While most of us dread any type of office machinery, the computer printer seems to be the biggest monster of all. When a printer keeps spitting out paper when it is not supposed to, eating the paper, or spitting out blank pages when you are in the middle of printing, you have a problem. It can mean you have run out of toner. Replacing a toner cartridge can be expensive, up to a hundreds of dollars; therefore you may want to refill your toner cartridge.

Here is how to refill your toner cartridge:

1. Before you refill your ink toner cartridge, make sure you know the type of toner you need. Getting the wrong toner can make the difference between a working or non working printer. When purchasing a toner refill kit, make sure you have the right model number or type of cartridge. If you are not sure, ask a store employee to help you find proper toner kit that will go with your cartridge. Each toner cartridge is made to work with a particular weight, grain size, and chemical type of toner, and will not work with anything different.

2. Once you get your kit, you will want to clean the machine before you put the toner back in its place. Then make sure that any rollers where the toner cartridge goes are clean and free from any residue from the previous toner. Keeping it clean can make a big difference in the performance of the machine and less problems with toner.

3. From your kit you should transfer that "ink" into your empty toner cartridge, sometimes referred to as a hopper, then reseal the hole with the supplies from the kit. Give it a little shake and place the cartridge back into the printer. Refill kits for cartridges where one has to burn a fill hole will come with specific aluminum tape which you will use to tape over the hole

4. One cartridge should only be reused up to two or three times before the need to purchase a brand new toner piece. It is important to note that newer toner cartridges have 'smart chips' or fuses which have to be replaced in order for the cartridge to perform past its 'expected' life.

When refilling your ink toner cartridge, it is important to make sure you are refilling it over an old towel so you do not accidentally get ink on anything of value. As well, wear gloves and an old shirt to avoid any messy ink getting on you. Since it can be costly to purchase the cartridge itself, maintaining the ones you have is cost efficient and more reliable. Some companies will come and pick up the old toner cartridges and others you need to send back. Most companies, like Staples, offer recyclable programs so that it doesn't harm the environment.

Because toner cartridges are so expensive, refilling the toner cartridge can save you a lot of money. It is also good for the environment because you are reusing your cartridge, thereby conserving resources and keeping used cartridges out of landfills.