labelling
Blee811@aol.com (Wed, 24 Aug 2005 07:15:38 PDT)

In a message dated 8/24/2005 9:42:36 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
jshields@indy.net writes:

I'm experimenting with the Brother 2600 label printer, which can use
laminated tapes (types "TZ") in various widths, mainly 1" or 1/2", with
white or clear backgrounds. It is pretty good for making a half dozen to a
couple dozen labels of the exact same thing. Beyond a dozen or two, there
is no easy way to make labels. I'm using lots of these outdoors now; I'll
let you know in about 5 years how well they are holding up.

I used the Brother labeler for about a year, but it galls me to type one
character at a time on a keyboard too small to use touch-typing. I will admit
that those Brother labels are still intact after 7 years in the garden. Use the
clear ones rather than the white ones so they're less obtrusive. Also, if you
position them not facing the sun they'll last longer.

I've used plastic stakes from the big suppliers--they get brittle after a
couple years and break. Perhaps the references to vinyl are to something else. I
still like the vinyl venetian blind slats, but yes, they do heave up. But I
find the metal ones do too.

I will stick with my zinc-plate on wire legs type of labels that I purchase
from Eon Industries. I can take my database of cultivar names, do a mail
merge, and print 30 to a page of Avery clear address labels that I burnish onto
the zinc plates and be done before you've finished 10 Brother labels! And they
last just as long.
Bill Lee