Hi BirchBranch! Thanks for posting in the Canon Community Forum. I see that you are trying to find the expiration date for your PG240XL cartridge.
There is no expiration date for any of our ink cartridges, but they do need to be properly stored. As long as the package is not opened and is properly stored, the ink cartridges inside will remain good to use. The storage instructions are visible on the package but may be hard to decipher.
You will see a temperature symbol and a symbol that looks like a box under a roof below the sun. The first symbol (with the temperature) means that the package should be stored between -22 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 degrees to 40 degrees Celsius). The second symbol (a box under a roof below the sun) means that the box should be stored away from sunlight.
Although the storage temperature is a large range, I personally recommend that the package is kept around room temperature (70 degrees to 85 degrees Fahrenheit). Because the ink has alcohol in it, it shouldn’t freeze at low temperatures (above -22 degrees Fahrenheit), but I don’t recommend testing that limit. Neither do I recommend keeping the box in a storage unit where the temperature can get to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or above because you can’t control how hot it can get or keep the humidity (which makes it hotter) out. Inside a house that is cooled from 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit would be best.
If you keep the box inside a drawer in your desk, it will be away from sunlight. You can also keep it in a closet or storage box. If you are putting the package on a shelf, please be sure that the shelf is facing away from windows. Like the sun, lamps, overhead lighting, and heaters can produce high temperatures, so we don’t recommend putting the package near sources of light or heaters.
Once you do open the package, it is best that you install it in your printer right away. We do not recommend taking it out of the box before you are ready to use it. Once the cartridge is installed, we recommend that it be used within 6 months. After 6 months, the cartridge may stop working properly.
More information about the ink can be found in the manual for your printer. The PIXMA MG3620 is one of the printers that can use the PG-240 XL Cartridge. Here is a link to the section of that manual that has information about the ink:
Please see “Notes on FINE cartridges” at the end of the page:
https://ij.manual.canon/ij/webmanual/Manual/All/MG3600%20series/EN/BG/bg-ink1000.html#bg-ink1000_h2-...
The PG-240XL can be used by other printers, so the same note can be found in the manual for the following models:
MG2120
MG3120
MG4120
MX512
MX432
MX372
MX522
MX452
MX392
MG2220
MG3220
MG4220
MG3520
MG3620
MX472
MX532
TS5120
I hope this information helps. Thanks again for contributing to the Canon Community.
