[Nhcoll-l] Fwd: Labelling of alcohol-preserved specimens

[Callomon,Paul]

I would guess that a regular clothes iron is all you need to fully bond laser printer ink into paper. A short burst of high heat will probably do a better job than a long baking, as all the unfixed ink will become simultaneously mobile and should flow well into the paper. An old-style photographic print dryer (the kind with a hot, polished steel face and a canvas backer that presses the paper against the steel) should also do this job pretty well, and that would give you a chance to recycle some old technology too!

We also have a Datamax printer here, and it seems to do a good job, but supplies are expensive.

PC


Paul Callomon
Collections Manager in Malacology, Invertebrate Paleontology and General Invertebrates
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
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From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Daniel K. Young
Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 10:31 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Fwd: Labelling of alcohol-preserved specimens

Hi All,

I was intrigued by Mark O'Brien's comment (Hi Mark)!  I have learned (and taught) just the opposite: do NOT use inkjet & bubblejet printers because the letters readily dissolve in EtOH (and I've witnessed that). In the case of simply xeroxed labels, the letters readily life off the paper. As for laser printers, it has been my experience (and, alas, I'm old enough to have had a lot of experience) that as long as the heat is sufficient, the plasticized carbon will generally NOT lift off the paper.  I am looking at EtOH laser-printed labels that were printed more than 25 years ago and have been in 80% EtOH since - they look "good as new."

I also concur with Paul's observation:

We have noticed in the last few years that modern laser printers seem to be using less heat, and thus are not bonding inks as tightly, especially into thicker paper stock.

For this reason, we now - as a matter of protocol, immediately take printed labels from the laser printer to a drying oven where we heat them for at least several hours (which not infrequently becomes over night as forgetful minds work).  In any case this has served us well.  We now generally use Bright White, acid free, 65 lb. archival quality paper. This weight just falls into the "cardstock" category, but I find somewhat "lighter" 100% cotton paper - circa 32 lb. worked well, too.

Great - and very important - topic!

Cheers,

Dan


Dr. Daniel K. Young

Chair, Entomology Academic Affairs Committee
Chair, UW Natural History Museums Council

Professor of Entomology and
Director, UW Insect Research Collection (WIRC)
445 Russell Laboratories
Department of Entomology
1630 Linden Drive
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI  53706

ph.  608-262-2078
fax  608-262-3322
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