[filmscanners] RE: How to label CD backups

["Tim Atherton" <tim@KairosPhoto.com>]

> Are the things that can go wrong with labels worse than what people are
> worrying about with using inks directly on CDs?

First Kip - YES!

Labels - even round ones, increase read/write errors on the CD dramatically,
right from the start (I've seen the scary looking graphs...).

Then, the glue from the labels will, over time, most likely cause damage.

Also, if they get wet or even damp, then they will wrinkle and probably make
the disk unreadable. And if you try and get them off, they will usually take
some of the foil layer off.

On the issue of pens and writing on CD's... The testing I saw showed the
potential for the chemicals in the inks to cause long term damage -
especially when you consider the CD are stored in a closed case with little
ventilation. Add to that you may have left the non-acid free cardboard
inserts in, and chemicals from the ink can react with those too...

If you are going to write on them, use the water based permanent marker just
mentioned and write on the inner clear circle. Put any labels on the outside
of the box and use acid free archival ones = no nasty chemicals/acid

The top foil layer of the CD is very fragile, and the lacquer layer doesn't
offer a lot of protection. Depending on brand, it may be almost non
existent. Kodak chose to call their CD's (when they made them) "archival"
partly because they apparently put on a tougher lacquer. Note that in
testing for disaster recovery, simulating flood or soaking from sprinklers
etc, many CD's delaminated rather quickly.... - contaminants can get into
those layers.

I don't want to sound like chicken little, but if you are going to archive
images long term on CD, then you need to do these kinds of things. The same
as if you were storing negatives properly.

I've posted ad infinitum the advice about storage etc we were given by
scientists from the Canadian Conservation Institute who were doing this
testing (The Longevity and Preservation of Optical Media...) - I'm sure you
can find it in the archives if you hunt for CD's!

tim




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