The design of the Lexmark color cartridges often leads to frustration for the home recycler. This tool is designed to minimize this frustration, and improve the success of the home recycler. This tool performs the same functions on the Black Cartridge as well! A must have tool if you are recycling lexmark cartridges.

The Color cartridges are designed with 3 ink reservoirs. One for Yellow, one for Cyan, and one for Magenta. A channel for the ink runs from each reservoir to the print head. These channels specifically are a great source of frustration if an air bubble has been allowed to form in any of the channels. Ink will not flow to the print head if an air bubble is blocking the channel. This explains why, so often, you have followed directions perfectly, and test printed your recycled cartridge only to find one or even two colors missing.

The formation of air bubbles can be generated by several different actions. If you allow the ink to run so low in the cartridge that the reservoir is empty, air will follow the ink into the channel. When you add more ink to the reservoir, it simply sits on top of the passage leading into the channel to the print head - Blocked by an air pocket! Another action which can result in air bubbles is adding the ink too quickly to the reservoir. The ink is subject to foaming. As the ink, full of foammy bubbles, flows into the channel it is very likely an air bubble or blockage will form.

An additional benefit to the tool is the likelyhood that drawing ink out of the cartridge through the print head will help cleanse the print head - resulting in a crisper, clearer printout that Lexmark is so noted for.

How Does it work. The cartridge holder has a hose connected to the print head side. Hook a large syringe to the end of this hose. They will lock together. Snap the cartridge into the clip, and pull back on the plunger of the syringe.