Printing on Avery Label? Are they acid free?

[Johnny_Boy]

I need to stick a label roughly 5"x7" on the back of my print that are mounted on a gatorfoam. It basically has a bit of bio info and the note about the art.

What is the best way to create and attach this?

I didn't feel like applying acid free PVA glue to the back of each fine art paper before attaching to the back of the gatorfoam. Plus the fine art matte paper seems to be an overkill.
Is there some kind of self-adhesive type paper that is at least acid free? Do Avery make any labels that are acid free?

I was also just thinking about printing it on a laser printer rather than my ipf8300. How long do the laser prints last?

[framah]

Ok... here's a little thing you need to know...

If you have mounted your print onto Gatorfoam, you can forget about acid free ANYTHING!!!

The Gatorfoam is anything but acid free! 

Of course, this all depends on whether what you are calling Gatorfoam is REALLY Gatorfoam.

Gatorfoam or Gatorboard as it is usually called,  has an expanded foam inner core with a hard outer  skin unlike regular Foamcore which has either a rag paper surface or a clay coated paper surface with the same creamy filled inner ( sorry.. getting hungry here!!) that the Gatorboard has.

Whether the label or the label adhesive is acid free or not is irrelevant as you have already voided any attempt at an acid free environment by mounting your art onto the
Gatorfoam.

Plus, as the label is going to be on the back of the GB it wouldn't matter anyhow.

[Johnny_Boy]

Thanks Framah. I think I knew that Gatorboard is not acid free! :-) Good point there.

I didn't meant to necessary ask for acid free, but I guess I meant to ask if typical avery label sticker with b&w laser print text would last more than a year or two without fading? 

[bill t.]

However, one can argue that a coated print glued to Gator is hermetically sealed by the coating on the front, and by the dried glue on the back.  In the absence of solvents such as water, pH is a rather moot point and very little chemistry can occur.  In support, I have examples of prints glued to Masonite umpteen years ago which are still in good shape.

Compare that to the standard archival package where the print is under an acid-free matte and behind glass.  Each day as the temperature rises and falls, the materials expand and contract in a pump like fashion, pumping in a newly contaminated air sample each day.  Humidity, respiration products, smog, etc.

My theory is this...hermetically sealed prints with what amount to dried barriers front and back are likely to be more stable than acid free packages where the internal air is re-charged with fresh crud every day.

But in regards to labels, for 2.5" and wider moulding you can stick Avery #5263 labels right on the moulding.  Sometimes I also attach larger write ups printed on light cardstock to the back of the Gator with blue 3M low-residue tape.  On the tape I mark "remove" and even though clients rarely do so, my fanny is nevertheless covered.  Note that Lowes and HD now carry other brands of blue tape that are anything but low residue, use only the 3M version which can be neatly removed from Gator for at least several years.

[neile]

I wouldn't worry about fading. The sticker isn't going to be in sunlight (or any light for that matter) if it's on the back of your print...

Neil

[bill t.]

Isn't laser ink made of carbon?  Should be good for a few billion years, roughly.