This utility was put together for owners of Hewlett- Packard Deskjet/Deskwriter series printers. If you have owned your inkjet printer for more than a few months then you have discovered that the ink cartridge eventually runs out of ink. Unlike dot matrix printer ribbons, which are produced by an array of companies, the replacement ink cartridge for the Deskjet/Deskwriter printer is manufactured solely by Hewlett-Packard. In one respect this is good. Since the circuitry built into each cartridge is quite complex, you want to be sure that the new replacement cartridge will work when installed - and Hewlett-Packard is known for quality products. The disadvantage to a sole manufacturer, however, is that there is no competition, and thus the price of the cartridge is dictated by the manufacturer. The price of a new replacement cartridge (part number 51608A) for the Deskjet/Deskwriter printer is $19.99 (as of Summer 1991). This is the cost if obtained directly from Hewlett-Packard. If you own a Deskjet/ Deskwriter series printer and think nothing about spending this amount every time you run out of ink, this document will probably be of little interest to you. But for those who would like to save $10-$20 when replacing their empty inkjet cartridge, then read on. $19.99 may not sound like much to a computer user, but it starts to add up if you use your printer on a daily basis. In fact, if you subtract the cost of the printer itself, the price per printed page produced by a inkjet printer is HIGHER than the cost of a similar page produced on a laser printer. The cost of the replacement ink cartridge is what makes this so. But think for a minute next time you replace that ink cartridge, "If the only thing wrong with the cartridge is that it has run out of ink, then why can I not refill it with more ink?" The cartridge itself can last a long time after it has run out of ink. In fact, if refilled, it is not unusual for one cartridge to accept over a half dozen refills before giving up the ghost. By that time you will have saved over $100! If saving money is not of interest to you, then consider another aspect of this issue - the environment. In the U.S.A. we are producing garbage at an enormous rate. The 1990's have become the decade of recycling and environmental awareness. To throw away an empty cartridge when it can still be used seems wasteful. Is not refilling an empty but reusable cartridge a good idea? You save money, and decrease the amount of trash created - what could be wrong with that? If laser printer owners are now recycling their used toner cartridges, then why can't inkjet owners reuse their empty ink cartridges? With these exciting thoughts in mind, it is rather disappointing to discover that our favorite printer manufacturer disapproves of the refilling concept, and hence does not provide customers with the necessary components to refill their empty cartridges. Not to fret, however. Many companies have come to our rescue. Inkjet refill kits are now available through a variety of channels. The only drawback, however, is that many of these kits are not cheap. Although you still come out ahead by refilling your empty inkjet cartridges by using the commercial kits, you would save much more money if you could obtain the ink and syringe locally. For the do-it-yourselfer, the ink and syringe can be obtained locally at a very small cost, normally under $7.00. By the way, you are not limited to refilling your empty cartridge with just black ink. You can refill your empty cartridges with colored ink, if you so choose. For those readers who think that The DeskJet Survival Kit is some sort of gimmick, a joke, or a rip-off, here is a letter from a DJSK registrant from Nigeria, AFRICA (of all places!). The registrant followed the tips and used an ink that we suggested in the database provided by The DeskJet Survival Kit: 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � � � 2 September 1992 � � � � Philip Kapusta � � P O Box 5423 � � Falmouth, Va. 22403 � � � � Dear Philip Kapusta � � � � As human beings, some authors appreciate � � hearing from users who are impressed with � � their products. That is why I am writing to � � thank you for developing the HP DESKJET � � SURVIVAL KIT. � � � � The name of your product is very appropriate. � � The problem here [Nigeria, AFRICA] is the � � availability of the print cartridge and not � � the cost. At $40 per piece (you won't believe � � this), one is happy to buy one when available. � � But often, it is not in stock in computer � � shops. � � � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � � � The beauty of the kit is that the refill ink � � (------ -----, brand name withheld), is � � available in most bookshops and disposable � � syringes are available in most chemists. I � � had to go back to my dot-matrix while waiting � � for the order of the cartridge to arrive. I � � was still waiting while the kit arrived and � � within a couple of hours I was back using the � � DeskJet again! � � � � Thanks, once again. � � � � Sincerely, � � � � B.S.O. � � � � P.S. This letter is printed with my newly � � refilled cartridge. Although there aren't � � many DeskJet users here yet, I would like to � � spread the good news if I can get an � � unregistered copy. � � � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 If you would like to learn how to refill your empty Deskjet/Deskwriter ink cartridges then proceed on to the "Refill tips/notes" file (selection 2 from the Main Menu). Registration: This utility is being distributed as shareware software. We ask that you register this utility with the author. Upon receipt of your registration you will be sent the current version of this utility which includes a useful database listing what inks (regular and water- resistant) to use in the refill process. This database also includes: 1) Recommended paper to use with inkjet printers (not all paper is created equal). 2) Distributors of inkjet refill kits. 3) Refill services for those who do not wish to refill their own cartridges, yet would still like to save $$$ and recycle their empty cartridges. 4) Distributors for genuine HP printer accessories at the lowest prices. Note: The database that comes with the unregistered version is incomplete.