Does Printer Ink Expire?

Printer ink is one of those resources that, while seemingly inexpensive, can become costly over time. Everyone is aware that if you use a cartridge enough you’re going to have to replace it. Meaning all you print-happy people out there are probably going to have to budget to keep your ink supply healthy. But how about when it sits idle for months at a time? Apart from being a liquid that dries up, does the ink itself expire?

The short answer: yes. The long answer: is the exact reason we’re writing this article!

Hint: Drying up and expiring are kind of the same thing!

Why It’s Important

In today’s hyper-competitive market, it’s never been more affordable to purchase a printer. To that end, the reason why many of these companies can sell inkjets at a low price is due to the margins they make on ink sales.

The reality is that you might buy a printer for $100 but can ultimately spend 3x that amount in a single year just to satisfy your ink supply. So, understanding the expiration timeline/process of ink is important for three primary reasons:

1. You don’t want to waste money
2. You can damage your machine by using expired ink
3. You can lessen the quality of your prints if you’re not careful

Inkjet Printer Types

Different production processes require different printing methods. The cost of inkjet printers and printheads, the volume of printing, the material being printed upon, and the ink used are some of the key factors that determine which method suits the job best.

Continuous Inkjet

Continuous inkjet (CIJ) is used commercially for marking and coding packages. It is the oldest inkjet printer technology and uses a high-pressure pump to direct liquid ink from a reservoir through a gun body and a microscopic nozzle, creating a continuous flow of ink.

Drop-On-Demand

The primary way drop-on-demand (DOD) printers differ from CIJ printers is that DOD printers only use ink while printing—whereas CIJ printers continuously circulate and recycle ink.

There are 2 types of DOD printers:

• Thermal DOD – Most consumer inkjet printers use the thermal inkjet process. Essentially, each of the several tiny chambers in a cartridge contains a heating element that responds to electronic signals from your printer. When a current passes through the heating element, the ink rapidly vaporizes and creates a bubble (hence the term ‘bubble-jet’). The bubble causes a pressure differential, forcing ink out of the nozzle onto the paper and pulling fresh ink into the chamber from the ink reservoir.
• Piezoelectric DOD – Piezoelectric DOD methods use piezoelectric material instead of a heating element. When voltage is applied, the piezoelectric material changes shape, pushing ink through the nozzle and onto the printing material. This method is more commonly used for commercial and industrial printing applications.

The Ink Itself

The ink’s health is vital to the correct operation of all of these printing technologies. For instance, dry ink can block the microscopic nozzles and chambers, causing low-quality prints and eventually damage the printheads. There are methods to prevent your printer ink from drying out.

A Few Notes:

• CIJ printers don't face this problem because continuously using the nozzles does not allow any time for the ink to dry.
• Sporadic usage and differences in ink composition cause thermal DOD printers to be the most prone to ink drying issues. However, the printheads are the cheapest because no special materials are required.
• Piezoelectric printers can use a wider range of inks because the ink isn't heated and its industrial usage is high volume (so drying up, or expiring, is not generally a concern). However, printheads are expensive because of the use of piezoelectric materials.

With all that being said, odds are you're using a thermal drop-on-demand style printer, so let's focus on that.

What the Dates on the Cartridge Mean

If you’ve ever inspected an ink cartridge, it’s likely that you’ve seen some numbers/specifications listed on it. While some of these specs might be common sense, others can be a bit more obscure.

Generally speaking, printer ink (of any sort) in a sealed cartridge should last between 2 to 3 years, but variables like ink quality and storage conditions greatly affect this timeline. Thus, what you’ll typically find on an ink cartridge is:

• Date of Manufacturing – The day the cartridge was made.
• Install by Date – Generally 18 months after the date of manufacture and some months before the warranty end date.
• Warranty End Date – Varies by manufacturer, but generally 1 year from the date of purchase. After this date, the manufacturer will no longer cover damage or defects.
• Expirations – The day past which usage of the cartridge is not recommended. Some cartridges come with a chip in them that sends a signal to your printer, stopping it from using the cartridge.

Why Printer Ink Expiration is Important

People have been fussing over how long ink lasts in a printer for longer than most people realize. Technology may have brought us to a point where the average consumer can own their printer, but progress creates new issues. One of the reasons why ink is so expensive is the massive amounts of R&D that go into proprietary ink formulas (and not to mention ink cartridges!). Because of the precision involved, small changes in ink consistency, dryness, and composition can end up drastically affecting the print quality or even damaging the printer.

