Change CIS Chips or Re-Arrange Color Sequences for Epson Printer

In the long term, ink can be one of the most expensive parts of having your own printer – especially if you don’t refill the ink and wind up buying a new cartridge whenever the one you have gets low. While using a continuous ink tank has a lot of benefits, sometimes you’ll find that its color sequence is different from that of your Epson printer. Alternatively, you may find the chip faulty and needs to be replaced. Today I’ll be going over changing your ink’s color sequence and the proper way to remove and replace a CIS chip.

Set the cartridge in front of you with the chips facing away. Write down the ideal sequence you want your colors to be in. For the demonstration I used, I wanted to change the colors to KMYC (black, magenta, yellow, cyan). The most important (and only) tool we’ll need for this process is a flathead screwdriver.

Remove the tube clips

Use your screwdriver to gently press on the tube clip to get it to release from its base. The key to avoiding breaking things while rearranging the color sequence and swapping out the chip is being gentle and taking your time.

If you break the tube clip, that’s okay. You can buy a replacement from BCHTechnologies.com if you need it.

Use the screwdriver to release the clip from the cartridge. Insert the head of the screwdriver into the space between the clip and its base. Wiggle it until it becomes loose. Do not be too rough, and don’t force them apart.

Turn the cartridge around so that the chips are facing you. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the green circuit board is attached to a black housing. The goal is to remove the chips and the circuit board from the housing in one piece.

Find the space between the black housing and the white cartridge. Gently push the screwdriver straight down until you feel a click. This should then release the black housing from the cartridge. Repeat this process one by one for the other cartridges until they’re all separated from the chips.

Arrange your ink colors

Rearrange the cartridges so that the colors match your earlier order. If replacing the chip/circuit board, use the new one for this next part. If your chips or circuit board don’t need to be replaced, you can use the one you already have (provided it didn’t get broken in the removal process).

After the cartridges have been arranged the way you want them, it’s time to reattach everything. We’ll start with the circuit board and cartridges. On the black housing unit, you should be able to see a little notch. Line that up with the cartridge. Start by securing the top first.

Continuing to work with the chips and cartridges one at a time, gently press down on the bottom of the chip until you hear or feel it click into place. Do not force it. Keeping the cartridges in the order you want them, repeat this process until all cartridges have been secured to the black housing and the circuit board is firmly in place.

Reattach the ink

Now all that’s left to do is reattach the tubing using the tube clip. To do this, simply reverse the process you used to take it off. Attach the clip back to its base so that the tubing is secure in its proper location. Once that’s done, you should be good to go.

For a video accompaniment of this process, click here to go to the one I posted on my YouTube channel. I also have hundreds of other printer- and ink-related advice and how-to videos posted. If you have a question about your printer, I’ve probably got a video covering it. If not, feel free to ask about it in the comments and I’ll see what I can do.

If you need new parts for your printer, an external waste ink collection tank, or various other printer modifications, we’ve got those and much more on my website, BCHTechnologies.com.