Historic American Buildings Survey
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Historic American Buildings Survey
So, if HABS is your reason for marking, then no shortcuts, right?
I would use Pelikan India ink.
I have found sharpies are invisible under Infrared goggles, so I can't read what I've written on the film boxes whether I have N or N+1 or ... to develop...
So I have been marking my film boxes lately with Faber-Castell PITT artist pen (M) that I stole from my teenager. Just got it at a local art supply store. Pretty nice little black opaque ink pens.
Kohinoor makes a non-clogging ink http://www.dickblick.com/products/ko...aterproof-ink/
Of course, it still clogs, it just takes several weeks instead of several days.
I used it in a Calcomp plotter, worked best when refilling the one-use disposable rapidograph points. Those days of CAD are long gone. There was an aesthetic in india ink on velum drawings that ink-jet or xerography can't duplicate.
I am using a pencil, is chemically resistant
i have only used pencil too, submitted in thumb tabbed unbuffered envelopes
and prints with pencil as well, in pmc ( photo mount cards ) ..
although i just submitted a job a week or so ago, for a state, and was told
to use a fine sharpie on the CD and on the back of the ink prints
because no other pen would work ...
i really can't get used to submitting a documentary projects on CD and inkjet prints ..
I have used ink and a fountain pen for a while but this takes more than 24 hours to dry. Abotter helps this.
Recently however, I have solved the problem. Perhaps.
At Chapters or Indigo, in Canada there is a product from Faber Castell.
4 PITT artist pens with India ink :Black Sepia or Sanguine
Maximun lightfastness,Waterproff, permanent, odorless, Acid-free, PH neutral, with four points S .3mm,F .5mm,M .7mm, (usable) and B 1.5mm (More of a brush)
As on page 4 of the catalogue
http://www.faber-castell.ca/50225/Se...cv2_index.aspx
I always use Faber-Castell PITT artist pens for all my HABS, HAER or HALS work. The are pigment black, archival, waterproof, permanent, and work on the shiny side of the negs. There is a 10 second window of time after misspelling something that the ink can be wiped off before drying. Then a few minutes where the ink can be smeared if you are not careful. After that the ink only comes off only with a HABS-approved, non-reactive eraser. I have rewashed these marked negatives and the ink stays on through the entire wash procedure. Never had a problem with HABS, HAER, HALS or any of the NPS reviewers.
I bought the 4 Pack of the PITT pens (XS, S, F, M) in black and found I always use the "S" small. this gives you the following look on the 4x5 contact sheet...
Attachment 84405
Hope that helps.
A few minor things I'd like to add:
- I have both Rotring and Koh-i-Noor rapidograph pens of comparable widths, three each. The Koh-i-Noor pens have consistently worked better and have never had any of the weird ink flow problems I've had with the Rotrings. Yes, they're harder to maintain and ink, but so what? They work better.
- Over the last ten years using the same three Koh-i-Noor pens, the only times I've had clogging problems is when I've left the pens loosely-capped or just idle for stupid amounts of time. Even after a couple months idle, mine still write well at a moment's notice.
- I've had the best luck with Koh-i-Noor and Chartpack inks, both in the little dropper bottles (22ml aka 3/4 oz). Other inks have been more problematic.
From the HABS/HAER/HALS Guidelines…
"If the ink does not take to the negative base, carefully erase a portion of the border with a Staedtler MarsŪ plastic white vinyl eraser. This usually provides a surface that will take the ink."