How Long Can You Store Ink?

[Dino71]

In my neck of the woods, we don't have too many ink choices available. What I can get from stores will be Quink, Cross, Pelikan and Herbin.

 

I'm looking to buy inks from mail-order outfits but wondered how long I can store inks, assuming I keep them in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. I've read that some inks are all-natural(?) like Herbin. Would these require a different level of care?

 

I'm particularly interested in Aurora, Diamine and Iroshizuku. Aurora and Diamine are reasonably priced but the Iroshizuku's are a little expensive. I wouldn't want to buy several bottles only to find that they may spoil in a year.

 

Any thoughts on the matter? If it affects things, I live in a tropical area. Humidity is high and it rains close to 900 days a year.

Edited February 8, 2011 by Dino71

[Blueblack4256]

I think the experts will tell you that it depends on the color. Most blue inks are stable for many years. I'm currently using a bottle of Skrip Royal Blue from the 1930s(?) The bottle has the old buff and brown label that predates the yellow and blue label. I have also used Carter's and Waterman blue from pre-WWII vintage bottles. They smelled right and wrote right!

[welch]

A long, long time.

 

- I have, and use, some Carter's Blue-black. They went out of the ink business in the early '70s.

 

- My daily ink is Parker Penman Sapphire...at least until I run out of the four bottles I have left. All good. (Actually great, considering that Penman Sapphire was among the finest inks ever made!)

 

- Check Pendemonium (google for them). They offer "vintage" ink and bottles. Sam has a guide to judging whether an ink is usable (smell bad? See mold? Dried to dust? It's bad. Otherwise, try it.)

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

In addition to the good advice above, I suggest that you consider using a well-sealed container for your inks. (Hermetic seal like a food storage bin.) I believe that would protect them against nasty bugs that flourish in damp climates.

 

Also, do not store the ink in their paper boxes - the boxes may attract moisture, hence mold, etc.

 

You may choose to 'inoculate' the air within the container by setting a tray or saucer of rubbing alcohol or similar within the container.

 

Also, if you have large bottles - say over 50ml, consider splitting them across several smaller bottles. That should help reduce the risk exposure to contamination of all ink of that sort. (Use only well-sealed glass bottles for long term storage; and avoid metal lids which may corrode.)

 

Bye,

S1

[kaissa]

Also, do not store the ink in their paper boxes - the boxes may attract moisture, hence mold, etc.

 

That is news to me. I always kept them in their paper boxes in order to block any kind of light entering the bottle. So out of their paper box but kept in a closed drawer is a better choice?

 

Regards,

[Sandy1]

Also, do not store the ink in their paper boxes - the boxes may attract moisture, hence mold, etc.

 

That is news to me. I always kept them in their paper boxes in order to block any kind of light entering the bottle. So out of their paper box but kept in a closed drawer is a better choice?

 

Regards,

Hi,

 

Beyond a doubt, that is an extreme measure, but when confronted with rain 900 days out of 365, it is a small step to avoid anything that might decay or introduce nasty stuff.

 

No doubt that the vast majority need not take such measures; but they are of little inconvenience and no cost. So why not? Especially as you mention, if the storage box is kept in a dark place, then the ink box protection from light is moot.

 

Bye,

S1

[Shangas]

So long as it's stored somewhere cool and dry, out of sunlight and with the cap screwed firmly on...any ink should last for decades.

[Yoda4561]

Assuming the ink's biocidal additives remain effective, and you keep it out of the sun, decades aren't out of the question. There have been recent issues with some inks becoming easily contaminated, I'm not sure if they've been adequately resolved yet. I might even keep your inks in a relatively warm part of your fridge (that never ices anything up) if there's room and no one that might mistake them for a drink.

 

Barring that, cool, dry, and out of sunlight is usually sufficient. The only brand you mentioned I'd worry about is Herbin, they don't use any sort of strong biocide and if contamination gets in the bottle there's nothing to stop it. The others are big name formulations without regard to being all natural and they should keep any growth in check. Private reserve inks also seem somewhat prone to getting infected, and Noodler's inks seem to have one of the strongest biocides, I haven't heard of any getting SITB since they switched to the new chemical a few years ago.

