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Does printer ink have an expiry date?

Printer ink isn’t exactly the cheapest liquid on the planet, which leaves customers often asking the same thing – ‘does it go out of date?’As with anything else, printer ink doesn’t last forever. However, the good news is that you can easily find out the expiry date of the ink by simply looking at the cartridge itself. Here, a date will be imprinted or embossed clearly, indicating exactly when you will need to replace your ink if it hasn’t already run out.

Tell-tale signs that your current ink cartridge needs replacing include:

  • Streaky lines
  • Fading
  • Unclear output
  • Dull or washed-out looking prints

So, why is it that ink cartridges have expiry dates?

Nowadays, the presence of a printer in any business is essential. Without these trusty machines, everything would have to be written by hand – with an actual pen! Just think how long that would take!

Because of this, printers are incredibly important, highly relied-upon devices. Think about it for a second – how many times does your office printer get used each day? 5 times? 15 times? 20 times? Possibly even more?

Let’s face it, things would run a lot less smoothly if our office printers were out of use, and that’s why it’s so important that we know when the ink cartridges need replacing. Manufacturers understand this, and that’s why an expiration date is now etched onto each and every ink cartridge that we buy.

Various factors including extreme temperatures, exposure to sunlight and water evaporation can all negatively impact the ink within the cartridge. Such influences can cause the ink to change drastically, affecting all sorts of things from the colour to the consistency. And this is why it’s absolutely essential that we are mindful of the shelf-life of our inks.

What happens when the ink becomes out of date?

Typically speaking, providing that the ink cartridge is no more than a couple of years out of date, there is probably absolutely no reason why you should experience any major issues when printing. However, with that said, it’s important to note that the ink must have been stored responsibly before using it. Otherwise, the output results may be affected.

You may find that some manufacturers are more particular about expiry dates than others. For instance, HP machines often reject outdated cartridges as a general safety feature. Failure to pay attention to the error message displayed may breach the terms and conditions of your printer’s warranty, and if any issues do occur as a result of this, you may not be covered.

Find out if it is Better to Produce your Photos with Dye or Pigment Based Ink

If you’d like to know more about printer ink expiry dates, please do not hesitate to contact us. Simply call us on 0161 308 5800 and one of our friendly advisors will be more than happy to help. Alternatively, you can submit questions via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Live Chat on our website.

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