What to fill up a Xiaomi printer: the choice of ink and step-by-step instructions

Owners of modern Xiaomi devices often face the need to print documents, photos or educational materials directly from their smartphones. Wireless printing through the Mi Home app has become the standard of convenience, but the resource of factory cartridges is not unlimited. Sooner or later, a notification of low ink levels appears on the screen, and the user is faced with the question of saving. Buying original consumables can be expensive, especially with large volumes of printing, so many people think about self-refilling.

However, the process of restoring the device requires accuracy and understanding the chemical composition of the fluids used. The wrong mixture can bring the print head down in minutes. In this article, we will discuss in detail which ink compounds are compatible with Xiaomi technologies, how to perform the procedure without risk to electronics and whether the game is worth the candle. The thermal jet printing technology used in Mi Inkjet is critical to the viscosity and boiling temperature of the ink.

Before you start opening the cartridge, you need to clearly define the type of your device, because the approach to filling the laser and inkjet printers is radically different. We will look at the nuances of working with the popular model Mi Inkjet All-in-One Printer and give comprehensive recommendations on the choice of consumables.

Types of ink for Xiaomi inkjet devices

Choosing the right composition is the foundation for a long life for your printer. For Mi Inkjet devices that work with thermal jet technology, pigment inks designed for office laser machines or specialty Epson photo printers are categorically not suitable. Dye-based ink is the only safe choice for most Xiaomi home models. They have low viscosity and evaporate quickly when heated, which creates pressure to eject a drop.

Using pigment ink in Xiaomi’s thermal jet cartridge will cause microscopic channels to dry quickly and the heating element to overheat. A thermoresistor built into the cartridge may not withstand the increased load if the liquid is too thick. In addition, the chemical composition of pigment suspensions often reacts with the materials of thermal jet duses, causing corrosion or insoluble precipitation.

When buying ink for a spill, look for the label "For Thermal Inkjet" or "For Inkjet Printers." 4-in-1 universal ink sets often contain the wrong components. Better to buy a specialty kit designed for HP and Canon, since Xiaomi printers use a compatible platform. Chemistry compatibility is crucial here.

• 🔵 Water-soluble ink (Dye) – ideal for photo printing and documents, give bright colors, but are afraid of moisture.
• 🖌️ Pigment inks – only suitable if the instructions for your particular model clearly state otherwise, water resistant.
• ⚗️ Specialized formulations - liquids with additives that prevent the head from drying out in idle mode.

⚠️ Warning: Never mix ink from different manufacturers or types (e.g. water with pigment) inside the same cartridge, which will result in a chemical reaction, flake formation, and instant blockage of duze that cannot be cleaned software.

It's also important to consider color reproduction. Cheap ink can give you an unnatural hue, purple or yellow. It's critical for printing photos. If you're planning to print mostly text documents, you can use more budget options where color saturation is not a priority, and the main requirement remains the same: liquid base and no abrasive particles.

Preparation for refueling: tools and conditions

The refilling process requires some preparation to keep your clothes, furniture and, most importantly, the interior components of the printer clean. You'll need a flat surface with good lighting. You'll need to cover the table with newspapers or use disposable gloves, because ink is very poorly washed from fabrics and leather. Latex gloves are a must-have piece of equipment.

The tools you need to work with are very specific, and first of all, you need blunt needle syringes or special filling syringes that often come with can ink, you need paper wipes, tape to seal the holes, and maybe a thin drill or a stitch if you want to expand the filling holes, medical alcohol or special washing fluid will come in handy for cleaning external contacts.

Before starting the procedure, make sure to take a picture of the current state of the cartridges or print out a test page to understand what color is over or clogged, which will help to diagnose problems later if the printer continues to rinse after refueling.

Step-by-step instructions for filling the cartridge

The process of filling the Mi Inkjet cartridges (which are structurally similar to the HP 803/804 or Canon PG-40/CL-41) is divided into several steps. First, you need to remove the cartridge from the printer. Usually, the front cover opens, and the carriage goes to the middle. Carefully press the lock and remove the module. Do not touch the electronic contacts and the copper board with your fingers.

