Shelf Life Policy

The shelf life of MARKEM fluid inks, cleaners and thinners, thermal transfer ribbons, hot melt inks, and OptiMark™ film is dependent on product chemistry and can differ from product to product

The standard shelf life for thermal transfer ribbon is twelve (12) months from the date of manufacture.

The standard shelf life for Touch Dry® jet ink is three (3) years from the date of manufacture.

The standard shelf life for Touch Dry® ink rolls are two (2) years from the date of manufacture.

The standard shelf life for OptiMark™ film is six (6) months from the date of shipment or one (1) year from manufacture, whichever comes first.

The standard shelf life on single-part inks is six (6) months from the date of shipment or twelve (12) months from the date of manufacture, whichever comes first.
The standard shelf life on single-part inks is six (6) months from the date of shipment or twelve (12) months from the date of manufacture, whichever comes first.

For two-part inks, the standard shelf life is twelve (12) months from the date of shipment.

The standard shelf life for MARKEM thinners and cleaners is one (1) year from the date of shipment or two (2) years from the date of manufacture, whichever comes first.

Where shelf life differs from that of the standard, the specified shelf life will be noted on the technical data sheet for that product.

Storage

Thermal transfer ribbon should be stored in an environment between 5°C and 40°C with a relative humidity between 20% and 85%.

Touch Dry® jet ink and Touch Dry® ink rolls should be stored in an environment between 5°C and 40°C and should be kept out of direct sunlight.

OptiMark™ film should be stored at 20°C to 30°C with less than 70% relative humidity. Store in original packaging until ready to use. After opening, store in closed container in cool, dry, dark environment.

MARKEM recommends that fluid ink be stored at temperatures between 0° and 25°C, with optimum conditions occurring between 5°C and 10°C. Exceptions are those products whose data sheets make reference to other specific storage conditions. Containers should be tightly capped and kept out of direct sunlight.

Refrigerated products should be allowed to reach room temperature before use. Opening the container before this point could result in:

Condensation affecting the workability of the ink on printing equipment, and/or;
Cold ink exhibiting poor flow and transfer properties.

The orientation of the product during storage is not critical. Containers of air curing inks can be stored inverted to prevent the skin that forms from interfering with use. A fluid ink container need not be agitated unless it bears a "mix thoroughly before using" label.

Chemical products (thinners and cleaners) should be stored between 0°C and 25°C and containers should be tightly capped and kept out of direct sunlight.