshooting if you encounter what you think is a firmware issue.
1. Remove the cartridges from your machine with the printer on. If you are required to follow prompts on screen to change a cartridge make sure you do follow them, otherwise you should be able to simply lift the lid or press a specific button to get your carriage to slide across. NEVER pull the carriage across to change a cartridge as your printer will not realise anything has changed. All you will do is cause damage to your printer.
2. Turn your printer off from the mains (remove the plug from the wall) and wait for a minute or so. Doing this will give your printer chance to clear the error it had and power down correctly. It may also be worth ensuring your printer is communicating this to your computer and that the error on screen has cleared.
3. Turn your printer back on and wait for it to settle down and warn of a missing cartridge.
4. Reinstall the cartridges individually. If multiple cartridges have been rejected I would recommend installing them individually and ensuring the cartridge is being recognised by the printer before repeating the process for the next cartridge.
A Leaky Cartridge
On the very rare occasion a cartridge arrives in a less than perfect condition (leaking), please contact our customer services team straight away. Importantly, do NOT open the inner plastic packaging.