[Nhcoll-l] Thermal label problems
Jon Fong
jfong at calacademy.org
Wed Jun 1 21:55:18 EDT 2016
Thanks to everyone for your responses. I've gone into the collection to
check old labels and discovered that up to July 2014, the labels are
solid. But from July 2014 on, which predates this printer, on some of the
labels the ink was scratch-off-able. We're going to send the ribbons back
to Alpha Systems and Joe Panella said he would test them there. I suspect
that we were sent the wrong ribbons. Who can tell them apart, they all look
alike? But I thought I would mention this to everyone because it's very
possible that this is not an uncommon mistake and that, unless you do the
scratch test every time you change a ribbon, the labels you've been
printing may be at risk.
I'll post again when I get the test results from Joe.
Jon
On Wed, Jun 1, 2016 at 10:50 AM, Bentley, Andrew Charles <abentley at ku.edu>
wrote:
> Hi all
>
>
>
> This has happened a couple of times in the past and in every case it was
> traced back to the incorrect ribbon having been sent to the user. The
> SDR-A ribbon is what you should be using (until we have done some tests on
> the SDR5+). Make sure that you have been shipped the correct ribbon.
>
>
>
> Having done years of testing on this printer/paper/ribbon system we have
> never had any issues with any labels – even in very oily alcohol. There is
> no need to set you print head temperature higher than about 15 as higher
> will damage the print head over time. Speed of print is important to
> ensure good adhesion of ribbon to media and should not be set higher than
> about 3 inches per second. We have found that not using the return spool
> for the ribbon and just letting it feed out the front of the printer with
> the media produces a higher quality print and less streaking. You then
> just have to peel it off the label. We are now using the Datamax I-4206
> printer but before used the Datamax Prodigy Max 300
>
>
>
> We have never had any issues with ribbons of media coming out of the
> printer. I would suggest you check that the media has been fed correctly
> and that you do not have any protrusions in the media path that may be
> cutting it.
>
>
>
> I have had an informal test going on my window ledge of labels in 95%
> ethanol, conc. formalin and glycerin in full sunlight for about 12 years
> now and the labels look like they were just added yesterday – no fading, no
> yellowing, no cracking and no problems with the print.
>
>
>
> Hope that helps. Happy to answer any further questions
>
>
>
> Andy
>
>
>
> A : A : A :
> }<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<)))_°>
> V V V
> Andy Bentley
> Ichthyology Collection Manager
> University of Kansas
> Biodiversity Institute
>
> Dyche Hall
> 1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
> Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561
> USA
>
> Tel: (785) 864-3863
> Fax: (785) 864-5335
> Email: abentley at ku.edu
>
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=v7u7evJZ6hIyytaNBYczLsO45BR2L7jNWliQI8ficMM&s=X3ZKRtvpfoMTZwU4QLvz_rFAU3VcL7R_WRh0ZA2yKi0&e=
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>
> SPNHC President
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>
>
>
> : :
> A : A : A :
> }<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<)))_°>
> V V V
>
>
>
> *From:* nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:
> nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] *On Behalf Of *Christine Johnson
> *Sent:* Wednesday, June 01, 2016 8:49 AM
> *To:* Jon Fong <jfong at calacademy.org>; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> *Subject:* Re: [Nhcoll-l] Thermal label problems
>
>
>
> Hi Jon,
>
>
>
> We too had a one-time issue with the ink having come off of a few labels
> in a loan return of specimens in 75% ethanol.
>
>
>
> We never were able to pinpoint exactly the issue, as it only seemed to be
> these few vials, whereas the other vials in this loan return were
> completely unaffected.
>
>
>
> However, there are solvent/surfactant products that will cause the ink to
> dissolve, disintegration, smear, fall off.
>
>
>
> These are:
>
>
>
> - Industrial surfactants (Aerosol OT & Contrad) using in *specimen
> rehydration*. So if there is residue of these surfactants in/on the
> specimens, this may/will cause the label to fail. This might be avoided if
> specimens are rinsed well.
>
> - Methyl ethyl ketone (butanone) or MEK
>
> - Glacial Acetic Acid (3 mol)
>
> - DEET (so if you are in the field and have DEET on your hands,
> you might not want to handle the labels)
>
>
>
> Make sure to use Thermal Transfer SDR ribbon (not SDRa). I am still using
> an old SATO M-84Pro printer and get the paper (polytag) and SDR ribbon from
> Alpha Systems, and outside these very few vials, we’ve not had a problem.
>
>
>
> Chris
>
>
>
> Chris Andrea Johnson, Ph.D.
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.amnh.org_our-2Dresearch_staff-2Ddirectory_christine-2Djohnson&d=AwMGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=onn28f1vHS0iWRoTybJFfCVjEvhlTRClmDxYeLbQYl4&s=Fv8B4Ag0zT5x9id9IiwkPTX-g8kzMcN7MOHavilaAVM&e=>
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>
> American Museum of Natural History
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> *From:* nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [
> mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu
> <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>] *On Behalf Of *Jon Fong
> *Sent:* Friday, May 27, 2016 4:03 PM
> *To:* nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] Thermal label problems
>
>
>
> We are having a label printer problem that supposedly no one else has, so
> I'm asking around to see if it really is only us, or whether that no one
> else has noticed.
>
>
>
> The problem is that we are able to scrape off the ink with a fingernail
> from our thermal transfer labels after they've been soaked in ethanol for a
> few minutes. We're using a relatively new Datamax H-4408, with supposedly
> chemical-resistant resin ribbon, and polyester paper. This shouldn't
> happen, and I know that we've been able to successfully print labels where
> we couldn't scratch off the ink. With this printer. But it keeps
> recurring, and we don't know whether it's the supplier (Alpha Systems), the
> manufacturer, our printer (lemon? doubtful, it's the second one), or us.
> Please answer this quick survey.
>
> 1. With a recently printed label, soaked in ethanol for a few minutes,
> are you able to scratch off ink with your fingernail?
> 2. What make/model of printer do you use?
> 3. What are the heat and print speed settings on the printer?
> 4. Which ribbon and paper do you use?
> 5. Who do you order your supplies from?
> 6. We've also had problems with fine white threads coming off the
> polyester paper and clogging the print head. Anyone else experience this?
>
> Thanks for your time,
>
> Jon
>
> *Jon D. Fong*
> Curatorial Assistant / Programmer
> Dept. of Ichthyology
> California Academy of Sciences
> p. 415.379.5280
> jfong at calacademy.org
> www.calacademy.org
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