Key Takeaways
- To store a printer long term without damage, prep it first: run a final print, clean it, and deal with the ink or toner before it goes into the box.
- Dried-out ink is the number one killer of stored inkjets, so never store one with a low or leaking cartridge.
- Keep the printer somewhere cool, dry, and dust-free, and never in an attic, garage, or basement where heat and damp do the real harm.
- Seal it against dust, protect the print head, and label the box so setup is painless months later.
- Ten minutes of prep now saves you a clogged head, a leaked cartridge, or a dead machine when you unpack it.
Maybe you are moving, heading off for a long trip, or simply switching to a paperless stretch. Whatever the reason, that printer needs a safe place to rest, and how you tuck it away decides whether it wakes up ready or ruined. I have boxed up printers for house moves and pulled them out months later, and the difference between a smooth restart and a clogged mess always came down to the prep. The good news is that it takes about ten minutes. By the end of this article you will know exactly how to store a printer long term, protect the ink and print head, pick the right spot, and bring it back to life without a fuss.
Why Storing a Printer the Wrong Way Ruins It
A printer does not fail from resting. It fails from what happens inside while it rests. On an inkjet, liquid ink sits in the nozzles and the print head, and without any use it slowly dries into a hard plug. Months of stillness turn a working head into a clogged one.
Heat and damp make everything worse. A hot garage bakes the ink and softens plastic parts, while a humid basement invites corrosion on the metal contacts and mold on the rollers. Dust is the quiet third villain, drifting into vents and settling on parts that need to stay clean.
Laser printers dodge the drying problem, since toner is a dry powder, but they are not immune. Toner can clump in humidity, and the rollers and fuser still collect dust and can develop flat spots if pressure sits on them for months. The point is simple: a little prep prevents nearly all of it.
Before You Box It Up: The Prep That Matters
Everything that goes wrong in storage is easier to prevent than to fix later. Spend a few minutes here and you avoid the two worst outcomes, a clogged print head and a leaked cartridge, both of which can turn a resting printer into a paperweight.
Run one last print and clean it
Print a full-color test page or a nozzle check right before you pack up. This confirms the printer works so you are not storing a hidden problem, and on an inkjet it leaves the head freshly primed. Then give the machine a quick wipe-down, because dust you seal in will still be there in six months.
A dry microfiber cloth on the outside and a barely damp lint-free cloth on the rollers is all you need. If you want the full method, our walkthrough on how to clean your printer inside and out shows exactly where grime hides.
Decide what to do with the ink or toner
This is the step people get wrong most often. For a short break of a few weeks, leave inkjet cartridges installed so the print head stays sealed in its dock and the ink stays put. Pulling them out early only exposes the nozzles to air.
For a genuinely long store of many months, the safer move on most inkjets is to leave the cartridges seated but make sure they are not nearly empty, since a low cartridge dries fastest and can starve the head. Laser toner can stay in the machine, but if you are worried about a humid space, remove the toner cartridge and seal it in its original bag or a zip-lock in a cool, dark spot. If a cartridge is already low or you have spares, our guide on how to store cartridges so they don’t dry out covers keeping them fresh on the shelf.
Warning: Never store an inkjet with a nearly empty or damaged cartridge, and never lay a printer on its side. Low ink dries into a clog fastest, and tilting the machine can let ink leak from the cartridge into the body, where it stains parts and jams the head. Always keep the printer flat and upright.
Step-by-Step: How to Store a Printer Long Term
Here is the exact order I follow when a printer is going away for months. Each step has a clear result so you know you did it right before moving on.
- Print a test page, then power down properly. Use the printer’s own power button and wait for it to settle. Result: the print head parks in its sealed dock and the machine confirms it is working.
- Unplug everything and coil the cables. Remove the power cord and USB or network cable and bundle them loosely. Result: nothing is left to snag, bend, or lose.
- Handle the ink or toner. Leave good cartridges seated and upright, or seal a removed toner cartridge in a bag. Result: no dried nozzles and no loose leaks.
- Wipe it down and let it dry fully. Clean the shell and rollers, then leave it open a few minutes. Result: no trapped dust or moisture going into the box.
- Bag and box it. Slide the printer into a large plastic bag or its original foam, then into a sturdy box. Result: a dust-tight, cushioned seal.
- Label the box and note the setup details. Mark the top with the model and a quick note on the cartridge status. Result: painless, guesswork-free setup later.
That whole sequence takes me under ten minutes, and it is the difference between unpacking a ready printer and unpacking a project.
