* Ron Johnson <ron.l.john...@cox.net> [090107 18:59]: > On 01/07/09 19:19, Chris Jones wrote: >> Does anyone know of a magical pen that would write something legible >> on that surface and possibly come with an eraser so that I can reuse >> them and still have a clue what I used them for? > > Sharpies don't work?
There seems to be some controversy regarding the use of Sharpie-type permanent markers to write on optical disk media: Numerous CD vendors have noted that the thin protective lacquer coating can deteriorate from contact with certain solvents in markers. To eliminate the risk, water-based markers are recommended for CD labeling. As a solvent, alcohol is generally less damaging than xylene and toluene, which are common in aromatic solvent-based markers. According to anecdotal reports, alcohol-based markers can be used to label CDs without causing performance problems. However, there are no explicit lab test results to show what effect solvents in markers have on different CDs or DVDs, particularly over the long term. http://www.itl.nist.gov/iad/894.05/docs/CDandDVDCareandHandlingGuide.pdf [ 1.3MB pdf ] Though a quick web search brings up many anecdotal stories of people using Sharpies to label disks and having no problems... There are also special pens available for marking disks, for example: http://www.amazon.com/Archival-Gold-Safe-Solvent-Free/dp/B0007U7GSM John -- John Magolske http://B79.net/contact -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org