The Shelf Life Of Compatible Epson Ink Cartridges

The shelf life of an ink cartridge is the amount of time the cartridge can sit dormant on a shelf or in a cabinet before it dries or becomes too old to function properly. Shelf life is important when you buy in bulk or if you wait long periods of time in-between printing and replacing the ink cartridges in your printer. However, keep in mind that “shelf life” only refers to the life of the cartridge as hardware. There are certain Epson printer models and series that experience firmware updates during the use of the printer that invalidate the use of previous chip-software versions, the firmware updates come directly from Epson so remanufactured ink cartridges’ computer chips do not get updated to new versions instantaneously. This means that if your printer firmware goes through an update before you have installed the ink cartridges the ink cartridges are effectively on an older software version and will no longer be accepted by the printer (automatic firmware updates can be turned off in the printer settings - this would allow you to keep cartridges on the shelf for their full shelf life without the need to change firmware to use them).

If you have ever been curious as to how long your compatible cartridges will last on the shelf before you use them, here is a complete list for Epson compatible cartridges. These shelf life durations refer to ink kept in their individual plastic seals and stored at room temperature away from direct light and air flow.

Epson 302 initials, 302 standard size and 302XL ink cartridges:
302XL Black, 302XL Photo Black, 302XLCyan, 302XL Yellow, and 302XL Magenta
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 302 cartridges.

Epson 202XL ink cartridges:
202XL Black, 202XL Cyan, 202XL Magenta and 202XL Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 202 cartridges.

Epson 802-Initial ink cartridges:
802-I Black, 802-I Cyan, 802-I Magenta and 802-I Yellow
Shelf Life: 24 months for 802 initial starter cartridges.

Epson 802 and 802XL ink cartridges:
802 Black, 802XL Cyan, 802XL Magenta and 802XL Yellow
Shelf Life: 36 months for 802 standard and extra large cartridges.

Epson 288XL ink cartridges:
288XL Black, 288XL Cyan, 288XL Magenta and 288XL Yellow
Shelf Life: 24 to 36 months for 288 extra large cartridges.

Epson 702XL ink cartridges:
702XL Black, 702XL Cyan, 702XL Magenta and 702XL Yellow
Shelf Life: 24 months for 702 extra large cartridges.

Epson 98 and 99 ink cartridges:
98 Black,99 Cyan, 99 Magenta, 99 Yellow, 99 Light Cyan and 99 Light Magenta
Shelf Life: 18-24 months for both 98 and 99 standard cartridges.

Epson 410XL ink cartridges:
410XL Black, 410XL Photo Black, 410XLCyan, 410XL Yellow, and 410XL Magenta
Shelf Life: 24 months for 410 extra large cartridges.

Epson 212XL ink cartridges:
212XL Black, 212XL Cyan, 212XL Magenta and 212XL Yellow
Shelf Life: 24 to 36 months for 212 extra large cartridges.

Epson 220XL ink cartridges:
220XL Black, 220XL Cyan, 220XL Magenta and 220XL Yellow
Shelf Life: 24 to 36 months for 220 extra large cartridges.

Epson 48 ink cartridges:
48 Black (T048120), 48 Cyan (T048220), 48 Magenta (T048320), 48 Yellow (T048420), 48 Light Cyan (T048520) and 48 Light Magenta (T048620)

Epson 87 ink cartridges:
87 Photo Black, 87 Cyan, 87 Magenta, 87 Yellow, 87 Red, 87 Orange, 87 Matte Black and 87 Gloss
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 87 ink and gloss cartridges

Epson 79 ink cartridges:
79 Black, 79 Cyan, 79 Magenta, 79 Yellow, 79 Light Cyan and 79 Light Magenta
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 79 standard cartridges.

Epson 78 ink cartridges:
78 Black, 78 Cyan, 78 Magenta, 78 Yellow, 78 Light Cyan and 78 Light Magenta
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 78 standard cartridges.

Epson 77 ink cartridges:
77 Black, 77 Cyan, 77 Magenta, 77 Yellow, 77 Photo Cyan and 77 Photo Magenta
Shelf Life: 24 to 36 months for 77 standard size cartridges.

