Hi Margaret My apologies that the red ink leaked. I hope it did not create a giant mess. I can walk you through some preventative measures for the future and a return. When opening a new cartridge box be cautious. Carefully take the cartridge out of the bag and position it away from your clothes. Remove any tape slowly. Gently insert the cartridge until you hear a clicking sound. The return site is www.staples.com/sbd/content/help/shipping/. I hope this doesn't happen again. Amanda HP Care www.hp.com/support/