FAQS

The easiest way to find the correct cartridges for your printer is to search using your printer model number.
Your printer model number can be in one of several places. The printer model is usually displayed on the front of your printer.
Depending on what printer you own, the model name could be on the corners or the centre of the front-facing cover. If it is on the front of the machine, it is usually close to the control panel.
Enter your printer model number in the search bar at the top of our website and then click search.
Please note: Do not use the series number as this will not work for you – you need the exact model number of your printer.
Your printer consumables will then be listed and all offers and cartridges suitable for your printer will be listed on that page.
If you require any further clarity, please contact a member of the customer services team.

We always try to ensure your data is as accurate as possible. We therefore encourage you to update your account with new data, especially around email addresses and billing/delivery addresses via your online account. If you believe the data we hold about you is incorrect then please contact us and we will update this in our systems as soon as is reasonably possible.
To check/update your information, please sign into your account on, and click "Account" located on the top right-hand side of our webpage.
You can amend the following information:
Name
Email Address
Password
Your saved payment methods
Your marketing preferences
Your saved addresses
You have the right to ask for a copy of the information Rainbow Sales Ltd. hold about you. There is no charge to have a copy of this information. However, further copies of the same information may result in a reasonable administration fee. This information will be provided within 28 days of request.
If you wish for us to stop holding your personal data, then you have the right to have this information removed from our systems. However, in accordance with UK tax law, we are required to securely store basic personal data of our customers for a minimum of six years.
If you wish to update or remove your personal information or request a copy of the information we hold about you, please email sales@rainbowsales.co.uk or phone 02380 394124.
Please be aware that we may require you to verify your identity before requesting a copy of, updating or removing personal information to ensure personal data is kept safe and secure.

The easiest way to find the correct cartridges for your printer is to search by your toner part number.
You can also search by your printer model number. This can be in one of several places. The printer model is usually on the front of your printer. Depending on what printer you own, the model name could be on the corners or the centre of the front-facing cover. If it is on the front of the machine, it is usually close to the control panel.

If a debit card or credit card is used to make a payment, and the purchase was not accepted for any reason (failed AVS or CCV verification), please be aware that most banks will hold the "authorised" funds (counting against your balance until the authorisation clears) even if your order was rejected. Such authorisations are merely "pending" charges.
The most common reason for the failed transaction is that both the billing address and the postcode entered do not match the billing address on file with the bank that issued your debit/credit card. Address Verification System (AVS) security measures will reject any transaction for a billing address mismatch.
We do not have the capability to release the bank's temporary hold on authorised funds.
"The pending transaction you can see is purely an authorisation and should disappear shortly".
You can contact your issuing credit/debit card company or bank in order to determine their policy for releasing these pending authorisations.
However, if you still need to talk to us regarding this, please get in touch with us via our contact page and ensure that you have the following information:
The date you tried to place the order
The exact amount of the transaction
The last 4 digits of the card you used
Your email address used to place the order

Once we have received your order, an email confirmation is immediately sent to the email address that was provided. Another email is then sent when the order has been dispatched and this includes your invoice. If you have not received any of these emails, it is possible that the email was delivered to your junk/spam mail folder.
It could also be that the email address has been recorded incorrectly, please contact a member of the customer services team if you need further assistance.

In order to reset your password please use the link below:
Reset My Password
Enter in your email address and click "Submit Password reset request".
You will then be sent a password reset email.
If you are still experiencing problems please contact us at Contact Us

You can opt down/reduce the amount of emails you receive in your account - you can do this by logging into your account and clicking on Manage Marketing Preferences.
You can then opt down to the following options for marketing emails - weekly, fortnightly, monthly, every 3 months.
You can also do this by clicking on the Unsubscribe link in the bottom of any marketing emails that you receive.
If you are having trouble doing this, please contact us at Contact Us

The following delivery methods are available on most orders and this will be offered at the checkout when available. If you choose one of these options on a normal working day, your order will be dispatched on the same day if you order before 2pm. The expected delivery day will also be shown in the checkout when ordering.

Tracked Courier Next Working Day - £6.95
Tracked Courier Next Working Day Pre-12:00 - £11.95
Tracked Courier Next Working Day Pre-10:30 - £16.95
Tracked Courier Saturday Delivery - £14.95

Postcode Exceptions
Deliveries may take 3 to 4 days longer to arrive to the following postcode regions: IV, BT, TR, AB, DD, KW, ZE, GY, JE, PA, HS, PH, KA, IM, PO30-PO41.

