How Long Does Sublimation Ink Last? (Top 3 Factors To Know)

Sublimation ink is used for sublimation printing and differs from regular inkjet printer ink. Due to this difference, it is natural to be confused about the ink’s longevity. So, how long does sublimation ink last?

Sublimation ink generally lasts between nine months and two years, depending on the brand and if the ink is opened or unopened. Keeping in a dark, dry place with little sunlight may prolong the age of the ink. Printing with expired ink is not advised, as you may damage or clog the printhead.

In this post, we explore how long sublimation ink last, based on if they are opened or unopened. We also look at the best way to store them, so they stay good the longest.

By the way, if you are new to sublimation printing, then you might want to learn all the basics about sublimation ink.

What Is The Lifespan of Sublimation Ink?

Sublimation ink may last between 9 months to two years. The longevity of your ink depends on several factors, such as brand, whether it is opened or unopened, and how you keep the ink.

#1. Brand:

Brands play a significant factor in the age of your sublimation ink. Why? Well, because the ink of different brands may use different formulations, the ratio of stabilizers, and many other chemicals to produce different printing results.

As such, genuine inks from established brands such as Epson or Sawgrass may last longer than third-party inks. Genuine inks may be more expensive but are better formulated and last longer.

#2. Sealed or Opened:

When sublimation ink is sealed or unopened, it tends to last longer than inks that have been opened. Unopened inks are not exposed to anything that may degrade the ink.

When the ink is opened and exposed to the air, it can come into contact with humidity, oxygen, or microorganisms that may cause the formulation of the ink to break down faster. This also means that you may want to use the ink more quickly if you have an opened the ink bottle.

#3. Storage:

Depending on how you store your ink, you may prolong or shorten the ink’s expiry.

Sublimation ink is best stored in a cool, dry place with little sunlight, which may help extend your ink’s age

This is because if you do so, you remove some of the most critical factors that may influence the breakdown speed of your ink.

The more humidity there is, the faster your ink may deteriorate. The higher the temperature, the faster your ink may deteriorate, and the more sunlight the ink gets exposed to, the more likely it is to deteriorate faster.

How Long Does Unopened Sublimation Ink Last?

Unopened sublimation ink may last between nine months and two years, depending on the brand. Brands such as genuine Epson and Sawgrass inks may last two years, with third-party ink lasting between nine to 18 months.

Based on brands, we spent some time checking the expiry date of unopened inks. We looked into inks from genuine printer makers such as Epson and Sawgrass.

At the same time, we also looked into inks from third-party makers such as Hiippoo, Cobra, and Cosmo.

By the way, you can check out this guide to learn how sublimation ink differs from regular link.

Unopened Ink:	Lifespan:
Epson	2 years
Sawgrass	2 years
Hippo	2 years
Cobra	1.5 year
Cosmos	< 1 year

Epson: When unopened, Epson T49M ink has an expiry date of around two years. However, Epson provided the figure based on if you store the ink in a cool, dry, and less bright place, at a temperature under 70°F (21°C)

Sawgrass: For Sawgrass’s genuine Sublijet inks, the shelf life is around two years. This shelf life may be prolonged if you store the ink cartridges in a cool, dry, and dark place.

Hiippoo: Hiippoo is a popular third-party sublimation ink maker. Many of its products are sold on websites such as Amazon. When contacted, they mentioned that their ink has a shelf life of about two years if unopened.

Cobra: Cobra is also another popular brand of sublimation ink. Their shelf life is unfortunately not as good. The shelf-life of Cobra inks may last about 18 months if unopened.

Cosmos: Cosmos is the weakest player on this list. Their unopened ink bottles may last only nine to twelve months.

How Long Does Opened Sublimation Ink Last?

The shelf-life of opened sublimation ink may also depend on many factors, such as brands and storage factors. Generally, opened ink bottles may not last as long as unopened, which means you want to use the ink as soon as possible after opening to avoid wastage.

Below are some of the popular ink and their shelf life. In the list, we added genuine inks and also third-party brands that are popular online.

Opened Ink:	Lifespan:
Epson	2 years
Sawgrass	2 years
Hippo	1 year
Cobra	1 year
Cosmos	< 1 year

Epson: When opened, Epson T49M ink can last as long as unopened ones (two years), provided that you load the ink into the ink tank and then seal the ink tank. Sealing could be done using the tank sealer on your Epson printers.

Opened and unsealed ink may last up to only a month, which means you want to take sealing seriously to avoid wastage.

Sawgrass: For Sawgrass’s genuine Sublijet inks, the shelf life is around two years as well. Some users reported that the ink may still work well a week after their expiration date, which means you may try your luck to print using these cartridges if they just expired.

Hippo: Hiippoo ink is one of the popular third-party sublimation ink makers. Their ink may last two years if unopened, but only one when opened.

Cobra: Cobra is also another popular brand of sublimation ink. The shelf-life of Cobra inks may last about a year when opened and exposed to the air.

Cosmos: Cosmos is the weakest player on this list. Their unopened ink bottles may last only nine to twelve months.

Want to learn some interesting facts about sublimation ink? Check out this guide: 7 Things To Know About Sublimation Ink.

What Happens If I Try to Print Using Expired Sublimation Ink?

If you try to print using expired sublimation ink, you may have an unsatisfactory print result or, worse, damage or clog your print head. Here’s why: over time, the dyes in the expired sublimation ink can separate from the liquid and clump together. These clumps will clog your printhead, resulting in bad print results.

If you try to print using expired sublimation ink, what happens is that you may get an unsatisfactory print result. You may also damage your printhead.

Expired ink can cause the dyes to separate from the other liquid materials in ink and then form dye clumps that are thick and heavy.

As a result, the ink flow will not be smooth in your printhead when printing, resulting in poor color output and unsatisfactory print results. At worst, these dye clumps may clog your print head and block ink flows from the ink to the nozzle.

Plus, you may need to spend time performing a deep cleaning to remove these clogs, meaning you will have to change to fresh ink and then use it to unclog. You may have to spend more money to do this.

Speaking of unsatisfactory sublimation prints, check out this guide on why sublimation prints fade to explore all the causes and fixes of the issue.

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