Expiry Date Too Faded or Tiny to Read? [Phone Fix]
Expiry dates are often laser-etched, embossed or inkjet-printed in gray on a curved surface, which makes them hard to read by eye. Hold your phone 10 cm away, zoom to 4x to 6x, and shine the flashlight from a low angle so embossed characters cast a shadow. Then check the date format, because day-month-year and month-day-year are both common.
Where the date is printed on common packaging
Dates are added at the end of the packing line by a coder that prints wherever there is a flat strip, which is rarely where you would look first. Check these places first:
| Package | Where to look | How it is usually printed |
|---|---|---|
| Cans | Bottom, sometimes the rim or the lid | Stamped or inkjet, often next to a production code |
| Cartons and Tetra Pak | Top seam or a side fold | Black inkjet, often on a dark printed area |
| Plastic bottles | Neck, shoulder or cap | Laser-etched, nearly transparent on clear plastic |
| Glass jars | Lid, or the glass just below it | Inkjet on the lid edge or top |
| Bags and pouches | Back seal or the top crimp | Inkjet on crinkled plastic |
| Yogurt, cream, butter tubs | Lid foil or the rim | Inkjet, often in a color close to the lid |
| Egg cartons | End flap of the carton, sometimes on each egg | Inkjet; may include a pack date code |
| Medicine boxes | End flap of the box | Embossed or printed with the batch number |
| Blister packs of tablets | One end or the edge of the foil | Embossed into the foil, next to the batch number |
| Cosmetics | Crimp of a tube, base of a jar or bottle | Embossed or inkjet; may show only a symbol |
If you find a string of digits that does not look like a date, it may be a batch number or a production code. How to read expiration date codes explains the label words (EXP, BB, MFG, LOT), day-of-year codes and the words for expiry date in other languages.
Reading embossed and laser-etched dates
Embossed dates have no ink. They are raised or pressed characters in the same color as the surrounding material, and they disappear under flat overhead light. Light from the side brings them back.
- Hold the package so the date is roughly level.
- Bring a light in from the side at a low angle, almost skimming the surface. Each raised character now casts a small shadow.
- Look at the surface from slightly above, not from the same side as the light.
With a phone you can do this one-handed. Turn on the flashlight in a magnifier app, zoom to about 5x and tilt the phone so the light rakes across the foil or plastic. Because the flashlight sits next to the lens, the light tilts with the phone, and the characters appear as the angle changes. In LoupeLens you can press and hold the flashlight button and slide to dim it if the foil throws back glare.
Laser-etched dates on clear bottles are easier against a dark background. Hold the bottle in front of a dark surface or your hand so the frosted marks stand out.
Faint inkjet dates
Inkjet codes on cartons and plastic are made of small dots, and they fade, smear or print over a pattern. Zoom in to 6x to 8x and take a photo. On the still image the dots resolve into digits more easily than in the live view, and you can pinch to enlarge just the date. If the code is on a curved surface, photograph it head-on so all digits are the same distance from the lens.
Dates on a dark printed area often read better with the flashlight off and the package under a window or lamp, because a flashlight on glossy print puts a bright spot right on the digits. If you need the flashlight, dim it and come in from the side, as for embossed text.
Is it day-month or month-day?
Once you can see the digits, check the order, because packages travel between countries that write dates differently.
| Printed | Likely meaning | Where common |
|---|---|---|
| 03/09/2026 | 3 September 2026 | Europe, UK, Australia, most of the world |
| 09/03/2026 | September 3, 2026 | United States |
| 2026-09-03 | 3 September 2026 (ISO) | Sweden, Japan, China, many exports |
| 09.2026 or 09/26 | End of September 2026 | Cosmetics, canned goods, medicines |
| L2409 or 6245 | A batch or day-of-year code, not an expiry date | Bakery, canned goods |
If the first number is above 12, it has to be the day. If both numbers are 12 or below, use the label language and the country of origin. A date with a month and year but no day, such as 09/26, means the product is fine until the end of that month. A batch number next to the date can look like a date at a glance, but it usually contains letters or a number that cannot be a calendar date.
Best before, use by, and the open jar symbol
Packaging uses several phrases, and they do not mean the same thing.
- Use by / Exp / EXP: a safety date. Common on chilled meat, fish and medicine. Do not use the product after it.
- Best before / BB / BBE / MHD (German) / DLUO or DDM (French): a quality date. The product is usually still safe afterward but may lose flavor or texture.
- Open jar symbol with 6M, 12M, 24M: the period after opening for cosmetics. It counts from the day you open it, so write the opening date on the bottom.
- Hourglass symbol: used on cosmetics with a shelf life under 30 months; the actual date is printed beside it.
Photograph the date once
After you have found and read a date, take a photo of it. Next week, when you wonder whether the opened sauce is still good, you can read the photo instead of hunting for the print again. LoupeLens saves every capture to its own album in Photos, which keeps these together. For a jar on a high shelf, hold the phone above it with the rear camera and flashlight pointed at the lid, tap to take a photo, then read the photo.
For medicine dates, reading medicine labels covers blister packs and dosage text in more depth. For any tiny text, see the phone as magnifying glass guide.
This article is general information about reading packaging, not food safety or medical advice. When in doubt about a medicine, ask a pharmacist.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the expiry date on a can?
Usually on the bottom, sometimes on the rim or lid, stamped or inkjet-printed. Cans often carry a production code next to the date; the date is the part that reads as a day, month and year or follows BB or EXP.
How do I read an embossed expiry date on a blister pack?
Shine a light across the foil at a low angle rather than straight on. The raised characters cast small shadows and become readable. With a phone, turn on the flashlight, zoom to about 5x, and tilt the phone until the digits appear. Dim the flashlight if the foil glares.
What does 09/26 mean on a package?
A month and year with no day means the product is good until the end of that month, in this case September 2026. This format is common on cosmetics, canned goods and medicines.
How do I know whether a date is day-month or month-day?
If either number is greater than 12, it must be the day. Otherwise use the label language and country as a guide: the United States uses month-day-year, while most of Europe and the rest of the world uses day-month-year. ISO format year-month-day is unambiguous.
What is the jar symbol with 12M on cosmetics?
It is the period-after-opening symbol. 12M means the product should be used within 12 months of first opening it. It is separate from any printed expiry date, so note the day you opened the product.
Is best before the same as use by?
No. Use by is a safety date, common on chilled meat, fish and medicine, and should be respected. Best before is a quality date; the product is usually still safe after it but may have lost some flavor or texture.