Sharpies are not archivally stable. The ink will not only fade over time but will weaken the zip-lock. If you are using acid free materials you need to use stable acid-free ink. There are several brands of pens designed for marking slides and film. These will also write on zip-lock
bags.  I use a permanent ink Stabilo-OHPen by Schwan. You can find them in art supply stores or through vendors like University Products, Light Impressions, etc. You should include an acid free label inside because it ink will ware off as the bag is handled. If you generate the tags
on the computer and print them on acid free paper they can be very small and still leave the contents visible.

I can't tell you how many otherwise good zip lock bags I have had to replace because they have brittle faded yellow spots where the Sharpie writing once was. As a general rule, if you would not use it on an artifact do not use it on the artifact packaging.

Sue Linder-Linsley
Director, Collections Management
Southern Methodist University



James Tichgelaar wrote:

> The best solution I have seen for stable coins is to place them in
> individual zip-lock bags and use acid free 35mm slide boxes organize the
> bags.  A Sharpie pen will write on the outside of the bags, or you can
> place an acid free label inside (but this will keep you from being able
> to examine both sides of the coin while it is in the bag).
>
> --
> James H Tichgelaar
> Registrar, Arkansas State University Museum
> http://museum.astate.edu
>
> "All we ever wanted was everything.  All we ever got was cold."
>

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