Writing on Shop Geocaching labels

[+Doc_musketeers]

Has anyone found a way to write on the Geocache labels? We had noticed that many times a cache would have one of these beautiful labels but they hadn't been filled out. We put it down to CO laziness until we bought a bunch of the small labels for our team. We've tried every pen, pencil, Sharpie, paint pen, etc. and they either don't show up at all or smear. 

[RuideAlmeida]

1 hour ago, Doc_musketeers said:

We've tried every pen, pencil, Sharpie, paint pen, etc. and they either don't show up at all or smear. 

 

 

Did you try with a permanent marker?

[+cerberus1]

All our labels have even sharpie wear off eventually, so it's not due to our "laziness".  Others may have similar issues...

We had some luck by wiping with an alcohol prep beforehand.

Some we know reuse their quality containers.   Rather than buy a label each time used, they have the label there just to let others know what it is,  with all it's pertinent info inside it instead.  We see that a lot with those with custom paint jobs (we have some).

[+Doc_musketeers]

We were just joking about lazy cache owners, by the way . Using the blank label just to identify the container makes sense, that's actually what we thought was going on when we saw blank labels. But then we thought we would fill out "owner" and contact email when we first built the cache since that info wouldn't change even if we moved the cache. 

We will try the alcohol idea, thanks!

[+cerberus1]

12 minutes ago, Doc_musketeers said:

 ... But then we thought we would fill out "owner" and contact email when we first built the cache since that info wouldn't change even if we moved the cache. 

We know a few who use a name other than theirs on cache pages, mostly associated with a series. 

There's also a couple "team" accounts here, and though one person may be responsible for the account, a dozen or better may have placed/maintained caches (using their containers) owned by that account. 

[+Doc_musketeers]

19 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

We know a few who use a name other than theirs on cache pages, mostly associated with a series. 

There's also a couple "team" accounts here, and though one person may be responsible for the account, a dozen or better may have placed/maintained caches (using their containers) owned by that account. 

Ahh! That too makes sense. So maybe we are the outliers wanting to actually fill in the label! Lol. That would also explain why we couldn't find any previous threads about writing on these things.

The coating on the labels does seem very durable at least.

[+cerberus1]

33 minutes ago, Doc_musketeers said:

 That would also explain why we couldn't find any previous threads about writing on these things.

The coating on the labels does seem very durable at least.

I agree, we have an older ammo can that still has the label on it from '06.  Been used for two hides now.   Faded a bit, but still there...  

Many we know who place larger containers (ammo cans mostly) use stencils anymore.  Large events we've been to had vendors with "Geocache" stenciled on their containers.  Even shop geocaching's magnetic key-like container simply has  "Official Geocache" printed on it (with no other info).  They sell the stencils as well.

Some in another state simply stencil "Geocache" on the container because they cross-list on another site as well.  Geocaching.com's the largest, but not the only location game (we haven't participated in any yet).

Most caches I'm finding lately are electrical-taped pill bottles with plain paper inside.  I can't see them springin' for labels too.   

[+niraD]

9 hours ago, Doc_musketeers said:

We've tried every pen, pencil, Sharpie, paint pen, etc. and they either don't show up at all or smear. 

I have had decent luck by writing on the label with a Sharpie or other permanent marker, and then covering the writing with clear packing tape. Otherwise, anything I've found that will actually mark the label still smears.

[+coman123]

Use a paint pen, works great

[+WarNinjas]

I have put them on a few containers.  I usually can't fill out some of the info when hiding it because I don't know what I am going to name it for sure when hiding or the GC code. That could be some of the reason.  I guess CO and email could be added at anytime though.

[+Doc_musketeers]

On 11/20/2017 at 6:10 AM, coman123 said:

Use a paint pen, works great

Paint pens were on the "tried it" list. Retried one after this thread. Wiped with alcohol first. Dried overnight. Smeared off with fingertip.