Please note that we do not dispatch or deliver orders on Bank Holiday

In order to ensure goods arrive as quickly as possible, we may dispatch goods from more than one warehouse using different couriers. This may mean that orders with multiple items may arrive separately by different carriers.

If you wish to contact us regarding delivery, please contact us on Tel: 02380 394124 or email sales@rainbowsales.co.uk

Using our website cartridge finder tool is a great way to ensure you order the correct item.
If, however, you have ordered incorrectly please note we are happy to provide a credit into your Rainbow Sales account or a refund for any items bought in error that are returned to us within 30 days from the date of purchase, the items must match the following criteria:
The packaging and inner seal/bag must be unopened
In a resalable condition
We may make a deduction to the amount refunded to reflect any reduction in the value of the items as a result of using unsuitable packaging or over handling.
When returning you must include a covering note which includes the following information:
Your name
Address
Order number
A contact telephone number
Please do not return any additional items including items for recycling.
The Return Address is:
Rainbow Sales Return Department
60 Roselands Gardens, Southampton, SO17 1QJ
We recommend that you ask your Post Office for a proof of posting certificate as Royal Mail does not accept liability for lost items without proof of posting. (This is free of charge).
Upon receipt back here we will process the return for you and then email you the details of the re-imbursement. Please allow 14 working days for the return and refund to be processed.

For standard delivery most deliveries arrive between 1-2 days.
After 2 working days, please check around the delivery location - e.g. look around the entrances of your residence for the package or a notice of attempted delivery (ex: near back porches, garages, or other places that the carrier may have left it).
If the order has not arrived after 2 working days please let us know and confirm that we have the full correct delivery address.
Once we have the above information, we can look at getting a resolution in place for you as soon as possible to avoid prolonging any further inconvenience. For upgraded orders, if the order has not arrived in the expected timeframe, then please contact us on Tel: 02380 394124 or email sales@rainbowsales.co.uk

On occasion, some orders may be dispatched from different locations due to stock being held in separate warehouses, this can mean that the order will in more than one delivery.
Please allow 2 working days for delivery of all items.
After 2 working days, we would ask that you check around the delivery location - Look around the entrances of your residence for the package or a notice of attempted delivery (ex: near back porches, garages, or other places that the carrier may have left it).
Please check if someone else has accepted the delivery - See if a neighbour/colleague or other resident received the package on your behalf.
Once 2 working days has passed and all or part of your order has not arrived, please contact us on Tel: 02380 394124 or email sales@rainbowsales.co.uk

The error that you are seeing - 'Remove and Reinstall' can be overcome with some easy to follow routine troubleshooting.
Please perform a Hard Reset on the printer and make sure that the printer is connected directly to the wall outlet and not to the surge protector.
• Remove all the ink cartridges from the printer.
• With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer and also unplug the power cord from the wall outlet
• Wait for 2-3 minutes, press and hold the power button on your printer for about 30 seconds to remove any additional charge
• Now plug back the power cable straight to a wall outlet without any surge protector or an extension cord and then plug back the power cord to the printer.
• Turn on the printer and wait until the warm-up period finishes and the printer is idle.
• Now insert the ink cartridges and then try to print a test page and check if it works.
It is worth knowing that compatible cartridges are sold for current machine software/firmware/drivers at the time of purchase. If you have not updated firmware/drivers etc. it makes the compatible cartridge 'incompatible' with your printer and is obviously beyond our control.
Firmware/software updates can tell the printer how to communicate, how to move motors, fire nozzles and most important of all, how to recognise original versus compatible (non-original) cartridge chips. Unfortunately, some manufacturers are now updating printers automatically, so unless you turn the auto-updates off on the printer, these will take place without you having to do anything.
By using compatible or remanufactured cartridges you are cutting into the manufacturer’s primary source of profit. Because of this, they update the firmware and this may interfere with the printer operations if using compatible or remanufactured cartridges. Firmware on the printer can then produce the message regarding low or zero ink levels if the machine detects a cartridge that is not a manufacturer's original cartridge. It can on occasion prevent the printer from accepting the cartridges completely.
It is a good idea to block the automatic installation of new printer firmware versions to avoid these issues. This can be done by following the procedure in your printer manual.
If you find that after following this procedure you are still having a problem please contact us, include your order number, the model of printer and provide us with the exact error message shown on the printer.

