Polyester Film Sleeves for Protection of Fragile or Damaged Specimen Labels

The protective sleeves for the labels are constructed of two pieces of 3mil uncoated polyester film. One style of sleeve utilizes a pocket-style opening for easy removal and insertion of the label (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. Pocket-style sleeve.

The other style is held closed with the string that attaches the sleeve to the specimen (Fig. 2).

Figure 2. Sleeve with string closure.

• Fingernail scissors
• Linen, cotton thread or string for tying labels
• Metal straight edge
• Paper punch
• Pencil-point soldering iron or polyester film sealer crosswelding machine
• Razor knife
• Self-healing alignment grid
• Stylus
• Table top corner rounder (optional)
• Uncoated polyester film (polyethylene terephthalate), 3mil
• Window glass – one pane, 10in x 10in

1. Cut film in a rectangle approximately 0.5cm wider and approximately 2.5cm longer than the label. Cut two pieces of film at the same time by placing two layers of film on a self-healing alignment grid and cutting along a metal straight edge, using a razor knife.
2. Heat bond the two pieces of film together along one short side and one long side, using a polyester film-sealing machine or crosswelding machine, or a pencil-point tip soldering iron. If using the soldering iron, the work surface should be a glass plate placed over the cutting grid. The tip of the soldering iron should be run along a metal straightedge.
3. Place the label in the sleeve and heat bond the third seam.
4. If the label is to be attached to a specimen, use a paper punch to make a hole in one end of the sleeve for attaching the string.
5. Because polyester film has sharp edges, all corners of the protective sleeves should be rounded to avoid damaging the specimens. This can be done with small fingernail scissors, or with a table top corner rounder.
6. If the label itself is not directly tied to the specimen, an inscribed catalog number on the sleeve will allow reassociation of the specimen and data if the label is removed. Use a stylus to inscribe the specimen catalog number on the polyester film sleeve. 
   
   
   

Hawks, C.A., and S.L. Williams. 1986. Care of specimen labels in vertebrate research collections. Pp. 105-107 in Proceedings of the 1985 Workshop on Care and Maintenance of Natural History Collections. (J. Waddington and D. Rudkin, eds.). Life Science Miscellaneous Publications, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 121pp.