Ink age and shelf life

Hi folks!

Quick question… While I have read the postings regarding ink shelf life I am wondering if there is a way to determine how old ink is. Specifically I borrowed some selenium 2, 3, and 4 to try to experiments before my order arrives. The ink I received from my friend is packaged in the older 120 ml round bottles. I am going to be using them in new carts on an R2880 (~10ml). The inks have not been used in awhile but are sealed well in their original containers. Is the problem with shelf life separation, something more complex, or… ? If I shake them really well before filling the carts what potential issues do you see? And when the new ink arrives do you see any issue refilling the same carts with the new ink?

thanks!
Michael

We stopped selling the round bottles at the end of 2011. So these would be minimum 3.5 years old. But, they could have been purchased years before that.

When the ink goes bad - it will usually produce micro banding.

However, if the ink is ever poured without shaking it - it can increase the density of the remaining contents.

I would always start from fresh inks.