How long can you store a discharge ink

[3Deep]

I make some white discharge ink last year I think around Nov/Dec 13 use some on a few shirts and them stored the rest in the refrigerator been there ever since.  Well the other day I decided to try it and see if it still worked, I added  4% activator to what I had left and it discharge just fine.  The stuff I'm using came from CCI there Enviroline D-white ink and D-powder activator, I know some you said that the activator has a shelf life which I didn't know or just didn't hear that part or read it, I did a wash test this weekend and it held up great, here is a pic of the discharge print, I thought I had a before pic but guess not.

darryl

[screenprintguy]

D, it will usually hold it's ability to discharge for a few days. However, what I've seen is, the time it's been exposed to the air has allowed enough possible clumping to happen that if you try to use it again a few days later, even with a good whipping, it may booger up on you in the screen making it more of a pain then a savings. I've just tried to narrow down how much to mix for a job, minimize waste, but in the same time not leaving myself short on enough of a custom color mix for the job. My advice, unless you plan on using it fast, don't bother.

[mimosatexas]

I have used refrigerated white discharge 3-4 months later without much issue, either in a mix with fresh ink or with substantial extra activator and water added.  I prefer not to unless I grossly over estimate the amount of ink for a job. 

Colors are different though, especially reds, and once activated they will not work as well even 6-8 weeks later.  You will see huge color shifts, or it will be pale or irregularly discharged.  I know there are some specific brands that advertize longer shelf life after activation, but most do not.  I do use refrigerated colors all the time for reprints a few weeks later though and do so without issue.  I use Matsui.

You will have more issues with clumping and dry-in time on any ink that isn't fresh.

[3Deep]

I did a run and used all this ink up, fresh ink will be next, I just wanted to see if this almost year old ink would still work and it did.

d

[Screened Gear]

I don't think anything goes wrong with the ink if stored after activating. The biggest problem is keeping it wet so it does not dry out or clump. The agent will dry out the ink when it gets to the end of its life cycle. If I am going to keep an ink I will put a quarter ink of water on top of it. This will make up for the drying from the agent. I have printed d-white 2 weeks after it was activated and it still discharges some. So the agent will last a long time ever outside a refrigerator. In the beginning when I was mixign way to much ink for a job, I have kept some inks months out side of a refrigorator and they printed/discherged with new agent/washed just fine.  Now I just toss the overages.

For the cost of the ink its not worth the risk of a problem.

[Underbase37]

For the cost of the ink its not worth the risk of a problem.

This is how I feel about it too.

Also I think that reactivated ink smells more bc of the extra activator.

[TCT]

For the cost of the ink its not worth the risk of a problem.

This is how I feel about it too.

Also I think that reactivated ink smells more bc of the extra activator.

You can say that again! I was literally knocked on my a$$ when I took the cap off and had a big whiff of some two week old DC ink!