On top of the cartridge is a label that hides the openings for the factory refill, which must be carefully removed or punctured with a stylus near the exit hole (usually one, less than two). Be careful not to damage the inner sponge or mesh filter. Put the needle of the syringe with ink into the hole. You need to enter slowly, controlling the filling level, so that the ink does not flow through the nozzles from the bottom.

Once the hole is filled, you need to restore the leakage. Put a tape on the puncture site or use special plugs if you have them. Then install the cartridge back into the printer. The system may require confirmation that the cartridge has been replaced. Press the reset button or confirm the action in the Mi Home application.

• 💉 Remove the protective sticker from the top of the cartridge.
• 💧 Enter the ink with a syringe slowly, without sharp piston movements.
• 🔒 Cover the hole with tape to create a vacuum inside the tank.
• 🔄 Install the cartridge and run the duz cleaning through the printer menu.

It's important to take your time. If you inject the ink too quickly, it can create a traffic jam inside that's difficult to remove. The vacuum inside the cartridge is what keeps the ink from leaking out spontaneously. The leakage will cause the printer to end up in a pool of ink.

Adjustment and calibration after refueling

Once you physically install the refueled cartridge, the software part of the job doesn't end. The printer needs time to get the ink into the duzes and displace the air. In the Mi Home app or through the web interface, find the service section. There's a "Head Cleaning" feature available. Run it 1-2 times.

Don't run a deep cleaning more than three times in a row. It can overflow the absorbent platform (pampers) inside the printer, causing the ink to leak out. If after two cleanses, the lines on the test page are still interrupted, let the printer stand off for 15-20 minutes. The ink should soak the sponge evenly.

⚠️ Warning: If the printer makes strange noises after refueling, or the carriage moves in jerks, turn off the device immediately, which may indicate that the ink has hit the guides or encoder strip, which violates the positioning.

Calibration is especially important for color printing. If the colors are mixed or shifted, look for the "Cartridge Alignment" item in the menu. The printer will print a special pattern that you will need to scan or choose the right one through the application, and this will set up the jet micropositioning.

Common mistakes and ways to fix them

One of the most common mistakes is ignoring the chip on the cartridge. Xiaomi printers, like many others, count the number of drops released. Even if you fill a full cartridge, the device may "think" that it is empty if you don't reset the meter. In some cases, prolonged retention of the reset button helps, in others, a software reset via Mi Home is required.

Another problem is the use of water for washing. Water does not have the desired surface tension properties and can cause corrosion of copper contacts. Use only specialized liquids or distilled water in extreme cases, and only for external washing, not inside the mechanism.

If the ink is not being served, try the centrifuge method. Carefully, taking the cartridge with a napkin (nozzles down), make a few sharp swings with your hand, as if you were shaking off the thermometer. This creates a centrifugal force that pulls the ink toward the nozzles. Do this over the sink or the container covered with a cloth.

Prevention and care of the printing head

So, to avoid asking yourself, "What to fill up a Xiaomi printer with too often, it's important to follow the rules of operation. The main rule of inkjet printing is regularity. If you don't print at least one page a week, the ink in the duzes starts to dry up, and this leads to traffic jams that are difficult to remove.

Turn off the printer correctly using the power button, rather than pulling the cord out of the socket. When properly turned off, the carriage parks in a special compartment where the duzes are closed from the air with a sealing pad. If you just turn off the device, the carriage can stay outdoors, and the ink will dry in a couple of days.

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Store spare cartridges in an airtight bag in the fridge (not in the freezer!) before use, let them warm to room temperature for 2-3 hours.

Also, keep your ink level visually, keep your printer dry. In thermal jet cartridges, the ink also acts as a cooler for the heating element. Printing with an empty cartridge is guaranteed to cause it to burn. The thermoresistor overheats and fails, after which the cartridge can only be thrown away.

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The most important thing in refueling is to use only water-soluble ink for thermal jet printing and to observe absolute cleanliness when working with cartridge contacts.