Back in the day when I ran a small computer store I would sell these cheap dot-matrix printers that used the old fashioned ink spools for typewriters.
I would show the buyer how to re-ink the spools using a bottle of ink.
It was a cheap way to go...those old printers lasted a LONG time.
I would show the buyer how to re-ink the spools using a bottle of ink.
Actually WD-40 worked really great. Just pop open the cartridge and lightly spray the top edge of the ribbon with it, and let it set for a day or so.
The WD-40 would disperse the unused ink along the edges of the ribbon evenly throughout the surface. You let it set for a day or so to let the WD-40 evaporate. You could reuse the ribbon until you started to wear holes in it.
And remember the little re-inking machines you could buy to re-ink cartridges or spools.