How should toner and cartridges be stored so that they last as long as possible?

Toners and ink cartridges belong to the category of products that have a recommended expiration period. Although these are not food or medicines, adhering to the expiration period, or if you prefer the "use-by date," is very important even for this printer consumable.

Using toners and ink cartridges past their expiration date can negatively affect print quality, but much more complicated printer malfunctions are not uncommon either.

The culprit is clear in this case.

The effects of time can leave their mark on any product, and toners or ink cartridges are no exception. Above all, ink cartridges for printers can change their physical properties over time.

From the perspective of preventing the deterioration of toner powder quality in cartridges or ink in ink cartridges, storage takes on particular importance. The quality of toners or ink cartridges can therefore deteriorate rapidly under unfavorable storage conditions, or conversely, with optimal storage, these consumables can maintain the same quality throughout their entire expiration period, and often even beyond it.

The expiration period is more or less the same

In the case of toners and ink cartridges, the expiration period generally coincides with the warranty period. Legislation concerning the warranty period is clear, and printer consumables, like other products, are covered by a two-year warranty period. If a different warranty period is stated on the product packaging, in the e-shop descriptionor in the user manual, this period applies, but according to applicable legislation it can never be shorter than the aforementioned 24 months.

In practice, you will therefore most often encounter a two-year expiration period. Ink cartridges equipped with an encoded expiration date are also nothing unusual. In the case of such a cartridge, the printer will not allow further document printing after the expiration date has passed and will indicate the need to replace the cartridge. However, most printers also allow the printer user to use up this cartridge and bypass the indicated cartridge replacement.

The expiration date is important for households as well as for businesses

With optimal storage, ink cartridges or toners can easily continue to work even after the stated expiration date, but it is always better to observe the recommended expiration date.

Therefore, when planning to stock up on toner cartridges or ink cartridges, larger companies or businesses with a higher printing frequency in particular should act sensibly and order only such a number of cartridges as they can realistically use within the expiration period.

In principle, the same applies to households, but the expiration date should be kept in mind especially by occasional printer users who print only sporadically. With occasional printer use, there is not only the risk of exceeding the cartridge’s expiration date, but also of the ink drying out in printers with inkjet printing technology. To prevent the ink from drying out, print a test page at least once a week.

CDRmarket advises: Regular printer maintenance has its purpose – it can extend the printer’s lifespan.

So how should toners and ink cartridges be stored?

Storing toner and ink cartridges does not require any special premises or conditions. Toner and ink cartridges do not like strong sunlight and excessive heat. You should therefore store them in a darker room at a temperature of 15 to a maximum of 24 °C. Do not place cartridges and toners near heating appliances during storage, and do not forget to maintain suitable conditions during their transport. In winter, do not expose them to the cold for extended periods, and in summer, do not leave them in a hot car.

The problem for toners intended for laser printers, or rather, For toner powder, excessive humidity could be an issue, so ensure optimal relative air humidity in the room where this consumable material will be stored. The optimal air humidity is considered to be in the range of 40–60%.

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