[NHCOLL-L:1582] RE: Specimen labels in ethanol

[Simmons, John E]

The short answer to this question is that no, there is no way to make
permanent labels with a laser printer.  This is due to the limitations of
the printing technology.  When you write with a technical pen (e.g., a
Rapidograph) the ink goes on as a fluid and bonds with the paper fibers.  By
contrast, a laser printer deposits a film of toner particles on the surface
of the paper and then bakes them on.  A good, clean machine using high heat
and pressure with a high quality toner matched to the paper quality will
make a better, longer lasting laser copy, but even the better laser print
job is not permanent, because it is still letters sitting on top of the
paper, not ink in the paper fibers.  The letters are prone to abrasion and
chemical interference with their adhesion to the paper.

An inkjet printer is a little better, in that it does apply ink in a fluid
form.  The limitations of this process are the same as those you encounter
with disposable pens--the ink is not just ink.  A good "India" ink (such as
Higgins T-100 Drafting Film Ink) is essentially carbon particles in water.
Inkjet ink, as well as disposable pen ink, has other stuff in
it--surfactants, lubricants, all sorts of stuff that makes it less than
archival.

Paper quality plays a significant role in the label quality, too, but even a
good paper will not save a bad ink or printing process.  I do not recommend
the use of Resistal paper for labels.  Even though it is fluid-resistant, it
is very acidic (pH of 4.5 to 5.2, due to its melamine coating--a
formaldehyde polymer).  

I do not recommend the use of any disposable pens, including the new
disposable Koh-i-nor pens, either.  No disposable pen has a good, archival
quality ink.  Again, some of these pens are better than others, none are as
good as they should be to be archival.  

If you want a permanent label, you have two choices with current technology:

1.  Use a good technical pen with a stable, archival ink, such as Higgins
T-100 Drafting Film ink, and a good quality, 100% rag acid-free paper or
spunbonded polyethylene stock.

2.  Use a thermal printer, which uses a technology similar to a laser
printer except it has a carbon particle ribbon and the letters are baked
into a spunbonded polyethylene stock.  This is the most permanent label
system for fluid preserved specimens currently available.

Some useful references for all of this are:

Hawks, C.A. and S.L. Williams.  1986.  Care of specimen labels in vertebrate
research collections.  Pp. 105-108 in Waddington, J. and D.M. Rudkin (eds.).
Proceedings of the 1985 Workshop on Care and Maintenance of Natural History
Collections.  Life Sciences Miscellaneous Publications, Royal Ontario
Museum.  v + 121 pp.

Williams, S.L and C.A. Hawks.  1986.  Inks for documentation in vertebrate
research collections.  Curator 29(2):93-108.

Williams, S.L. and C.A. Hawks.  1988.  A note on "Inks..."  Society for the
Preservation of Natural History Collections Newsletter 2(1):1.

Thermal Printers
Alpha Systems, Inc.
13509 E. Boundary Road
Midlothian, VA 23112
800-849-9870
http://www.preservationtag.com

John E. Simmons
Collection Manager, Natural History Museum
and
Coordinator, Historical Administration and Museum Studies Program
University of Kansas
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7561
Phone 785-864-4508
FAX 785-864-5335
jsimmons at ku.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Simon Grove [mailto:simon.grove at forestrytas.com.au]
Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 11:01 PM
To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:1576] Specimen labels in ethanol


Hello

Does anyone know whether I am safe to assume that specimen labels printed by
a laser printer will last (e.g. for years or decades) when immersed in
spirit (70% ehtanol)?  I'm printing onto 100% cotton parchment rather than
paper because I believe this is less likely to disintegrate, but that's
neither here nor there if the ink might ultimately come off the labels
anyway.  If the answer is that labels won't last under these conditions,
what are the practical and affordable alternatives?

Thanks

Simon Grove





`'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,

Dr Simon J Grove, Biology and Conservation Branch, 
Division of Forest Research and Development
Forestry Tasmania, GPO Box 207, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
Tel. 61 3 6233 8141.  Fax 61 3 6233 8292.  
Email:  simon.grove at forestrytas.com.au. 
Web address: http://forestrytas.com.au/