Although printer errors can differ by from model to model, typically the E5 printer error for Canon Pixma printers refers to a problem with an ink cartridge. Possible causes of the error include:

Ink cartridge is not installed properly
Wrong ink cartridge installed (unsupported type of cartridge)
Printer is not detecting the ink cartridge correctly, if at all

Ink cartridge is not installed properly
If the cartridge is not installed correctly, try removing the cartridge from the printer and reinstalling it. Make sure it is fully installed and clicks into place securely. Make sure you turn off the printer and turn it back on to reset the error message. Then try printing again.

Wrong ink cartridge installed
If the wrong cartridge is installed, you need to purchase the correct cartridge and install it into the printer. The printer models that a cartridge is supported by are usually listed on the side of the cartridge packaging but not always as some cartridges are designed to fit several printers and the packaging won’t accommodate the entire list. You can check this by using the "Printer Cartridge Finder" on our home page.

Printer is not detecting the ink cartridge correctly, if at all
It's also possible that the printer is not detecting the cartridge after you install it. This issue could be due to the printer or the chip on the cartridge being dirty (excess ink in the ink cartridge tray or ink overflow tray). Try cleaning the printer thoroughly and installing the cartridges again to see if this fixes the problem.
Over time, Inkjet printers can become dirty due to excess ink "leaking" out of the cartridges and ink can build up on major components of the printer. When this occurs, it may be necessary to clean the printer.
Tip: Before following any of the steps below, be sure to try the printers self-cleaning feature. All printers today have some type of self-cleaning ability that is usually accessed by pressing and holding one or more of the buttons on the front of the printer. If this doesn't help try the steps below.
Please follow these cleaning instructions to resolve the problem:
Place some old newspaper down to capture any spillage of ink.
Remove the cartridges from your printer, switch the printer off using buttons on the body of the printer. DO NOT turn it off at the plug.
Using a piece of damp kitchen roll, gently wipe the copper plate on the cartridges to give them a thorough clean.
Allow the air chips to dry.

Printer manufacturers like Epson/HP/Brother/Canon make relatively little profit from the printer itself, but a great deal from selling ink cartridges afterwards as this is the reoccurring cost for the end user. Their support pages state that their products are "designed to use only genuine branded print cartridges". Despite this, aftermarket cartridges usually work, but you may have to try a couple of workarounds.
It's important to recognise that a lot of the error messages you get with refilled or third-party cartridges are just advisory messages. The big printer-makers tolerate aftermarket cartridges but display "nag" or error messages as a way to discourage less knowledgeable users.
When your printer doesn't recognise a new cartridge, your first step should be to click OK or Accept on the error message and try again. If the error shows up on the printer's screen, use the built-in navigation keys to do the same. Sometimes, the printer works afterwards, but on occasion, you may need to try a few more steps.
Some Quick Troubleshooting
Before you delve into software, check the cartridge.
• Make sure it's clean and that all metal contacts are ink-free and don't have any tape or other debris such as a stray hair or piece of paper lint stuck to them. Watch the chip cleaning video below for full instructions:
• Snap the cartridge back into place and check that it fits tightly. Some cartridges may not be exactly the right size and shape, and you need to shim them in place with a piece of folded paper or card stock so that they make firm contact with the print head.
Ordinarily, you put an aftermarket cartridge into your printer because the old one runs out of ink. That means your printer might try to return an error message for non-genuine cartridge but get confused because the low-ink message is still in memory. That's often the cause of the "ink cartridge not recognised" (or similar) error message.
To clear it, remove all the ink cartridges and restart the printer. That clears out the memory and gives you a "no cartridges installed" error. At this point, you can reinstall your cartridges, and unless there are other issues, your printer should recognise them.
OEMS and aftermarket cartridges
Major printer manufacturers have pledged not to lock out aftermarket cartridges automatically, but their periodic updates to your printer's built-in software may cause your existing cartridges to stop working.
The software that runs and controls the printer is called 'firmware'. Almost all modern printers now update their own firmware automatically via your computer's internet connection.
Firmware/software updates can tell the printer how to communicate, how to move motors, fire nozzles and most important of all, how to recognise original versus compatible (non-original) cartridge chips. Unfortunately, some manufacturers are now updating printers automatically, so unless you turn the auto-updates off on the printer, these will take place without you having to do anything. Firmware updates are being released frequently and messages such as 'Cannot Detect Ink' or 'Ink Cartridge Cannot Be Recognised', are tell-tale signs that your printer has updated its firmware/driver.
It is worth knowing that compatible cartridges are sold for current machine software/firmware/drivers at the time of purchase. If you have not updated firmware/drivers etc. it makes the compatible cartridge 'incompatible' with your printer and is obviously beyond our control.
By using compatible or remanufactured cartridges you are cutting into the manufacturer’s primary source of profit. Because of this, they update the firmware and this may interfere with the printer operations if using compatible or remanufactured cartridges. Firmware on the printer can then produce the message regarding low or zero ink levels if the machine detects a cartridge that is not a manufacturer's original cartridge. It can on occasion prevent the printer from accepting the cartridges completely.
It is a good idea to block the automatic installation of new printer firmware versions to avoid these issues. This can be done by following the procedure in your printer manual.
If you find that after following this procedure you are still having a problem or if you suspect a software update is at fault, contact our Customer Services team through our contact page - not the printer manufacturers - for a solution. When a workaround becomes available, we normally know.