[Dino71]

Oh, I wasn't aware that ink makers mixed biocidal additives in ink.

 

So inks like Herbin are meant to be consumed as soon as practical. I guess I won't be storing these in large quantities. They are readily available anyway so I don't have to horde. Hahaha.

 

I can get one of those dehumidifiers,the plastic tubs that contain a powder which draws moisture from the air. Over time, the powder turns into a gel, and I just replace the tub once that happens. Pretty cheap in my area.

 

So far, I've stored the bottles in their original boxes and the boxes have remained dry. I'll try storing some without the boxes and see if there is an appreciable difference.

 

Have a couple of bottles on order already. A friend is flying in for a month-long vacation and he generously agreed to bring my inks with him!

 

Oh I hope I don't get to being more particular about paper. This is getting crazy. In a great way!!!

[Shangas]

Inks are often made with various chemicals added to them which are specifically designed to prevent mould from growing in the ink.

[Jerome Tarshis]

A correct answer to the original question might well include the idea "We don't really know." People who say they are still using inks manufactured in the 1920s (or 1930s, or other long-past decade) are not addressing the question. They are answering the question "If I have a bottle of ink manufactured in 1935, could it possibly be good today?" And it's true that yes, such an ink might well be good today.

 

But the original question was about newly manufactured inks purchased today or tomorrow. And those are different from the inks manufactured during most of the twentieth century. Because of increased emphasis on safety in the workplace, some biocides formerly used have been outlawed; they might not have been at all dangerous to the purchaser, but they could be dangerous to the workers, who were handling very large amounts.

 

So an ink bought today is far less well protected against biological villains than those old bottles of Quink or Parker Penman were. The relatively good advice posted to this thread is based on conjecture, which is in turn is based on what stands to reason. Or seems to stand to reason.

 

It isn't based on decades of experience with today's inks, because those decades haven't elapsed yet. Take all the advice with a grain of salt, and remember that ink is fairly cheap. The above advice will probably help get through two or three years; when it comes to decades, we don't know yet.

[Trebster]

Real World experience wise, I have inks that are 13-14 years old and show no appreciable signs of deterioration. A friend still has a bottle of some very off brand brown from the 70s, but it's impossible to tell if the color is degraded. You know how these things are - when you live with something that isn't quite right for a long time, it seems normal.

[Dino71]

when you live with something that isn't quite right for a long time, it seems normal.

 

I think this applies to other things too, not just ink.

 

Wise words.

[liapuyat]

Dino, you'll be fine with Iroshizuku and Diamine brands. I have both (apart from the usual brands) and I think I'm in your neck of the woods. Just store carefully.

[chud]

Sam has a guide to judging whether an ink is usable (smell bad? See mold? Dried to dust? It's bad. Otherwise, try it.)

 

Well, dried to dust might be recoverable...

[perdu]

I'm using a bottle of Montblanc blue black I purchased in the mid 90's. Still works fine for me.

[rockspyder]

I have Quinks, Sheaffer Skrip, Penmans and Montblancs anywhere between 12 and 20 years old, still going strong, no sediments or other nasty stuff. I don't think environmental humidity plays much of a role, other than perhaps an increased fungal spore count and therefore possible moulds introduced with frequent opening of the bottles. I store them in the dark, as I do believe light exposure will degrade the colors.

[Journal John]

It rains 900 days a year there? Maybe the best place to store ink would be in boat. Seriously should ink bottles be kept in the refrig in a tropical climate?

[jgrasty]

Some inks, not long at all. My bottle of Private Reserve Copper Burst lost its trademark color after a year. I was not happy.

[PaulK]

Interesting topic. I find myself examining my bottles weekly...gazing at the bottoms for sediment, shaking, etc. Probably stems from a bad bottle of Levenger Cobalt Blue that I gave to a friend. He said it had fungus in it when we first tried to use it. I agree, it seems that Noodler's adds something to prevent the SITB effect from occurring...has been great ink for me, right to the last converter-full.