[NHCOLL-L:1461] RE: labels for wet collections

[Simmons, John E]

There has been a good study reported of Resistal driving the acidification
of ethanol.  See:  Andrei, M. A. and H. H. Genoways.  1999.  Changes in pH
in museum storage fluids, I-effects of Resistal paper labels.  Collection
Forum 13(2):63-75.  

Your best option is probably a thermal printer, which produces labels on
spunbonded polyethylene sheets.  One source of thermal printers is:
	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: Cokendolpher at aol.com [mailto:Cokendolpher at aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 12:54 PM
To: nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:1460] labels for wet collections


Currently, I am using the non-bleed, alcohol resistant, cloth ribbons from 
Access Computer Printer Products (same as the ribbons that were formerly
made 
by Automated Office Products) and 100% cotton bond paper on a dot-matrix 
printer.  I am looking for a way to produce better looking (sharper letters)

long-term labels that will fit into small vials.

I have read that Resistall paper might be better but that it was acidic in 
alcohol solution.  Does anyone care to comment on this paper versus 100% 
cotton bond paper for labels that will be stored in 70-80% ethanol?

Is there an impact printer that produces a relatively sharp image at 4-7 
point size?  Does the number of pins in a dot matrix head alter the image 
clarity?  In other words, does a 24 pin printer produce a sharper image than

a 9 pin printer?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

James Cokendolpher  
Biological Consultant
Lubbock, Texas