[NHCOLL-L:3393] Re: Labels for wet collection

[Erik Åhlander]

Here is an "anecdote and personal opinion" approach:

We have used laserprinted labels for the fish collection at NRM, Stockholm, Sweden for more than 17 years. We have used a good (Swedish-made)label paper of which we have experience from for at least 50 years (possibly more than 100 years!). The printer has been any standard laser printer. For many years we sprayed the labels with "letraset spray", an allmost extinct product, used for those little letters that was rubbed to the papper, once upon a time. Since about two years, when obtaining the spray developped to a problem, we changed to ironing the labels (paper with text downside and a clean paper below, and then a hot iron on like was it a shirt).

During the years we have produced some +50 000 labels. We have seen three drawbacks:

1. Fat fish (anguillas, salmons) may destroy the labels (which several people has pointed out already). Less than 50 lots cause real problems.
2. When sending loans, having the label turned text-side out against the plastic bag, the text attaches to the plastic bag, leaving only remnants on the label. (The solution is to fold the label, write the catalogue number on the backside with a pencil and turn the pencil text out to the bag)
3. When the printer is almost out of toner, the text becomes sensible. But, it appears immediately.

In total: no problems.

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Erik Ahlander, Collection Manager - Fishes
Swedish Museum of Natural History
(Naturhistoriska riksmuseet)
Section for Vertebrate Zoology
(Frescativagen 40)
P.O. Box 50007; S-104 05 STOCKHOLM, Sweden
Phone +46 8 51954118; Fax +46 8 51954212
email: erik.ahlander at nrm.se
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