For labels written in ink, sometimes holding the label at an angle to light will show a shadow of where the ink was and can be read that way. On Sat, Mar 12, 2022, 3:17 PM Erin Grace via pbs < pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > Thank you! I will try that. I have a few illegible labels on dwarf aloes > that I was trying the same photo tricks with, to no avail. > > Erin Grace > Thomasville, Georgia USA > It was 83 degrees a few days ago, tonight's forecast is 24 and windy > > On Sat, Mar 12, 2022 at 6:04 PM Michael Homick via pbs < > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > > > Today while repotting we ran into the same dilemma of trying to read a > > label that has faded in sunlight. We generally use venetian blind > sections > > and a soft lead pencil, which tends to last a very long time but the sun > > and weathering can still make it difficult to read over time. We > generally > > take it out to full sun and by looking at different angles you may see a > > possible letter or two. This label was almost impossible to make out > > anything. > > I have tried taking images and working with photoshop and various > filter > > effects to bring out the lettering, but that generally fails as well. > > Today I tried a different approach. I had obtained a tube of powdered > > graphite used to free up a sticking key lock. It acts as a Puffer > dispenser > > to puff graphite into the lock. I puffed a very small amount of the > > graphite on the label and gently wiped my thumb over the label surface. > The > > graphite stuck to the old lettering so that in full sun I was able to > make > > out the original writing on the label. It was not crystal clear but was > > readable. Hope this may help others in a similar situation. Not sure on > how > > it would work with faded markers and on other surfaces but may be worth a > > try.. > > All the best, Michael & Paul > > _______________________________________________ > > pbs mailing list > > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net>