Storing toner and printer cartridges

Printer cartridges and toner should not be ordered at the last minute. Sometimes certain parts are out of stock or not available for immediate delivery. In other cases, it simply makes sense to take advantage of bulk discounts. Additionally, it is practical to always have the right printer supplies on hand. Here you will learn how to properly store printer cartridges, toner, and other printer supplies.

How to store printer supplies and what to consider?

• Toner comes in powder form and does not dry out.
• Developer is also a powder and can be stored without any problems.
• Ink is liquid, but printer cartridges contain a lot of alcohol, which acts as a preservative. Therefore, medium-term storage in the original packaging is not an issue.
• Drums are extremely sensitive to light when unpacked. Simply store them in the original packaging.
• Print heads are not problematic as they contain no liquids.
• Waste toner containers are made of plastic and can be stored without any problems.
• Ink ribbons can dry out over time and should not be stored for too long.

Why should you store printer supplies?

• In general, you can order all printer supplies "Just in Time".
• However, it can happen that items are not delivered "Just in Time" due to production bottlenecks or because the items are simply out of stock. This can happen with both new and older devices.
• While technical devices become outdated and cheaper over time, printer cartridges become 2 to 10 percent more expensive per year on average. So it doesn't hurt to stock up on one or two sets of printer cartridges.
• Experience shows that it is difficult to predict your exact needs, which is another reason why careful stockpiling makes sense.

Long-term toner storage

There is nothing wrong with long-term toner storage at room temperature and without direct sunlight. This allows you to take advantage of our bulk pricing or, for example, order multipacks. Although some cartridges have a production or expiration date printed on them (some in encrypted form, i.e., numbers without separators, sometimes written in reverse order), the expiration date on toner cartridges does not play a significant role, as they are delivered in climate-sealed and padded packaging. It is therefore highly unlikely that the powder in the cartridge will clump without external influence.
Most toner cartridges do not have an expiration date. Unlike ink with a limited shelf life, it may make sense under certain circumstances to stock up on toner cartridges.

How to properly store toner

Toner, unlike ink, mainly consists of powder, developer, and magnetizable metal oxides as well as binders.

• Toner should ideally be stored in its installation position (i.e., horizontally).
• The cartridges should be gently shaken before inserting into the device to evenly distribute the toner.
• The packaging prevents toner powder from escaping into the environment.
• Toner cartridges can be used even after years of storage.

It is important to ensure that the cartridges are stored at room temperature, with moderate humidity, without direct sunlight, and in their original packaging.

For toner cartridges, it's essential to check that certain temperature limits, which vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, are not exceeded during transport in containers. Otherwise, the toner in the cartridges may clump.

Toner cartridges are practically indefinitely durable. By purchasing double packs or value packs, you can save a lot of money without worry.

Can toner dry out or go bad?

Toner is not a liquid but a powder made up of tiny particles, so it cannot dry out. The powder can only accumulate in one spot in the cartridge if stored incorrectly (upright). In that case, you should place the toner cartridge in the horizontal installation position and move the cartridge back and forth several times to redistribute the powder in the cartridge.

Even cartridges that have been installed in devices for years usually do not clump, even after very long idle periods and fluctuating temperatures and humidity. They still produce good printouts after years. At least this is often the case with original toner.

Pictured: A Samsung toner cartridge in protective packaging. Nothing can "go bad". For long-term storage, the cartridge should remain in its outer box. Clumping of the toner powder due to extremely high ambient temperatures is a serious concern.

Why is it worth having a toner supply?

Having a toner supply is worthwhile for several reasons, and due to the circumstances described above, it poses no risk.

For example, you can take advantage of the price savings on toner double packs and multipacks. Additionally, toner rarely gets cheaper over time. Toner tends to become more expensive as devices age and become rarer. You may also want to use your device for as long as possible, in which case it's a good idea to have some toner in stock.

You should buy toner while it's still available—especially if you have an older device.

If you always have a spare toner on hand, your printer and copier won't be idle. And you won't be unpleasantly surprised by suddenly empty toner cartridges.

Tips for storing printer cartridges:

Printer cartridges, unlike toner cartridges, contain ink as the coloring agent. Ink is primarily made up of water (50-90%), additives (solvents, alcohol), and color pigments. This composition means that printer ink changes over time due to external influences such as UV light and oxygen. Most people know this: when printer cartridges dry out, the print head in the device often dries out and becomes unusable. However, this hardly affects sealed cartridges!

• Printer cartridges usually have an expiration date.
• Some devices warn you when cartridges are installed that exceed the expiration date.
• Yellow ink is the most sensitive: It spoils first, sometimes turning "green" and flaking.
• Printer cartridges should ideally be stored in drawers or cabinets that are not exposed to direct sunlight.

Like toner, printer cartridges are also packaged in a protective atmosphere. However, the packaging does not prevent aging. Whether you choose to exceed the expiration date is up to you. We believe that a properly stored ink cartridge's expiration date is not of much importance.