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Do the inks expire?
The absorption of air (oxidation) and the evaporation of water (dehydration) over time cause the composition of the ink to change.
Sep 16th,2022
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The absorption of air (oxidation) and the evaporation of water (dehydration) over time cause the composition of the ink to change.
The dyes and especially the pigments that are in suspension in the solvent bases in which they are dissolved, tend to separate over time, causing the sedimentation of the pigments in the form of lumps or sludge that settle at the bottom of the cartridge. Being able to clog the dampers of your large format printer and reaching the ink lines (pipes for transporting ink) to the heads. Bad ink can negatively affect the printhead and ink supply components inside the printer, causing costly repairs and unwanted color shifts in your prints.
Expired ink can affect color accuracy, be more sensitive to scratching, and offer less vibrant colorimetry than fresh ink, in certain jobs, giclee or fine art printing, contract proofing, and professional photography, where the square foot of paper has a high cost, it is advisable not to play with expired inks in excess.
To prevent these drawbacks, ink manufacturers, like any manufacturer of perishable goods, include the date of manufacture or packaging, or expiration date for guidance. The expiration date is an approximate period in which the ink meets its standards for safety and efficiency.
To determine the actual expiration date of the ink of a specific consumable, factors such as the type of ink, its guarantee date, and the date of initial installation of the cartridge must be taken into account.
Water-based dye and pigmented ink, as well as solvent and eco-solvent-based inks, can last up to 2 years after their expiration date if they are properly packaged and stored.
Another aspect to take into account is the quality of the product itself. For more than 20 years of the profession we have seen imported products developed by unscrupulous manufacturers using tap water, without distilling, and in containers exposed to the entry of microorganisms, resulting in the heads being covered with mold and unusable over time and with a difficult solution.
Water is a fundamental component and must be of high purity (distilled) to avoid dissolved salts. Distilled water must be added with a preservative to prevent micro-organisms.
Subtextile has always been committed to providing customers with high-quality sublimation printing consumables and equipment, as well as one-stop textile digital sublimation printing solutions. We provide a variety of different sublimation inks for most printers and printheads on the market to meet the different needs of customers. Our inks have extremely high fluidity and strong color expression. Our inks have extremely high fluidity and strong color expression. Our inks are also certified by OEKO-TEX, so please rest assured of our quality and safety.
Like any aqueous product, inkjet inks must be preserved from the attack of fungi and bacteria, which could not only change the characteristics of the ink but also clog the heads.
It is important that inks are stored properly to keep output constant and to keep printers working as reliably as possible.
The factors that affect the ink and can lead to its decomposition are:
● Storage time
● Storage at extreme temperatures
● Exposure to sunlight
● Unsealed for a while
To achieve longer life, the ink should be stored at a stable room temperature, kept away from direct sunlight, and do not open the cartridge packaging until used, once installed in the printer it is good to consume it within a year, if this does not happen due to lack of production, after a year and a half, reconsider replacing cartridges even if they are not empty, you may save money on head breakage.
Conclusions
Inks are usually more expensive than good perfume, but replacing a print head is even more expensive.
To prevent large format printers from offering expensive operations, make sure you store ink cartridges properly and use inks at the right time. If your inks have expired, invest in new cartridges to avoid downtime, lost revenue, cost of repairs, and the frustration of not getting jobs done on time.
Subtextile Co. Ltd.
Address：699-18 Xuanwu Avenue, Nanjing City, China, 210000
Tel |Fax：+86 25 85416407 (GLOBAL)
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