On 11/19/2017 at 6:12 PM, niraD said:

I have had decent luck by writing on the label with a Sharpie or other permanent marker, and then covering the writing with clear packing tape. Otherwise, anything I've found that will actually mark the label still smears.

We did this too. So far it's our only working option. 

On 11/19/2017 at 2:11 PM, cerberus1 said:

Many we know who place larger containers (ammo cans mostly) use stencils anymore.  Large events we've been to had vendors with "Geocache" stenciled on their containers.  Even shop geocaching's magnetic key-like container simply has  "Official Geocache" printed on it (with no other info).  They sell the stencils as well

We hand-labeled our early hides, and love the idea and look of stencils, but the labels are so "official" looking on lock&lock type containers or wrapped around a preform that we hope they would catch a muggle's eye before they tossed our cache as so much graffitied Tupperware . It's just weird that these labels are designed to be "filled out" yet nothing seems to really work to write on them.

its also interesting that 80% of the comments here explain why COs don't WANT to fill them out . . . Which wasn't really our question, but maybe our "Lazy CO" joke unintentionally poked a hornets' nest. 

Just this evening someone started a "How Do I ..." thread. They were a muggle who had accidentally picked up a cache thinking it was trash until they opened it and saw the log. The recommendation was to "contact the cache owner" if they couldn't figure out exactly where it came from. Well, the label has a space for Cache Name, Cache Code, coordinates, and CO contact email. If any of that were filled in, or that information was provided in some other way, it would help this well-meaning muggle and help get the cache back where it belongs. But again, the super-glossy impermeable coating on the Geocaching.com labels are, apparently, impervious to all known writing instruments! Which is Cool! And yet totally not so cool ...

 

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, Doc_musketeers said:

It's just weird that these labels are designed to be "filled out" yet nothing seems to really work to write on them.

 

As with the CO's that cerberus1 mentioned, I'd prefer a label that tells people "it's a Geocache", without any form to fill out.  I'm planning to get some of my own printed, and they will have "kunarion" printed, and at most a space for the GC number.  I used paint stencils on almost all of my ammo box hides, some include cache names and GC numbers.

But for Lock-n-Locks, there's no way I'm buying pre-printed labels anymore (with the added headache of hoping my handwritten info doesn't wear off).   I print my cache label on ordinary paper just the way I like, and stick it to the inside of the lid with packing tape.  I may surround that with camo Gorilla duct tape when covering the box.  Twelve of my caches have labels like that.

 

Edited December 11, 2017 by kunarion

[+Doc_musketeers]

8 minutes ago, kunarion said:

 

As with the CO's that cerberus1 mentioned, I'd prefer a label that tells people "it's a Geocache", without any form to fill out.  I'm planning to get some of my own printed, and they will have "kunarion" printed, and at most a space for the GC number.

But for Lock-n-Locks, there's no way I'm buying pre-printed labels anymore (with the added headache of hoping my handwritten info doesn't wear off).  I print my cache label on ordinary paper just the way I like, and stick it to the inside of the lid with packing tape.  I may surround that with camo Gorilla duct tape when covering the box.  Twelve of my caches have labels like that.

 

Nice! At first our team worried that inkjet on normal paper wouldn't hold up but really by the point when a lock-n-lock has taken on enough moisture to destroy a tape-encapsulated label, its time for a replacement or at least a renovation! 

And yeah, I guess a nice glossy professionally printed official looking label is really what's needed. Maybe replace all the fill-in blanks with info for accidental finders.

[+kunarion]

32 minutes ago, Doc_musketeers said:

Nice! At first our team worried that inkjet on normal paper wouldn't hold up but really by the point when a lock-n-lock has taken on enough moisture to destroy a tape-encapsulated label, its time for a replacement or at least a renovation!

 

That's more or less how it's been working, where the box has aged and it's getting to the point where I need to swap it out anyway.  Plus it's trivial to print a new label and even change its design if I want.