Canon PGI-261XL / CLI-261XL Refill Question: "Second Chip" Under the Label and Where to Drill Safely

Customer Question 

I bought a first-time refill kit from BCH Technologies (through Walmart, but I found you online first) and I've got about one refill left. My Canon PIXMA printer stopped recognizing my cartridge, so I ended up buying a new Canon 261XL. As expected, it didn't last long, and now I want to refill it again-your YouTube videos have made me feel confident doing this.

The issue is that when I peeled the label back, I noticed what looks like another chip under the label. I'm attaching a photo because I don't want to ruin the cartridge or lose the few prints I have left. Is it safe to drill the holes like usual, or will drilling into that area damage something?

Answer

Now to the good news: what you're seeing under the label is almost certainly not a second chip-and in most cases, it's completely safe to drill as normal once you understand what's under that sticker.

1) "XL" vs. Standard: What's actually different?

There's no special "magic" inside an XL cartridge that makes it fundamentally different from the standard one. In practical terms, XL and non-XL are the same design family-Canon mainly increases the amount of ink (and sometimes slightly tweaks internal sponge/ink capacity).

That's why your experience feels so accurate: the "XL" label often doesn't translate into the value people expect in real-world printing. The cartridge still relies on the same basic mechanisms for venting and ink delivery.

2) The "extra chip" under the label is usually an air-channel labyrinth

When you peel the top label off many Canon cartridges (including the 261 family), you'll often find a molded plastic pattern underneath that looks like:

• a circuit,

• a hidden component,

• or a "second chip" area.

In reality, this is typically a labyrinth of air channels-a molded vent path that leads to an internal air hole. Canon doesn't always leave a simple open vent hole exposed on the top because they want it:

• protected from accidental contamination,

• less likely to leak,

• and easily sealed by the label during packaging/transport.

So instead of one obvious hole, they create a vent path that eventually vents to the outside world once the label is in place.

Key point: This is part of the cartridge's venting design-not electronics.

3) Is it safe to drill through it?

Yes-it's okay to drill through those molded air channels to create your refill hole (or enlarge the vent area), and doing so typically does not harm the cartridge's function.

When you drill through that labyrinth area, you're not "destroying a chip." You're simply creating a direct opening into an area that is already designed for airflow. In many cases, drilling there just makes the air path more direct.

Why drilling won't ruin the cartridge (when done correctly)

• The real cartridge chip (the one your printer reads) is usually located on the outside contact area where the printer connects-not hidden under the top label.

• Under the label is usually vent architecture, not circuitry.

• Making the air hole larger generally won't stop printing. If anything, it can improve venting-though you still want to seal correctly afterward.

4) How to avoid the real refill mistakes (what actually causes failures)

Since your biggest fear is losing the remaining prints, here are the real risks to avoid during drilling/refilling:

A) Drilling too deep

The most common refill accident is drilling too far and damaging internal structures.
Tip: Drill only as deep as needed to penetrate the top plastic layer-slow and controlled.

B) Not sealing the refill hole properly afterward

A refill hole that isn't sealed well can cause:

• air leaks (printing stops early),

• ink drying out,

• or (rarely) seepage.

C) Venting problems after refill

Canon cartridges need proper airflow to replace ink leaving the cartridge. If venting is blocked, you'll see:

• faint prints,

• missing colors,

• or "it printed a few pages then stopped."

This is why that labyrinth exists in the first place-so airflow can happen in a controlled way.

D) Chip/recognition issues (separate from refilling)

What you experienced earlier-"printer wouldn't read the cartridge anymore"-is typically chip counting/recognition behavior, not because the ink physically ran out. Canon chips often:

• mark a cartridge as "empty,"

• trigger warnings,

• or sometimes become unreadable due to contact wear or printer behavior.

Refilling solves the ink problem, but it doesn't always "reset" how Canon decides to behave with that cartridge unless you follow the printer's prompts appropriately.

5) What to do with your current cartridge

Based on your description, your instinct is correct: go ahead and drill the holes as you normally would, even if the area underneath looks like an "extra chip." That's the vent-channel structure and it's designed into the plastic-drilling through it is fine and won't harm functionality when done carefully.

Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. So, we're not able to provide remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or support for printer repairs. We offer an in-person evaluation and repair service via our local diagnostic facility, Printer Repair Service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Given the high demand, we operate on a first-come, first-served basis, so it might take a few weeks before we can get your printer to drop it off. Our services are structured to repair either a whole printer or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. However, we acknowledge that our rates aren't the most economical. Thus, we highly recommend that you resort to self-help via online research. You can start by checking out YouTube or visiting our YouTube channel's homepage, BCH Technologies on YouTube (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Look for specific videos using the search icon next to "About" on the right-hand side of the menu bar. I receive dozens of queries every day asking about videos for specific topics. Having created videos over the past nine years, it's challenging to remember every single one. Therefore, using YouTube's search function would be most efficient. Plus, YouTube might suggest relevant videos from other channels that could assist you.

Thanks again for your kind message and for supporting what we do. We truly appreciate you as a customer, and I'm glad the videos helped you feel confident-please be careful with drill depth, seal the hole properly afterward, and you should be in great shape for that refill.