A new company blog explains why printer cartridges come with expiration dates and offers tips on how to care for, and extend the life of, your cartridges.
As the blog explains, the shelf life of a cartridge “is the estimated length of time a cartridge will last in its sealed package”, but this can vary depending on the kind of cartridge you have purchased.
An OEM cartridge usually has a shelf life of 24 months, while “the shelf life for a compatible cartridge is 36 months.” However, the blog explains that, as with food, expiration dates “should be taken with a pinch of salt”, and a variety of factors can contribute to the “eventual deterioration” of a printer cartridge, such as how its stored.
Because ink dries out over time, the blog also advises printing “once every couple of weeks” in order to keep your cartridges “primed”.
When it comes to maintaining and storing your cartridges, LD Products instructs that printer cartridges “should be stored in an upright position at all times”, in a “dark, dry place at room temperature.” This is because heat can cause ink to “bubble up and leak”, while low temperatures “can cause ink to separate.”
The blog advises consumers to keep their cartridges sealed to prevent drying out, but offers tips in case you have already opened your cartridge’s packaging, before going on to note that if your cartridge has been “stored properly in the correct environment” you may still be able to gain some use from it even after it has passed its expiration date.
LD Products also offers a substantial “note” on remanufactured cartridges, explaining that they can confuse customers because they have already been through one life cycle so will have an old expiration date already on their side, referring to the original cartridge. However, because remanufactured cartridges have been entirely recycled and refurbished, this old date no longer applies. The blog advises that, “Any remanufactured cartridge you’ve purchased should be good to go for up to two years from the date of purchase.”
As for extending the life of your older cartridges, there are a couple of simple steps you can take, consisting of running a printhead cleaning, or using the paper towel method.
