Ink cartridges can stop working for a variety of reasons, but one of the most common is dry ink. Usually this is due the cartridge nozzles being clogged with dry ink, rather than the ink inside the cartridge being dry--a far less common occurrence for which there is no fix other than to purchase a new cartridge. Dried, clogged nozzles, however, is a problem that may be fixed.
Things You'll Need:
* Warm water
* Sink or bowl
* Soft cloth
* Cotton swab
* Rubbing alcohol
1. Run the printer's print-head cleaning utility. The location of this will vary depending on the printer, but it can usually be found on your computer under "Contol Panel" and "Printers," or in the case of printers with LED screens, on the printer's menu itself.
2. Remove the cartridge from the printer if the print-head cleaner doesn't cause ink to flow. Soak it in a bowl or sink filled with enough warm water to immerse the print head nozzles, long enough to see ink beginning to dissolve and flow into the water. Alternately, you can soak a cloth in warm water and use it to clean the nozzles until you see ink begin to flow.
3. Thoroughly dry the nozzles with a soft, lint-free cloth once the cleaning process is complete.
4. Replace the cartridge into the printer and run the printer's print-head cleaning utility.
5. Repeat the cleaning procedure if the cartridge still doesn't print. Reinstall and once again run the print-head cleaning utility.
Read more: eHow.com