Epson 676XL ink cartridges:
676XL Black, 676XL Cyan, 676XL Magenta and 676XL Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 676 extra large cartridges.

Epson 273XL ink cartridges:
273XL Black, 273XL Photo Black, 273XLCyan, 273XL Yellow and 273XL Magenta
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 273 extra large cartridges.

Epson 252 and 252XL ink cartridges:
252XL Black, 252XL Cyan, 252XL Magenta and 252XL Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 252 extra large cartridges.

Epson 200XL ink cartridges:
200XL Black, 200XL Cyan, 200XL Magenta and 200XL Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 200 extra large cartridges.

Epson 126 ink cartridges:
126 Black, 126 Cyan, 126 Magenta and 126 Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 126 standard yield cartridges.

Epson 127 ink cartridges:
127 Black, 127 Cyan, 127 Magenta and 127 Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 127 high yield cartridges.

Epson 124 ink cartridges:
124 Black, 124 Cyan, 124 Magenta and 124 Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 124 standard yield cartridges.

Epson 125 ink cartridges:
125 Black, 125 Cyan, 125 Magenta and 125 Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 125 standard yield cartridges.

Epson 69 ink cartridges:
69 Black, 69 Cyan, 69 Magenta and 69 Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 69 high yield cartridges.

Epson 68 ink cartridges:
68 Black, 68 Cyan, 68 Magenta and 68 Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 68 high yield cartridges.

Epson 60 ink cartridges:
60 Black, 60 Cyan, 60 Magenta and 60 Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 60 high yield cartridges.

Epson 88 ink cartridges:
88 Black, 88 Cyan, 88 Magenta and 88 Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 88 high yield cartridges.

Epson 32 ink cartridges:
32 Black T032120, 32 Cyan T042220, 32 Magenta T042320 and 32 Yellow T042420
Shelf Life: 12 to 24 months for 32 standard cartridges.

Epson 59 ink cartridges:
59 Matte Black, 59 Pigment Black, 59 Light Black, 59 Cyan, 59 Magenta, 59 Yellow, 59 Light Cyan, And 59 Light Magenta
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 59 standard cartridges.

Epson 78 ink cartridges:
78 Black and 78 Cyan, 78 Magenta, 78 Yellow, 78 Light Cyan, 78 Light Magenta
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 78 standard cartridges.

Epson 786XL ink cartridges:
786XL Black, 786XL Cyan, 786XL Magenta and 786XL Yellow
Shelf Life: 24 months for 786 extra large cartridges.

Epson 97 ink cartridge:
97 Black
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 97 standard cartridges.

Epson 502 ink bottles:
502 Black, 502 Cyan, 502 Magenta and 502 Yellow
Shelf Life: 24 to 36 months for 502 bottles.

Epson 664 ink bottles:
664 Black, 664 Cyan, 664 Magenta and 664 Yellow
Shelf Life: 24 to 36 months for 664 bottles.

Epson 774 ink bottle:
774 Black
Shelf Life: 24 to 36 months for 774 bottles.

Epson 812 ink cartridges:
812 Black, 812 Cyan, 812 Magenta and 812 Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 36 months for 812 standard cartridges.

Epson 43 ink cartridge:
43 Black
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 43 cartridges.

Epson 44 ink cartridges:
44 Black, 44 Cyan, 44 Magenta and 44 Yellow
Shelf Life: 18 to 24 months for 44 standard cartridges.

Search for the ink you need and its corresponding shelf life in the list above. Each cartridge is rated with a shelf life duration. These numbers are reflective of InkjetsClub compatible, remanufactured, and original ink products. Please note that each shelf life duration range or specific amount is an approximate duration based on best conditions and circumstances. To maintain these numbers, cartridges should be kept at room temperature in an area without direct light on the sitting cartridges and with minimal airflow. The cartridges to meet these shelf life numbers must also be kept in the individual plastic seals that they arrive in to ensure optimal conditions for extending the usability timeframe of ink cartridges.