# Inkjet Cartridges - expiry dates

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inkjet-cartridges-expiry-dates/280771>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 20, 2004, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inkjet-cartridges-expiry-dates/280771 "2004-12-20T10:42:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Magret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b782af/32.png) [@Magret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magret)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inkjet-cartridges-expiry-dates/280771/1 "2004-12-20T10:42:23Z")

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How important is the expiry date on printer cartridges? If I have an HP colour cartridge (still sealed) with an expiration date of Oct 2004, is it…

- no good, so I should just throw it out?

- less good than if it were Feb 2005, but I should use it up soon?

- perfectly good, no worries?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inkjet-cartridges-expiry-dates/280771/2 "2004-12-20T14:09:49Z")

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> [@Magret](#):
>
> How important is the expiry date on printer cartridges? If I have an HP colour cartridge (still sealed) with an expiration date of Oct 2004, is it…
> 
> - no good, so I should just throw it out?
> 
> - less good than if it were Feb 2005, but I should use it up soon?
> 
> - perfectly good, no worries?
> 
> Thanks.

I don’t know a general rule, but I’ve used printer cartridges several months past their expiry date with no problems.

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**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inkjet-cartridges-expiry-dates/280771/3 "2004-12-20T14:16:35Z")

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Sadly, there are some printers that somehow read the expiration date out of the cartridge, and even though the cartridge still has a significant amount of ink remaining, will refuse to print with it after it’s"expired". We have an HP 2500C where I work that does that. Complete scam in my opinion.

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**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inkjet-cartridges-expiry-dates/280771/4 "2004-12-21T02:54:11Z")

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> [@Lips\_Obsession](#):
>
> Sadly, there are some printers that somehow read the expiration date out of the cartridge, and even though the cartridge still has a significant amount of ink remaining, will refuse to print with it after it’s"expired". We have an HP 2500C where I work that does that. Complete scam in my opinion.

They will refuse to print after the expiry date (what the OP asked) or after it has supposedly (but not really) run out of ink? How does the printer know what date it is?

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**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inkjet-cartridges-expiry-dates/280771/5 "2004-12-21T02:55:25Z")

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Oops - sorry. I see you also explicitly mentioned “expiry date”. I’m still puzzled how that’s possible though.