Epson printers have built-in maintenance processes that count the number of pages for ink usage. These processes alert the user to change ink cartridges, clean the print heads, and change the waste ink pads.
These automatic alerts may present a challenge to some users with a specific setup, such as a continuous ink system, refilled/compatible cartridges, or photo printing.
An Epson printer can be reset in varying degrees, from activating a reset menu on the physical printer to installing utilities and resetting software on a computer. Explore one of the following methods below for your model of Epson inkjet colour printer.
Clear Counters
• Turn off your printer and unplug the USB cable and power cord.
• Wait for two minutes and press and hold the "Paper Source", "Paper feed", and "Eject" buttons while plugging the cord into the power outlet.
• Continue to hold the buttons down and turn on the printer.
• Count to five and release all three buttons.
• Confirm that the display reads, "Settings" and press the down arrow button until the display reads, "Clear Counters".
• Press the right arrow button to select the "Clear Counters" option.
• Press the down arrow button to select "Maint Tank" and press the right arrow button to select this item.
• Press the "Eject" or "Enter" button to save these settings.
• Press the "Load/Eject" button to release the ink cartridges from their locked tray.
• Open the lid for the ink compartment and lift each cartridge lock. Snap each cartridge lock closed.
• Turn off the printer, plug the USB cable connection to the computer and turn on your printer to begin normal use.
SSC Service Utility
• Type the following address into the address bar of your browser to download and install the SSC Service Utility: sscig.com/epsone.shtml.
• Install the utility on your computer and it will create an icon on your Windows tray (bottom taskbar) for quick access.
• Locate the SSC Service Utility icon in your tray and right-click to select "Reset Counters".
• Select "All" from the submenu or select each cartridge colour as desired.
Ink Pad Reset Utility
• Type the following address into your browser's address bar to access the Epson Ink Pad Reset Utility: epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/InkPadsForm.jsp.
• Select your model of printer and length of ownership from the drop-down menus, and complete the product information in the corresponding fields, including the serial number for your printer (information is located on the back of the printer or on the original Epson box).
• Click the box next to the acknowledgment statement to agree to the terms and click the "Submit" button to begin downloading the utility.
• Run the installer for the utility and click the "Next" button to proceed through the confirmation screens in the wizard.
• Launch the Epson Ink Pad Reset Utility and select the function for "Ink Monitor".
• Set the levels to "0" by typing "0" in those fields or press the "Reset" button next to each colour cartridge.
• Click the "Update" or "Save" button and exit the utility.
If you find that after following this procedure you are still having a problem please contact us, include your order number, model of printer and provide us with the exact error message shown on the printer.

Hewlett-Packard (HP) introduced an ‘HP cartridge protection’ update on some of their ink cartridges.
This locks the cartridge chip and prevents it from being used in any other printer, creating more waste to landfill.
The Protected Error on the cartridge, basically means it won’t work for you, this feature cannot be undone until a new chip is connected to the cartridge.
Our manufacturers do test for this, however, on occasion, the odd cartridge can slip through the net.
Please contact us directly with your order number, make and model of printer and the exact error on the printer and we will get a new cartridge out for you or refund if no updated cartridge is available.

Some cartridges are compatible with over 30 printers and therefore there isn't enough room to list all printers on the packaging.
I appreciate it doesn’t help when you receive your cartridge but a quick way to check its compatibility is simply looking at the number on the old cartridge and comparing it with the new one.
If you are unsure, please contact Customer Services before opening the item and they will be happy to check for you. Please ensure that you have your printer model to hand when contacting as this will allow them to check the compatibility for you.

There are a number of reasons why ink is not flowing through the cartridge, despite there being plenty of ink in the cartridge.



