LABEL For official Geocache

[+deafnut]

where i can do that and how ?

Edited May 15, 2007 by deafhunt

[+deafnut]

I mean how i can print with that kind od label i could"t not find one ?

[+CSpenceFLY]

where i can do that and how ?

 

Are you talking about the label that someone would put on the outside of the cache?

 

I'm not sure you can print those. The notes that you put in the cache can be found on the find a cache page. Maybe someone can post a link.

[+Gadgetman!]

I have 'some' experience with printing on vinyl sheets, and I can say one thing...

 

Don't even think about it!

It's a bl**dy mess!

 

Background; I work in the Public Roads Administration in Norway(We handle, among other things, drivers licenses, planning and overseeing road constructions, car certifications, and so on) and one of our 'products' are temporary license plates, for use when you need to move a car, take it for a test or such.

These are red vinyl stickers that we print at our equivalent of the DMV, using sheets of A4 size vinyl with backing paper, which has been pre-cut with the shape of two plates. These are loaded into ordinary lasers(the old HP LJ II or III was perfect for this, as they were relatively cool even when printing), and out comes... a mess..

 

First point, inkjets are no go, as the ink won't stick on the vinyl.

 

Lasers are hot, and not only is it a problem with the vinyl melting and getting stuck to the innards if you get a paper-jam, but...

The heat makes the vinyl shrink a little bit, creating gaps and exposing some of the glue along the edges. This contaminates the printer and will make it jam sooner or later. One solution we found was to use an extra sheet which had a fold along the short edge, creating a 1/4" wide lip. This was placed under the vinyl/backing so that the lip covers the edge going first into the laser. But users often forgot to add the pre-folded sheet, particularly if they were in a hurry...

We usually consider it good if a laser lasts for a year...

(We're using HP LJ3005 at the moment. They seem to be working)

Oh yeah, when we asked HP about recommended printers for this task, they told us that NONE of their lasers was suitable and that if we tried we could wave the warranty a long goodbye...

 

The stickers you buy have been made by either lasering, then adding the glue, or using some sort of offset printing, all of which assumes high-volume production.

 

Now, all hope is not lost...

 

What you CAN do is use your regular inkjet printer, print out the decal on paper, then run them through a laminating machine(I prefer hot laminators), and just glue the result onto your cache box.

Or, if you have access to a colour laser, you could print onto transparency sheets and glue them onto your cache.

[+EEeee!]

It's probably also worth pointing out that you don't HAVE to have the logo on the container to make it a cache. It's often a good idea, depending on where you've hidden it, just so the local authorities don't freak out if someone stumbles upon it, but you can also just write "GEOCache" on it using a permanent marker. Or you can leave it completely unmarked and just include an explanation sheet inside the cache. (available at gc.com)

Edited May 16, 2007 by EEeee!

[marnen]

Or you can leave it completely unmarked and just include an explanation sheet inside the cache. (available at gc.com)

Don't do that. Nobody is going to bother to open up a suspicious-looking unmarked container -- or at least, no one should be that stupid. I believe relatively strongly that all geocaches should have some sort of mark on the outside stating that they're geocaches. Many state park authorities require this.

[+sbell111]

Or you can leave it completely unmarked and just include an explanation sheet inside the cache. (available at gc.com)

Don't do that. Nobody is going to bother to open up a suspicious-looking unmarked container -- or at least, no one should be that stupid. I believe relatively strongly that all geocaches should have some sort of mark on the outside stating that they're geocaches. Many state park authorities require this.

I bet that 90% of all caches are not identified as such on the outside.

 

I rather believe that the risk of finding a bomb in a piece of tupperware under a bush at the coords of a cache is fairly slim. The only real reason to mark the outside of a cache is to identify it to non-players.

[+Renegade Knight]

Or you can leave it completely unmarked and just include an explanation sheet inside the cache. (available at gc.com)

Don't do that. Nobody is going to bother to open up a suspicious-looking unmarked container -- or at least, no one should be that stupid. I believe relatively strongly that all geocaches should have some sort of mark on the outside stating that they're geocaches. Many state park authorities require this.

 

I paint over the military markings and use a Stencil to paint geocache on the container. The stickers don't hold up. The laminated ones discussed above might actually do better than the gc.com ones.

[marnen]

The only real reason to mark the outside of a cache is to identify it to non-players.

Exactly -- and that's why they should always be marked.

[+Fuzzywhip]

I have been having some success with printing my own cache container labels.

 

Using a b/w inkjet printer, I print my label on a 3 x 5 pin-fed label (old inkjet printer has tractor feed and I'm using old labels).

 

To make the label waterproof, I bought a can of clear spray paint used for sealing man-made concrete patio slabs with decorative "stone" paint. (A little hard to explain, but painting concrete to make it look like stone).

 

The result is a label who's ink won't run (careful applying the clear paint as this can cause the ink to run if you put it own too thick and wet) and adheres well to plastic containers.

 

I have two caches out for almost six months with very little fade on the label. Plus, since the labels are easy to make, I can always stick a new label over the old.

[madabess]

jghvbb

[marnen]

Neat idea! You might also be able to achieve the same effect by printing in mirror image on the reverse side of transparency film, then spray-painting a background color over the ink.