[Nhcoll-l] Thermal label problems

[Sidlauskas, Brian]

Hi Jon,

I had this problem crop up once on thermal labels printed on a Datamax-I series (4000 I think) printer using the Alpha Systems Preservation tag.  The labels had been exposed to a tank of fish specimens in isopropanol with a high content of lipids that had leached out of the specimens, and the ink fell off if rubbed gently with a gloved finger.   I have never replicated the problem, but it does somewhat terrify me.

Best Fishes,

-- Brian

--
Brian Sidlauskas
Associate Professor and Curator of Fishes
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Oregon State University
104 Nash Hall
Corvallis, OR 97331

brian.sidlauskas at oregonstate.edu<mailto:brian.sidlauskas at oregonstate.edu>
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From: <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Jon Fong <jfong at calacademy.org>
Date: Friday, May 27, 2016 at 1:03 PM
To: "nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu" <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Thermal label problems

We are having a label printer problem that supposedly no one else has, so I'm asking around to see if it really is only us, or whether that no one else has noticed.

The problem is that we are able to scrape off the ink with a fingernail from our thermal transfer labels after they've been soaked in ethanol for a few minutes. We're using a relatively new Datamax H-4408, with supposedly chemical-resistant resin ribbon, and polyester paper. This shouldn't happen, and I know that we've been able to successfully print labels where we couldn't scratch off the ink. With this printer.  But it keeps recurring, and we don't know whether it's the supplier (Alpha Systems), the manufacturer, our printer (lemon? doubtful, it's the second one), or us. Please answer this quick survey.

  1.  With a recently printed label, soaked in ethanol for a few minutes, are you able to scratch off ink with your fingernail?
  2.  What make/model of printer do you use?
  3.  What are the heat and print speed settings on the printer?
  4.  Which ribbon and paper do you use?
  5.  Who do you order your supplies from?
  6.  We've also had problems with fine white threads coming off the polyester paper and clogging the print head. Anyone else experience this?
Thanks for your time,
Jon

Jon D. Fong
Curatorial Assistant / Programmer
Dept. of Ichthyology
California Academy of Sciences
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