I must say that I can't let this go by without commenting. 
 
At my site, we have 10s of thousands of objects that were numbered with paper labels and they are the biggest pain in my neck!  They fall off over time, become illegible, deteriorate, and sometimes they were not cut very neatly so as to be most difficult to read.  Personally, I would never use a paper label applied to anything since this experience.  We have so many objects that we can not reunite with their numbers and paperwork because the numbers have been lost. (and the fact that the records are also pretty bad)  From personal experience, I would rather wait to have the B-72 dry and then write on the object then have to try to deal with those small pieces of paper!
 
This is of course my own opinion.
Tracie
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask]>Wil Grewe-Mullins
To: [log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 2:12 PM
Subject: Re: B-72 and inks

I have mostly given up on using ink in favor of laser printed paper tags. I print in 5, 6 or 7 point type ,depending upon the size of the item (Arial font works very well), cut out a very small tag, just larger than the number itself, put down a base coat of B72, let it dry for a minute or so, and while it is still slightly tacky, place the tag on the surface, and cover it with a topcoat of B72. This makes for very legible numbers, which are also easier to find, and works for many, but not all, applications. And yes, I have checked this out with conservators, who approve.

William Grewe-Mullins
Registrar
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
767 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30307-1221
(404) 929-6317
(404) 378-8140 fax