(Apologies to John Carmichael to whom I have already sent this tip). A tip for those who may have trouble writing on the back of photos to record details etc. I have to write on several hundred archive quality prints a year in my role as BSS Registrar and I can vouch for the fact that this approach works very well.
Never use a ball point pen but instead use a (fine tipped) pen designed for use with overhead projector foils. The ink in these is designed to dry by evaporation rather than by soaking into the surface so it dries almost straight away, does not mark the next print even if they are stacked immediately after marking and of course it does not make any mark that comes through the print or even into any subsequent scan. Patrick -
