Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Labels for chemical bottles

Random - 3-8-2010 at 01:11

I am trying to label chemical bottles with as many information I can and I saw this picture:



Is there software that can make labels like those or I need to make photoshop template?

Lambda-Eyde - 3-8-2010 at 01:31

I made a thread about labeling chemicals over at "the Norwegian Freak Forum" as I strive to label my chemicals in a professional way.

Here's a picture of what one of the labels look like:







Some of my self-made labels on reagent containers:





...And attached is a Microsoft Word 97-2003 document (.doc) with two sample labels and a template. Although all the text is Norwegian, it's quite intuitive and you'll have no problem translating it. I print mine on sticker paper and also apply an adhesive plastic foil if the container will be subjected to moisture. Feel free to use them on your bottles and boxes. They are released for private, non-profit use. ;)

[Edited on 3-8-2010 by Lambda-Eyde]

Attachment: Etiketter - nFF.doc (48kB)
This file has been downloaded 1159 times

Random - 3-8-2010 at 01:52

Thank you, that's exactly what I needed! Just what are the numbers and letters under hazard symbols like R5 and others? Maybe I'll check the forum you posted too over google translator, looks interesting :)

Lambda-Eyde - 3-8-2010 at 02:09

They are Risk and Safety phrases.

peach - 3-8-2010 at 12:40

I don't have that much information on mine, but I draw the NFPA 704 safety triangle on them, which I think is far more informative than the hazard symbols myself, as it gives some assement of the level of risk presented for each property; health, flammability, instability / reactivity and special risks.

The NFPA 704 'fire diamond'

But those are very nice looking labels lambda. I may see if I can squeeze an NFPA triangle in there.

psychokinetic - 3-8-2010 at 13:15

These are awesome. I was about to go searching for good ways to label.

peach - 3-8-2010 at 14:42

For the lazier among us, I was also considering getting one of those 'bored housewife who's not getting enough sex and wants to label everything' label printers.

They're about £10-15 on eGimp, will print multiple lines in a number of fonts and formats and can do plastic labels.

At the moment, I write the names on printer labels with a pen and stick them to the bottle. I quite like the human touch and the character it brings to my tiny amber friends.

My commercial bottles have more technical looking labels on them, but not all that informative. For example, my Sodium nitrite has the old skull and crossbones toxic symbol, yet it's used ubiquitously as a food preservative. My solvents have highly flammable and pictures of infernos on them, yet I can hold a light cigarette and burning lighter over them.

[Edited on 3-8-2010 by peach]

undead_alchemist - 7-8-2010 at 00:23

There are also the real software programs that many big companies use to.
My work bought software just for this purpose.
It is great for some things. It has the risk and safety terms in 13 languages.
All the needed graphics as well.
It is built around Bartender label software. Lots of support for graphics and full wizzywig support.

Biggest dislike of it is the use of a MS Access file for the database. Wish it had ODBC or other database support.

Another good label program that could be used is Nicelabel.

peach - 7-8-2010 at 01:45

Thanks undead,

MS Access for commercial software is concerning and annoying, yes.

It'd also be good to find somewhere selling plastic labels that can be colour printed to and not have it wash off around solvents. That's a fairly big ask.

I've seen plastic ones that can be colour inkjet printed, but they're kind of porous and opaque, to take the ink up. And it doesn't stay still even around simple solvents like everyday alcohols.

Last resort would be the more time consuming sticky back plastic option. Again, no idea about the solvent compatibility at the moment.

Satan - 7-8-2010 at 04:15

Quote: Originally posted by peach  

It'd also be good to find somewhere selling plastic labels that can be colour printed to and not have it wash off around solvents. That's a fairly big ask.

Or maybe paint it with solution of sodium silicate, and glue it with the same solution. It might be good idea to use thicker paper, as thin paper tend to be semitransparent after such treatment.

peach - 8-8-2010 at 03:57

Quote: Originally posted by Satan  
Quote: Originally posted by peach  

It'd also be good to find somewhere selling plastic labels that can be colour printed to and not have it wash off around solvents. That's a fairly big ask.

Or maybe paint it with solution of sodium silicate, and glue it with the same solution. It might be good idea to use thicker paper, as thin paper tend to be semitransparent after such treatment.


That is good thinking! ;)

densest - 8-8-2010 at 13:51

One thing I've seen work (for a while) is using wide transparent tape over the label. It's best if the tape is wider than the paper so there is no way to wick liquid in from the side.

