Information about labeling sound equipment with console tape
Periodic re-branding of our favorite console label tape has led to what is now known as Shurtape A&E.
Shurtape acquired the brand Permacel P-724 several years ago and incorporated it into their line of tape products intended for arts and entertainment production.
Shurtape is one of the largest tape manufacturers in the world and their products are prized by hands on techs in film, video, theatre and special event production.
One of the great features of using a Sharpie Marker for console labeling is that, once it has dried, you can rub your hands across the label strip all night long and it never smudges.
That feature is not so great when the cap on the marker in your pocket comes off without you knowing it.
I can’t count the number of times I have ruined a pair of pants by having Sharpie ink leak through the pocket.
Here are some tips from the Marker manufacturer for removing Sharpie stains.
Clothes-Use hand sanitizer
Walls-Use toothpast
Wood-Use rubbing alcohol
Carpet-Use white vinegar
Furniture-Use milk
Glass-Use 1 part toothpaste and 1 part baking soda
Shurtape P724 console label tape is made from a type of paper referred to as “kraft”. Kraft paper is stronger than lots of other papers because of a manufacturing process that removes one of the components of wood pulp that negatively impacts paper strength.
By removing most of the lignin in the manufacturing process, the paper becomes stronger. The best known use for kraft paper is making shopping bags.
In order to make the paper the bright white which is prized as a characteristic of console labeling tape, it is bleached while still in the pulp format.
Most Sharpie Markers die an early death because you forget to cap them. Without the cap in place, the ink in the felt tip of the marker dries out, preventing the ink still in the barrel from flowing to the tip.
You can bring that marker back to life by dipping it into a dish of warm water. Remove it as soon as it is thoroughly saturated and then blot it on a dry rag or paper towel.
Continue to blot and massage the tip until the water has flowed into the fibers of the tip which will allow the ink to begin to flow back into the dried out tip.
Once the ink is flowing again, make sure to put the tip back on securely.
We’ve discussed in the past that PH neutral/acid free tapes are the best for console labeling. They are the best way to insure that no damage is done to the finish of a piece of expensive sound or lighting equipment when the label tape is left in place for a long time.
With the recent popularity of console (artist) tape in colors, users need to know that only the white version of this product is acid free.
Pastel and neon colors are great for high visibility, but should be removed as soon as the show is over.
One of the things most prized about a Sharpie Marker when labeling a console is that it is indelible. It quickly dries and once it does it is indelible. You can sweat on it, spill on it and rub your hands across it and your labels remain eligible.
Unfortunately, lots of console labeling is done in the dark and sometimes things get Sharpie ink on them when that was not your intention.
Here’s a link to a page of handy tips about removing Sharpie marks from places you don’t want them.
Our favorite remedy is to use toothpaste!
Sometimes, it can be hard to find console tape, leading to the use of inappropriate products for labeling, the worst of which is masking tape.
While you can always order it online, you might not be able to find it locally, at least if you call what you are looking for “console” tape.
Try looking for “artist tape” instead. It has the same paper and adhesive properties as console tape, but it is sold in art supply and stationary stores, and is intended for a very different use.
Artists use it for temporary layouts and to affix things like watercolor paper to backings temporarily to keep it from moving. Crafters and scrapbook makers like it because the adhesive is non-acidic and doesn’t damage delicate papers.
You can find it a most major craft supply outlets.
Tape used for sound and lighting console labeling has a lot of names-console tape, board tape, label tape, mixer tape, and on and on.
We recently came across a new term that makes more sense than it should.
The term is “scribble tape”.
If you’ve ever had to step up and mix a set after another sound person has labeled the console, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.
We know that every sound person has a Sharpie in his pocket for console labeling, but his guy gakes the Sharpie way beyond just mixer marking.
Moose Cates, from our own home town in North Carolina, has chosen the Sharpie as the medium for some amazing art work.
Click here to see some of his art work.
There is nothing more frustrating than trying to trouble shoot a cabling problem, in the dark, while an event is going on.
Most audio visual system failures begin as cable failures, so it is not unusual to have to trouble shoot and fix a problem on the fly, while an event is going on. More times than not, you’ll be doing it in the dark.
Temporary labels put on critical cables for one time use can be a huge help when trying to take on these challenges.
Don’t forget to remove the label when the event is over, so that you don’t mistake an old label for a one related to a current event.
