Customer & Technical Support
Welcome to the Focus Brand Inkjets customer support area. Here you will find information about your Focus cartridges, answer to technical questions, most frequently asked questions, hints & tips.
Troubleshooting: (Click sections to expand)
Focus Brand Cartridge Installation
Some of our inkjet cartridges, particularly those for HP, Lexmark and Compaq are shipped in a protective plastic clip. This may cause the cartridge to appear like it won't fit inside the printer.
Installation Instructions:

- Pull plastic protective clip and remove gently.
- Pull the tape carefullt without touching the copper circuit.
- Follow your printer's suggested installation method to remove and replace the empty cartridge.
Generally it involves: - Turning the cartridge so the copper circuit is facing the rear of the printer.
- Tilt the cartridge and gently push it in place. Note: Forcing the cartridge could cause damage to your printer and/or cartridge.
- Lower the latch to lock the cartridge into place.
What is a safety clip?
Some of our inkjet cartridges, particularly those for HP, Lexmark, are shipped in a protective plastic clip. This may cause the cartridge to appear like it won't fit inside the printer.
Please remove the shipping clip. After removing the clip, the cartridge will look exactly the same as your original cartridge.
What is this tape on my cartridge?
An adhesive tape can be found on some models of inkjets. It may be one of several different colors and is used to protect the print head during transportation.
Please remove the adhesive tape before installing the cartridge into your printer.
Also, please do not use any other type of tape to protect the print head of your cartridge when you remove it from the printer. Sticky tape will push the glue resin into the nozzles of the printhead, thereby clogging them.
Troubleshooting Guide
Why is my printer warning me that this new cartridge is low on ink or empty?
Depending on your version of printer software, your printer can fail to detect the correct ink levels of your remanufactured cartridges and will warn you that it is either low or empty when they are actually full. These pop up warnings can and should be disregarded.

Tips to follow when you encounter these warning messages.
Using either the
button on your printer or from the pop up message work your way through the series of dialog boxes.
To prevent any further messages:
- Look for an option that says "Don't display this dialog again."
- Check () this box and continue printing normally.
Helpful Tips
Problem prevention is always better than problem solving!
- Turn your printer on for a few minutes once every few days - especially when you are not using your printer for long periods. When you turn a printer on, it goes through a mini head-clean which can prevent the build up of dried ink on the underside of your ink head.
- Make sure to carefully remove the safety clip & the protective tape before installation.
- When printing for the first time with a new cartridge or after a long period of inactivity, make sure to print a few test pages.
- Do not store your cartridges upside-down or on their side. Store them upright so the ink is always on the bottom and ready to flow.
Printing Tips
After Installation: If cartridge does not print
- Run a cartridge cleaning service from your printer's diagnostic tools.
- If ink is still not flowing take a damp paper towel and press firmly against print head of cartridge for 5 seconds.
- (Ink will penetrate through towel, protect hands, clothing, etc.)
- Re-install cartridge into your printer and run a print test
- Note: Inkjet cartridges start drying out once it is opened. So try printing a couple of pages at least once a week to keep ink nozzles clean and ink flowing.
After Installation: If cartridge does not print
Printer automatically default to either a "normal" or "draft" print quality mde.
For the most vibrant and crisper prints:
- Change the print quality setting from default to "Best", "Photo" or the highest setting your printer allows.
- Using a good quality paper for your high resolution printing needs can increase the print quality also.
- Note: Setting the print quality to the highest setting can result in decreased printing speed and an increase in ink consumption.
General: (Click sections to expand)
Purchasing Focus Brand Cartridges
How do I find ink for my printer?
You can search for your ink either by cartridge number or by printer model. Using the navigation tabs at the top of the site pages select Cartridge Finder, click on your printer brand, then find & click on the Cartridge number or printer model that you are looking for.
What can I do if I purchase the wrong cartridges?
No Problem. Just take your cartridges back to your authorized dealer and replace it with the correct cartridge.
Will using refilled inkjet cartridges void my printer's warranty?
No, refilling your cartridges or using compatible or remanufactured cartridges will not void your printer's warranty. Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act, a company cannot sell a product under the pretense that the consumer must purchase replacement parts, add-ons, etc., from that particular company.
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act
United States Code Annotated
Title 15 Commerce and Trade
Chapter 50 Consumer Product Warranties 15 Section 2302
"(c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on a consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the commission if:
1) Warrantor satisfies Commission that warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with warranted product, and
2) Commission finds that such a waiver is in public's interest.
What this means to printer users!
This means that a manufacturer of a printer you are using cannot void your printer's warranty because you use a cartridge or refill kit manufactured by some one other than the printer manufacturer. This prohibition includes use of remanufactured cartridges, compatible cartridges, refill kits, etc. For more information on this act, contact the Federal Trade Commission at (202) 326-3128."
Focus Brand Cartridge Information
Why isn't my printer model listed on the box that I received? Is my new cartridge compatible with my printer?
Not every compatible printer model is listed on the outside of each cartridge box.
Because some cartridges fit as many as 50 different printers, there is simply not enough space on the box to list each compatible model. If the product numbers on the box match the cartridge number on your old cartridge, then you have the right one.
Why does my cartridge have a different letter (like A, G or D) on the end of the name (example - C1823A)?
The letters on the end of the product name actually indicates the amount of ink that a Hewlett Packard OEM cartridge contains (High yield vs. Low yield). Regardless of the letter at the end, the physical cartridges are exactly the same.
Because each of our remanufactured cartridges are filled to complete capacity (High Yield), our products don't have the letters at the end of the name - but they WILL fit in your printer.
What is your warranty?
We offer a one year, risk-free guarantee on all of our products. That means, if you try one of our products and are unsatisfied, please contact our customer service center to immediately recieve a replacement or credit to your account.
Are your Cartridges –brand name or generic?
Planet Green offers the highest quality Remanufactured HP®, Lexmark®, Canon®, Sharp® and Dell® cartridges and guarantee that they perform with the same quality as the OEM cartridges, while costing just a fraction of the price. If for any reason you are unhappy with any of the products you received, please contact your dealer or our customer service center for replacement or refund.
What is a remanufactured cartridge?
Remanufactured cartridges have been recycled, inspected, cleaned, reproduced, refilled & extensively tested to meet or exceed OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) specifications.
What is a printhead?
The printhead is the most critical component of our printer - it is used to deliver the ink to the page that you are printing. Don't touch the printhead with your fingers.
Your printhead is a consumable that can wear out over time, much like the brakes on your car. It requires proper installation and ongoing maintenance to ensure the long life of service for your printer.
Most print quality problems are a direct result of improper care of the printhead. Proper installation, ongoing attention and maintenance are the keys to maximizing the life of a printhead.
What is the circuitry on the cartridge?
The circuitry that is seen on some cartridges (such as some HP or Lexmark Cartridges) is the ink delivery system or printhead. This mechanism is a system of nozzles that are used to push ink onto the paper.
What is a nozzle?
Nozzles, or "jets" are located on the printhead. There may be anywhere from 48 to 320 nozzles on any printhead, and each of them is smaller than human hair.
Each nozzle is connected electronically to a heater (resistor) that actually heats and cools the ink inside the cartridge. When the ink is head, a bubble is formed. When the heat is removed, the bubble bursts and sends dots of ink through the nozzles and onto the paper in the printer.
This happens very quickly, creating dots that form print characters on the page at a rate of up to 6,000 drops per second. That is why you should never touch the nozzle or print head assembly with your fingers.