Should You Store Ink Cartridges?

With the cost of new ink cartridges as high as it has ever been, more and more consumers are choosing to buy their ink in bulk. This could be either taking advantage of a buy one, get one free deal or capitalising on the cost benefits of buying a significant number of cartridges at once.

At first glance, this would appear to make perfect financial sense; you can buy as many cartridges as you afford in one go at a lower cost and store the ones you don’t need until it comes to replacing your old cartridges. Perfect!

However, building up a storage cupboard full of unused ink cartridges may not actually be as financially sound as it seems.

Ink, you see, doesn’t have an infinite life. In fact, most ink cartridges will have a relatively short shelf life – around 2 years on average. This makes buying in bulk a potentially risky business, especially if you aren’t a particularly high volume user, as your stored cartridges may be rendered useless after a certain period of time.

So why do ink cartridges expire? The predominant reason is that the ink in the cartridge dries and hardens, even if you store the cartridges perfectly. Generally, good storage will give your cartridges a longer shelf life but won’t protect them from expiration entirely.

Badly stored, your ink will have an even shorter lifespan than the average two years. Some of the factors that quicken the process of ink drying up include exposure to direct sunlight, storing your cartridges on their side (as this dries out the sponge at the bottom of the cartridge) and storing at high temperatures.

If you’re a regular user of ink cartridges (a business, for example) then there is nothing wrong with storing cartridges. However, keep in mind that fresher ink generally provides better results.

Here are some wallet-friendly alternatives to bulk-storing cartridges:

Recycling / Refilling Your Old Cartridges

Refilling your old cartridges with new ink negates the issue of ink drying up; while the components of the cartridge are old, the ink inside the cartridge will be fresh, meaning you can attain high quality results. Refilling your old cartridge is usually a lot cheaper than buying new cartridges (even if they are on offer). You can even get cartridges refilled en mass using Cartridge World’s business direct service!

Toner Cartridges

Not necessarily a cheaper alternative, but those insistent on bulk buying their office supplies might have more joy buying toner cartridges. Unlike ink cartridges, toner cartridges won’t dry out in storage as toner cartridges rely on a dry powder rather than a liquid.

Buying Compatible Cartridges When You Need Them

As fresh ink produces better results, it makes sense to buy printer cartridges as and when you need them rather than storing them in bulk. This, however, removes the cost benefits of buying in bulk.

A cost-effective compromise is to consider buying compatible cartridges instead of costly OEM cartridges. This will mean you still get decent results as well as saving you a bundle on new cartridges!

For more information on Cartridge World’s refilling service and compatible printer cartridges, check out the rest of the site!