Choosing the Right Storage Spot
Where you keep the box matters as much as how you pack it. The ideal spot is cool, dry, dark, and stable, the same conditions that keep the ink and plastic happy. A closet shelf inside your living space is almost always better than a garage or attic, no matter how convenient the extra space feels.
| Storage location | Good idea? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor closet or spare room | Best | Stable, cool temperature and low humidity protect ink and parts |
| Under a bed or in a cabinet | Good | Dark and dust-shielded, as long as the room stays dry |
| Basement | Risky | Damp air can corrode contacts and clump toner |
| Garage or shed | Avoid | Big temperature swings bake ink and stress plastic |
| Attic | Avoid | Summer heat is the worst enemy of ink and rollers |
If your only option is a garage or basement, you can still reduce the risk. Keep the box off a concrete floor on a shelf or pallet, add a couple of silica gel packets inside the bag to absorb moisture, and choose the most temperature-stable corner you have.
Tip: Drop a couple of silica gel packets, the little “do not eat” sachets that come with shoes and electronics, into the bag before you seal it. They soak up stray moisture and are cheap insurance against humidity, especially if the space is less than ideal.
Inkjet vs Laser: What Changes
The core routine is the same for both, but the emphasis shifts depending on what is inside. Inkjets are all about the ink drying, so the print head and cartridge status are your main worry. Getting the head sealed and the cartridge healthy before storage matters more than anything else.
Lasers are easier to store because dry toner does not clog like liquid ink. Your focus there is humidity and the rollers. Keep toner away from damp air, and if the printer will sit for a very long time, it does not hurt to note that the rollers have been resting so you can watch for the first few prints. If you want a fuller comparison of how the two types differ in upkeep, our guide on inkjet vs laser maintenance lays it out plainly.
Either way, storage is really just an extended version of the idle problem, the same thing that hurts a printer you own but rarely use. Our short FAQ on how often you should use your printer explains why idle time, not heavy use, is what most machines struggle with.
Bringing It Back to Life
Unpacking is where good prep pays off. Do not rush it. Let the printer sit in the room for an hour or two first, so it reaches room temperature and any condensation from a cooler store evaporates before you power up.
Then reconnect the power, turn it on with the button, and run a nozzle check or test page. On an inkjet, a few faint lines after a long store are normal and usually clear after one or two cleaning cycles. If the page comes out clean, you are done. If it stays streaky, our guide on why printer maintenance matters explains how a light routine keeps this from happening next time.
Everything here I have done on real machines through real house moves, not just in theory. You can read how we test and stand behind our advice on our about us page. If you would like to understand the machines themselves a bit more, the neutral Wikipedia overview of printers explains how inkjets and lasers work under the hood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I remove the ink cartridges before storing a printer?
Usually no. For most inkjets, leaving healthy cartridges seated keeps the print head parked and sealed, which prevents drying. Only remove them if a cartridge is leaking or badly damaged. If you do take spares out, store them upright in a cool, dark place so they stay fresh until you reinstall them.
How long can a printer sit in storage before it has problems?
A well-prepped inkjet can rest for six months or more, though the print head may need a cleaning cycle or two on return. Laser printers tolerate even longer since toner does not dry out. The real limits are heat and humidity, so a cool, dry spot matters far more than the exact number of months.
Can I store a printer in a garage or attic?
It is the worst choice. Garages and attics swing between hot and cold and often trap moisture, which bakes ink, warps plastic, and corrodes metal contacts. If you truly have no other option, keep the box off the floor, add silica gel packets, and pick the most temperature-stable corner you can find.
My prints are faint after storage. Is the printer ruined?
Almost never. Faint or streaky prints after a long rest usually mean slightly dried ink in the nozzles, not a broken machine. Run the built-in head cleaning or nozzle-check cycle once or twice and print a test page between each. In most cases the lines clear up and the printer prints normally again.
Do I need the original box to store a printer safely?
It helps but is not required. The original box and foam cushion the printer perfectly, so keep them if you have them. If not, any sturdy box with padding works, as long as you first seal the printer in a plastic bag to block dust and keep it flat and upright the whole time.
Store It Once, Store It Right
A printer does not mind a long rest as long as you send it off prepared. Print a final page, sort out the ink or toner, wipe it clean, seal it against dust, and give it a cool, dry place to wait. Do that and unpacking months later feels like flipping a switch rather than starting a repair. When you are ready to keep it running smoothly for the long haul, our complete guide to printer maintenance and our list of nine habits that extend your printer’s life are here whenever you want them, with no pressure at all.
