A dried-out ink cartridge is one of those frustrations that tends to arrive at the worst possible moment — you sit down to print something important and the output comes out streaky, faded, or blank. The good news is that drying out is largely preventable, and in some cases a partially dried cartridge can be recovered without replacing it.
Why Do Ink Cartridges Dry Out?
Inkjet cartridges contain liquid ink that can thicken, harden, or clog the microscopic nozzles in the print head if exposed to air over time. The most common cause is simply leaving a printer unused for extended periods — the ink sitting in the nozzles gradually dries out without the regular movement that printing provides.
Other contributing factors include storing cartridges in warm environments, leaving them in direct sunlight, or removing a cartridge from the printer and leaving it unsealed. Heat accelerates evaporation and thickening, and once air gets into the nozzle area, the drying process speeds up considerably.
How to Prevent Ink Cartridges from Drying Out
Print regularly — even just a test page
The single most effective way to prevent dried ink is to print something at least once a week. It doesn't need to be a full document — a test page or nozzle check pattern is enough. The act of printing pushes fresh ink through the nozzles, preventing it from sitting still long enough to dry. If you know you won't be printing for a while, scheduling a weekly reminder to run a quick test page is a worthwhile habit.
Keep the printer switched on
Many modern inkjet printers perform small automatic maintenance cycles when left in standby mode — gently moving ink through the nozzles to prevent drying. If you switch the printer off at the wall entirely, these cycles can't run. Leaving it in standby rather than fully powered off is the simplest way to let the printer take care of itself.
Store unused cartridges properly
If you have spare cartridges that aren't yet installed, keep them in their original sealed packaging and store them upright in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Most manufacturers print a use-by date on the packaging — this is worth paying attention to, particularly for cartridges bought in bulk. Our post on ink cartridge shelf life covers this in more detail.
Seal cartridges if you remove them
If you need to remove a cartridge from the printer temporarily — to swap between cartridges or store it during a long period of non-use — protect the nozzle area from air exposure. Cover the nozzle plate with a small piece of cling film or seal the cartridge in a zip-lock bag. This slows down the drying process significantly compared to leaving it exposed.
What to Do If a Cartridge Has Already Dried Out
If your prints are coming out streaky or faded and you suspect a dried nozzle, the first step is to run your printer's built-in cleaning cycle. This is available through your printer software or the printer's own menu and works by flushing ink through the nozzles under pressure. Run it once, then print a test page to check whether output has improved. If it hasn't fully resolved, you can repeat the cycle — but avoid running it more than two or three times in a row, as each cycle uses ink.
For more detailed guidance on running a cleaning cycle, see our step-by-step guides for cleaning HP ink cartridges and cleaning Canon ink cartridges.
If the cleaning cycle doesn't restore normal output, the nozzle blockage may be too severe to clear through software alone. At that point, replacing the cartridge is usually the most practical solution. When you do, make sure you're installing a genuine replacement — genuine cartridges from HP, Canon, Epson, and Brother are formulated specifically for their respective printers and tend to handle periods of lower use better than compatible alternatives.
And when the old cartridge is done, don't bin it — recycle it for free using our Freepost service. HP and Canon orders from Crazy Kangaroo include a prepaid recycling bag automatically.