Storing Ink Cartridges

How you store ink cartridges is crucial to extending their lifespan. A few tips to avoid expediting the expiration date include but are not limited to:

• Do not remove it from its airtight packaging until ready to use
• Store in a cool, dry place. The ideal temperature range is between 15°C and 24°C.
• Avoid letting cartridges sit in hot cars or cold warehouses
• Direct sunlight and heat can dry out the ink
• Do not store with cleaning supplies or chemicals as the gases can change the composition of the cartridge
• Do not store in dusty conditions
• Store cartridges standing up
• Keep cartridges in individually sealed bags

Ink Cartridges Already in the Printer

The ink that’s already funneled into a printer is prone to drying out in as little as three weeks. This can cause messy prints, hardware damage, or prematurely tossing the cartridge and wasting a precious resource. See our guide, if you’re wondering how many pages can an ink cartridge print.

A few tips to mitigate this occurring:

• Turning on your printer will initiate a maintenance cycle
• You can print a sheet every week to keep the ink flowing
• If there is no printing on the horizon, you can store a used cartridge in a Ziploc bag with a wet, wrung sponge

Solutions to Extend Ink Life

Generally speaking, if stored properly, ink cartridges will work fine for a few months after the expiration date. If the print quality is okay, then the ink is generally still healthy.

For businesses, buying in bulk often leads to cost savings, but buying inkjet cartridges in bulk without paying attention to expiry dates can become an expensive mistake. Make sure you don't buy more than you can use in 18 months and confirm both the warranty end date and the expiry date.

• Note: Some ink cartridges have encoded expiration dates; they will automatically stop working after the stated date. You can manually override expired ink cartridges by checking the OEM's website and following the instructions.

If your ink cartridge has already expired, it’s not necessarily the end of the road. Attempts can be made to salvage a dried ink cartridge in a few ways:

• This can be messy: so either outdoors or in a sink, dip only the part of the cartridge where the ink comes out into hot water. Depending on the size of the clog, it can take anywhere between 3 to 20 minutes, but eventually, dry ink should flow out. Once you’ve breached the clog, dry the end and exterior thoroughly, reinstall the cartridge in the printer, and see if it worked.
• Create a tight seal around the print cartridge nozzle and vacuum for a few seconds at a time until the nozzle is clear. Clean the excess oil with a paper towel, reinstall, and check to see if it worked.
• A new cartridge may not initially work if stored upside down or on its side (especially over extended periods of time). Before determining that it has expired and discarding it, let it stand upright for some time and try again.

While these helpful tricks won’t always work, they’ve been known to find purchase!

Original Equipment Manufacturer

Ink cartridges made by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) are specifically crafted to work perfectly with their complementary printers. They are new, sealed, quality controlled, and guaranteed. They also generally give the most optimal print quality as compared to third-party inks. OEM cartridges usually come with expiry dates, whereas refurbished and refilled cartridges typically don't.

Compatible and remanufactured printer cartridges can, however, be a very cost-effective alternative to the exorbitant prices that a lot of OEM's charge. Some reputable retailers provide both high-quality cartridges and significantly lower prices.

Do Printer Cartridges Expire?

Although some manufacturers claim that their ink does not expire so long as it's appropriately stored, the answer isn't always a simple yes or no. Generally speaking, yes, the ink does expire, and expired ink can damage your printer. Still, official expiry dates are usually conservative.

So, if the print quality is unaffected, you can rest easy using an ink cartridge past its expiration date.

Supplies Outlet is the perfect solution to all your ink-related needs. Should you have any ink expiration questions, their expert team is ready to answer them!

Sources:

History Today. A History of Ink in Six Objects. https://www.historytoday.com/history-matters/history-ink-six-objects

Business Insider. Why printer ink is so expensive. https://www.businessinsider.com/why-printer-ink-so-expensive-2019-8

Chron. What Is E-Ink on the Kindle?.

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/eink-kindle-61972.html

BBC. Nine surprising things worth more than this shimmering metal. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20180530-nine-surprising-things-worth-more-than-this-shimmering-metal