How to Refill Epson 212 ink Cartridges & Reset Ink Level - T212 WorkForce WF-2850

If you want to refill your Epson 212 ink cartridge, there are some things to keep in mind. This guide will walk you through the steps required to make your cartridge refill compatible, as well as how to refill the cartridge and reset the ink level.

Let’s dive in.

Resetting the Cartridge Chip

Epson fits each cartridge chip with a unique serial number. These chips inform the printer when the cartridge is empty, preventing further printing. However, there is a way to get around this. Visit inkchip.net, click the “soft” tab at the top of the homepage, and scroll down the list of printers to find your model. Here you can download a special firmware that will enable a chipless solution mode on your printer, allowing you to easily refill your ink cartridges.

Before getting started, disable any anti-spamware on your computer, as it may conflict with INKCHIP’s solution. Also, if you don’t currently have a driver installed, go to epson.com to download the drivers and utilities combo package. If it asks whether or not you want to update your firmware, click no.

Now, install the INKCHIP firmware. From the downloads folder on your computer, find the solution and run the app. When it says “printer is ready,” that means the printer is online, so your USB connection is working fine. At this point, it will transmit the required files to your printer. The printer should display a message letting you know that it’s updating the firmware and then automatically shut off before turning it back on.

Restarting the Printer

Once the printer restarts, you will see the firmware version confirmed on your computer. You can close the software after the printer restarts—you don’t have to wait for 100% completion. If an error message pops up telling you that you did not update your printer’s firmware, click “next” to close it. On your printer, go to settings and scroll down to the “firmware update” tab. If you see that the current version is BL05K3, your firmware update was successful. Don’t worry about whether the firmware software on your computer says it worked or not.

You should now have the correct firmware, but you still need to get a license. Under the activation column on the firmware page on inkchip.net, click “download.” The first time you run the program, it will update itself, but you then have to close the program and restart it. Return to the INKCHIP page to purchase the key/code that corresponds with your printer model. Open your new software and click the “activate online” button. Your code should automatically activate with the firmware, and you will receive a message telling you to restart the printer. Be sure to copy and save the activation code for future use.

Congratulations—your printer is now compatible with the chipless cartridge of your choice.

Refilling the Ink Cartridge

Now it’s time for the fun part. But before you get started with refilling your cartridge, ensure that you have the following materials:

• Jar of distilled water (NOT mineral water)
• Gloves
• Old newspapers
• 3 mm drill
• L-shaped plugs
• Syringes with needles

First, cut a small piece of plastic off the tip of one of your syringes and set it to the side—this will be important later.

Next, locate the round indent between the model number and the color on your cartridge label. This is where you’ll want to drill the hole through which to inject your ink. Use your drill to pull out any debris from the cartridge, as you mustn’t allow it back into the hole. Fill the hole with distilled water and seal with a plug.

Important: be sure to use a new set of syringes and needles each time you touch the distilled water jar. If you don’t have enough, wash the ones you do have with warm water to clean them. Now take the special cut syringe to draw the liquid from the cartridge, removing the mixture of water, old ink, and debris.

Pay attention to the sound the plug makes when you remove it from the cartridge hole. It shouldn’t sound like a cork being removed from a bottle; rather, it should be silent. If you notice a “popping” sound when pulling the cork out, you probably have an issue with the air channel, creating a vacuum within the cartridge.

From here, the process is relatively straightforward: use one of your syringes to fill the cartridge with ink. For the 212 cartridges, you’ll want to use about 8 milliliters of ink. One helpful trick is to try putting your needle through the second layer of the cartridge. The deeper you’re able to push your needle, the more ink you’ll be able to fill—sometimes up to 10 milliliters.

Because you’ve flushed the cartridge, you can now use any kind of ink, including dye, pigment, and sublimation. Re-insert the cartridge into the printer and run a print check to ensure that your ink functions correctly. If the check results are poor quality, you can use the printer’s built-in cleaning function to clean the nozzle.

Resetting the Ink Level

Your ink level should be full now that you’ve installed the chipless firmware. To monitor this level over time, check the small window on the side of the cartridge. You can also weigh the cartridge. At full capacity, it should weigh approximately 28 grams.

Refill and reset the ink level as needed.