Another thing I've seen is a separate color strip with a black-and-white label. PVC electrician's tape comes in many colors. I don't know if teflon tape comes in any colors other than white and yellow.

Finding an adhesive which resists organic solvents can be difficult. Epoxy?

versor - 8-8-2010 at 15:02

@Random
The bottle you show ist labeled with the following programm:

http://www.urllib.de/etiketten/eingabe.php

its a german website based on the datas from the Merck Chemdat© 2006 und dem Acros© Katalog 2004

all the datas are in german language

peach - 8-8-2010 at 17:02

I'd be going for simplicity. I'm the kind of person who can easily get distracted oiling his tools as opposed to using them, so I have to make a conscious effort not to spend too long 'fannying around' with gear. With the epoxy, I'd probably spend all day trying to get it all neat looking, ending up gluing my face to something in the process. :P

I'm trying to be more careful with mine for now.

One thought that just came in my mind was those plastic coated flasks and what not. I suppose rather than paint the labels with something, they could simply be dipped and then allowed to drip dry, which should be very quick, easy and produce a clean finish. Might even make the bottle less likely to smash in the process.

If one where using something like epoxy, it'd need to be the really runny stuff with a retarder in it, and a lot of the bottles would obviously need doing in one go.

I know sodium silicate is supposed to make things water & fire proof, not sure how chemically resistant it is.

The guys who sell resin casting kits retail a bunch of these things in bulk (1l) packs a lot cheaper than you'll get a pack of epoxy glue at the store. The resin they sell is also very runny by comparison and the epoxy it's self (checking Cole Parmers' compatibility charts) is remarkably resistant, scoring only a few D's.

Other resin options include polyester and urethane as common kit components.

Stick, dunk, drip, dry, done.

[Edited on 9-8-2010 by peach]

undead_alchemist - 22-12-2010 at 16:16

Quote: Originally posted by peach  

It'd also be good to find somewhere selling plastic labels that can be colour printed to and not have it wash off around solvents. That's a fairly big ask.

I've seen plastic ones that can be colour inkjet printed, but they're kind of porous and opaque, to take the ink up. And it doesn't stay still even around simple solvents like everyday alcohols.

Last resort would be the more time consuming sticky back plastic option. Again, no idea about the solvent compatibility at the moment.


One option would be a colour laser printer and polyester labels. The toner really fuses nicely to them. I have used both vinyl and polyester labels at work. Found that polyester works better with our printers.

TheOrbit - 22-12-2010 at 21:56

it is very nice work

Hexavalent - 4-4-2015 at 12:38

Apologies for bumping an old thread, but I recently stumbled across this nice little resource.
http://www.mysafetylabels.com/custom-ghs-labels
It allows you to prepare custom labels in various formats and modify the label contents to your pleasing. I'm not sure how much work it actually saves, but the labels produced will always be consistent in terms of font, font sizing, colours and layout.

subsecret - 4-4-2015 at 17:28

You could make it in MS paint. It may be difficult to get it consistent, but you'd get close, and having it in .jpg format won't matter because it looks the same as .doc on paper. Just make a template, and copy and edit every time you need a new label.

Dr.Bob - 6-4-2015 at 09:42

For covering the labels, I like the 2" wide Scotch brand clear packing tape. It holds up to many chemicals pretty well, and lasts longer in the lab than most plastics. I use it to cover address labels sometimes as well, as it is quite water resistant. I also buy it by the 6 pack at Sam's for sealing up boxes, and it does well for that also. The cheaper tapes I have tried mostly do not last long in the lab, although there may be some types that do.

Texium - 6-4-2015 at 12:38

Quote: Originally posted by Hexavalent  
Apologies for bumping an old thread, but I recently stumbled across this nice little resource.
http://www.mysafetylabels.com/custom-ghs-labels
It allows you to prepare custom labels in various formats and modify the label contents to your pleasing. I'm not sure how much work it actually saves, but the labels produced will always be consistent in terms of font, font sizing, colours and layout.
That site is amazing. Yesterday I went on a label making binge and labeled most of my reagents with nice uniform NFPA labels. Much better than what I used to have, which was the name and formula written in sharpie.

Milan - 6-4-2015 at 13:02

There is another thread on labels in the beginnings section.
Here's a link: http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=62018

Zombie - 6-4-2015 at 18:38

Very Nice Loptr!

That's the way I think we all like them... Easy to use.