Can I top fill a cartridge that I've been German filling?

I've decided to switch to top filling (after a reply on the forum)

Is it OK to start top filling a cart that I've been German filling?
Or do I need to start with a new cart?

Thanks


Omar

There is no reason why you can’t use the same cartridges for top filling, just block up the original refill hole with some glue which will help stop it dribbling a bit later.

As mentioned by The Hat, you will have to seal the German refill hole, else the cartridge will leak during refill.

If a cartridge doesn't behave properly when refilled using the German method, something is wrong with that cartridge. The sponges might be clogged with dried ink, so a flushing is needed. You get the best refill results, both with the German and the top fill methods, if the sponges are still slightly moist when refilling the cartridges, so don't over-dry the sponges.

The German method is not suitable for topping up cartridges, as the air from the ink chamber must escape through the sponges: If the sponges are fully saturated, air cannot escape, instead ink is forced out through the outlet and maybe also through the vent.

I noted a post on the forum mentioning that the top filling method was better than the German method, for re-saturating dry sponges.

Here is a thread about top filling. Note the two different methods in post #1 and post #4.

You can check the condition of the refilled cartridges by weighing them. A PGI-520 that is properly refilled should weigh around 35.3 g and a properly refilled CLI-521 should weigh around 20.3 g. You can also verify that the cartridge has no ink flow problems by holding the cartridge over a sink or holding a piece of kitchen paper/paper towel under the ink outlet. By blowing gently into the vent it should be easy to expel a drop of ink. You can do this test with a new OEM cartridge, to find out how little effort it takes to expel a drop of ink. If it is harder to expel a drop of ink from a refilled cartridge, something is wrong with that cartridge, and flushing might bring it back to work.