Labels in alcool

[Richard E. Hill]

I have labels from 1984 that were printed on resistall (Bryon Weston) that
were printed with pencil, printing press, India ink in a rapidograph, and HP
laser printer.  While India ink is most duable, letters from all methods
diminish when abraded with a minuten.  Laser labels do not come off intact,
but scratch just like the India ink and other labels.  The laser lables remain
the most distinct and easiest to read.  The 70-80% alcohol vials contain
beetles, dragonflies, plecoptera, and a variety of other invrtebrates.

I have tried Pigma pens and found that I had to dry the ink thouroughly or the
ink would bleed.  I typically lay pigma labels and laser labels on top of a
banker's lamp (dark green glass shield over a 40 watt light bulb) for a minute
or so before placing the lable in the vial.  I have not found any type of ink
jet or bubble jet that semms anywhere close to permanent.

In the 80's, I tried other papers and found that the coated papers would not
hold laser labels, and sometimes would not hold India ink.

I currently us an HP Laserjet 5L and have can observe no deterioration in
labels 2.5 years old.

Is there a standard method for testing "deterioration" in labels?  If not,
what should one look for?

Stuart Fullerton wrote:

> it is my limited experience that so far. they _do not_ hold up. items that
> i did 3 years ago are showing signs of deteriation. especiall if touched
> or jostled.