[NHCOLL-L:2946] Re: Archival Inks and Inkjet Printers

[Doug Yanega]

>I was hoping to print these labels using a laserprinter on "Rite in 
>the Rain" copy paper, since I already have about a ream of it. Does 
>anyone have knowledge if laserjet printing ---or copying-- will 
>survive these preservatives for this length of time?

 From extensive experience with labels in ethanol, the success/failure 
of a laserwritten label depends primarily upon the paper itself (and 
to some degree on the printer). Back in 1990 I used the same exact 
printer with different types of paper and had completely different 
results - on some the labels stayed perfectly (for 15 years and 
counting), while on other paper, the letters came off within 24 
hours. For a more recent example, we print labels on two types of 
archival paper here (one is heavier than the other, and they're used 
for slightly different purposes), and we recently upgraded from an 
old SCSI-connection HP Laserjet 6MP to a USB-connection HP Laserjet 
1300. The labels printed on the lighter Springhill paper appear to be 
fine for ethanol when using either printer. Labels on the heavier 
Neenah paper, however, are fine on the OLD printer, but the ones done 
on the new printer are prone to rapid degradation (the slightest 
friction abrades them into illegibility). There was no way we could 
have known in advance that the newer printer would make *unusable* 
labels when printing on the Neenah paper, and we've accordingly been 
forced to keep the old printer (it's that or throw away a 10-year 
supply of perfectly good paper, and start experimenting with other 
papers - which is time-consuming and expensive, since the store won't 
let you take two sheets apiece of 50 different papers).

If you look over past discussions and publications regarding archival 
quality of laser-printing and such, you'll note that people's 
opinions and experiences are quite inconsistent - that's because no 
one can test every possible combination of printers and papers. MOST 
folks who post on the topic seem to have had bad experiences, in 
general, but that is by no means universal. The bottom line is that 
you are probably stuck with trial-and-error: ultimately, you CANNOT 
trust anything that anyone tells you that does not specifically 
involve "Rite in the Rain" copy paper, and whatever model of printer 
you are using.

Good luck,
-- 

Doug Yanega        Dept. of Entomology         Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521-0314
phone: (951) 827-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
              http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
         is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82