Can You Use Water-Based Dye Ink in an HP 45 Cartridge? Compatibility Explaine

Customer Question:

The HP 45 cartridge is initially designed for pigment ink. Is it safe to refill and use water-based dye ink in an HP 45 cartridge?

Answer:

Using Water-Based Dye Ink in HP 45 Cartridges: What You Need to Know

The HP 45 (51645A) cartridge is a thermal inkjet cartridge that was originally engineered to work with pigment-based ink, particularly because of its common use in mailroom and industrial printing environments where durability and smear resistance are essential.

Can You Use Dye Ink?

Yes, you can refill the HP 45 cartridge with water-based dye ink, but with a few important caveats:

• Firing Compatibility: Dye inks generally require a slightly different firing voltage and heat profile than pigment inks. Most HP 45-compatible printers—especially standard office inkjet models—will tolerate this without issue. You may not notice any negative impact if you're using the cartridge for general printing, school projects, or label printing.

• Potential Problems with High-Speed Industrial Printers: If you're using an HP 45 cartridge in a high-speed mail printer or production-grade industrial printer, then using dye ink may cause misfires, poor ink adhesion, or even printhead overheating. These machines are finely calibrated for pigment-based viscosity and dry time. For such applications, you should use a specially formulated dye-based ink mix, if switching from pigment is necessary.

• Print Longevity: Dye ink typically does not last as long on porous surfaces as pigment ink. If you're printing materials that must endure handling, sunlight, or moisture, pigment remains the better choice.

• Refill Considerations: When refilling, make sure:

  • The cartridge is fully cleaned to avoid pigment/dye coagulation.

  • You prime the cartridge properly after refilling to ensure continuous ink flow.

  • You run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle immediately after reinsertion.

So, while dye ink is generally safe for casual and household use, it’s not advisable for high-volume or mission-critical printing unless the printer’s firmware and ink handling system explicitly support it.

A Note on Ink Selection and Repairs

Printer repair and cartridge compatibility issues are highly hands-on and often require direct inspection. As such, we’re not able to offer remote troubleshooting or one-on-one technical support for individual repair needs. However, BCH Technologies provides a professional printer diagnostic and repair service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Because of the high volume of requests, we work on a first-come, first-served basis, and there may be a waiting period before we can evaluate your equipment.

We know our repair rates may not always be the most budget-friendly, so we strongly encourage customers to take advantage of free educational content. You can start by visiting our YouTube homepage (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies) and using the search bar next to the “About” section to find videos on specific ink types, cartridge refills, and troubleshooting tips. We've produced hundreds of detailed videos over the years, and while it’s hard to recall every single one on demand, YouTube’s search function is a great way to quickly locate relevant content—possibly even from other helpful channels as well.

Thanks again for your thoughtful question and for being part of our growing community. We truly appreciate your curiosity and support!