[Nhcoll-l] Label damage and Teslin paper

[Alexandra Snyder]

Dear Pam,

Re: your question the "sharpness" of the thermal transfer label media, in my opinion, it is.  Basically, I consider ALL label paper potentially damaging to specimens so has always been the same: labels in first (including old/original labels) then fish specimens.  For very delicate larval fishes, specimens are placed in a .25 dram /1 dram boroscilliate vial (without label) then nested in a labeled 8 dram boroscilliate vial and filled with the fluid.  Both vials are plugged with cotton.

With the 4X4" size (and stability) of the polyspun plastic paper (or Resistal labels before that) the label tends to stay in place (i.e., against the sides of the jar or vial) once the container is filled with specimens and alcohol. However, in large jars, not filled to capacity with specimens, the labels will tend to "move" around and can cause problems with fish appendages, fins, etc.

Your question re: teslin paper.  I have had an "unscientific" experiment (since 2002) to see how Teslin stands up to ethanonl, formalin, and isopropanol.  Also how well the Epson impact printer ink stays on Teslin paper labels. So far, this paper has held up quite well.  My test of teslin in liquid nitrogen, it did not hold up as well as the polyspun plastic paper or Tyvek. (Both of these papers we use--preprinted-- in the field for labeling fin clips or tissues.)

Lex Snyder
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Alexandra M Snyder, Collections Manager-Fishes
Museum of Southwestern Biology MSC03-2020
University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131
PH./FAX 505.277.6005     amsnyder at unm.edu
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