The most common cause for this is infrequent usage. If your printer is not used on a regular basis, at least once a week, the cartridge can dry up and then become clogged as a result. This can be reduced by printing more frequently or running regular cleans and ink tests to ensure the nozzles remain clean. Printing a test page occasionally can also help with this.
A second common issue can be if the cartridge has not been stored correctly, in the stored warehouse or at home. Store the cartridge in the upright position. This keeps the sponge moist near the print head proper capillary ink movement when installed. Always ensure that your printer is kept in a room with a stable temperature as temperature can affect the performance of your ink cartridges. Simply store them in a cool, dark place.
There are a few methods to try to resolve the issue:
Run your print-head cleaning function on your printer. This option may be available through your computer or as a function on the printer itself. Your user manual will give you guidance if you are unsure how to do this. If you have to continually repeat this then follow the steps below.
If the printhead clean doesn’t help then soaking the printhead may help.
Take a few paper towels and fold them into a thick rectangle to protect the surface below. Wet the paper towels with warm, water.
Place the ink cartridge printhead side down on the damp paper towels. Be careful not to touch the chip or the printhead with your hands as the oils on your fingers can cause damage to these sensitive parts.
After a minute or so, lift the ink cartridge off the paper towel. If there are clear lines of ink on the paper towels, pat the ink cartridge dry with some more paper towels or a lint-free cloth, put it back in the printer and print a test page.
If this doesn’t help, you may have to soak the ink cartridge.
Put the cartridge printhead side down in a bowl of warm.
Wait a few minutes and check to see if any ink has flowed into the water.
If ink has flowed into the water, take some paper towel, dry the cartridge and try it again in the printer.
If it hasn’t, you can take a cotton bud soaked in warm water and rub it gently along the printhead to help unclog the nozzles.
If you find that after following this procedure you are still having a problem please contact us, include your order number, model of printer and provide us with the exact error message shown on the printer.

Faded print or missing text is quite common, as toners contain powder that can rest inside the toner unit.
It may be worth giving your toner cartridge a shake. This redistributes the toner powder around the cartridge, giving you quite a few more pages before you need to replace it. Just grab the cartridge with both hands and gently shake it from side to side, and up and down, for about 10 seconds. Then pop it back into your printer and try printing.
Some printers allow you to change the density settings of your ink and toner. Unbeknownst to you, your default setting could be low, causing you to get those faint prints. If your printer does have toner density settings, you should be able to find them once you’ve clicked on your printer in ‘Devices & Printers’. If it looks like you’re printing at a low density, increase it slightly and then try printing.
There are a few other possible causes of this so you may need to check each in a process of elimination to figure out what’s happening but, in some cases, the problem can be caused by the drum.
Remove the toner cartridge from the printer, make sure any travel tape has been removed.
Check the chip on the toner for damage.
Check the roller for any particles or additional toner powder, this can be cleaned with a damp kitchen towel.
Unplug the printer and remove the drum unit, check to see if the roller has toner stuck to it. If it does, then this will need replacing.
If you find that after following this procedure you are still having a problem please contact us, include your order number, the model of printer, copy of the test page showing the quality of the print, and a print quality report.

You may notice streaks in printing for a couple of different reasons, in any event, basic troubleshooting will have your printer working properly again.
Streaked lines on paper may be caused by the printer being out of alignment. To correct this, access the printer's menu through the printer itself or via your PC and locate the "Calibrate Printer" option. Selecting this option will recalibrate the printer and help resolve and prevent streaking. On most devices, this option is relatively simple to find. However, if you are unable to locate the calibration option, refer to your owner's manual for step-by-step instructions on how to access the calibration settings based on your specific model.
Streaking lines may also be the result of the print quality being set too low. The print quality can be changed by accessing the printer's options through your PC's control panel and device settings.
Select "Options" and then "Advanced Options" on your printer, then change the quality settings using the drop-down menu.
Ensure that settings such as "Quick Draft" or "Low" are not selected and instead change print settings to "High" or "Best Quality".
If you find that after following this procedure you are still having a problem please contact us, include your order number, the model of printer, copy of the test page showing the quality of the print and a print quality report.

First of all, please check that you have ordered correctly for your printer.
Make sure you are placing the correct cartridge into the correct carriage.
Some compatible cartridges may look slightly different from the originals due to copyright having been taken on the original cartridge, however, all of our cartridges have been thoroughly tested and the cartridge you received should work in your printer. Our products are only sourced from manufacturers with the highest standards and are all fully guaranteed to give peace of mind as part of our Satisfaction Guarantee.