When it comes to printing, there’s so many tips and tricks you need to know to make the most of your ink and preserve it well. There’s nothing worse than reaching for your ink cartridge refill and finding it no longer works so making sure you’re following the recommended storage instructions is imperative. Whether you’re running a Brother, HP, Epson, or Samsung printer device, our guide will ensure your ink cartridges are stored properly for optimal performance. As printer consumable experts ourselves, here are our top tips:
Store printer ink cartridges in an upright position
A leaky ink cartridge is pretty much unusable so it’s always better to be safe than sorry when you’re storing it. Putting your ink cartridges in an upright position is the best way to prevent leakages and mess. An ink leak is the worst kind of mess to deal with so this small step can help you avoid the chances of that. With cartridges that contain more than one colour, you need to be even more cautious as leaving it upside down or on its side cause a leak and mix the colours together.
Find a cool, dry, and dark place for storage
The best environment to store ink cartridges is in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. If you have an already opened cartridge, it can be kept for up to 6 months in the right conditions and for completely new ones, you can store those up to 2 years. Warm environments can cause ink to dry out or bubble which could cause leaks and printing issues later on. Find a spot for your ink cartridges in a drawer, cabinet or cupboard until you’re in need of it.
Keep the packaging sealed
If you don’t need to use your ink cartridge yet, leave it in the original packaging which is usually a plastic sleeve. This protective cover minimises exposure to air which is how they can dry out quickly. Printer ink needs moisture to work well so if you don’t have the plastic sleeve anymore, you can place it in another plastic bag and securely wrap it up with an elastic band.
Get in touch with Toner City
Got more questions about how to preserve your printer ink cartridges? Ask the experts – Toner City. We stock a huge range of printer consumables, at great prices and for the best performance. Head to the Toner City website to shop our range.
FAQs
Should I store ink cartridges in the fridge?
No, it is recommended that ink cartridges be stored in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Fridges have low humidity which can dry out ink cartridges. The best place to store your printer ink is the back of your drawers or cupboards.
Does printer ink dry up if it’s not used?
Yes, unused printer ink cartridges can dry up if they’re not preserved properly. If you’ve stocked up on extra cartridges, make sure they’re in a cool, dark spot like mentioned above. For ink cartridges installed in your printer, you should run a print job at least once a week to get the best performance. If you have multiple cartridges, make sure you’re using them all to keep them primed. You also shouldn’t stock up on too many ink cartridges as you never know what could happen over time, and fresh ones will always give you the best results.