Floppy Disk Label Question

[reject902]

So I'm noticing a lot of ebay auctions and youtube videos that show classic macs and lisa's with disks that clearly aren't original (black, blue, red disks) but have copied the original labels onto them. Where are people finding these floppy disk label templates from?

I'm curious where these are on the net, as I would love to have some authentic looking labels for my disks. :beige:

Anyone seen them?

 

[CJ_Miller]

No, I can't say as that I have noticed this. What I would do is scan the label of choice and clean it up in Illustrator, vectorize the lines, do fills, fix contrast and color. This sort of thing usually doesn't take long to do. For printing I am sure there must be templates out there for floppy labels which can be done on a Laserjet or such.

Also, my experience is to watch out for recent floppy media, like later than 1995 - and definitely after 2000. It seems that back when disks were a primary storage medium that they were more robust. Recent ones seem to corrupt more often, or even just break.

 

[Scott Baret]

A few comments:

1. Disk labels, like programs and manuals, are protected under copyright. Don't go scanning Apple's labels.

2. Replacement labels are available. Avery makes some decent ones. I've seen these dirt cheap lately.

3. I agree about recent floppy media being bad, and CJ is almost spot-on with 1995 as a date. I got this huge box of 25 or so Fujifilm disks in December 1994. Five years later, something along the lines of 7 of these disks had failed. Only two of my older disks had ever died on me (both became drink coasters until they leaked).

4. If you want reliable media, look for NOS 3M diskettes--not Imation, but 3M. I've had exactly one 3M diskette fail over the 21 years I've used computers, and I probably have close to 150 3M diskettes counting 3.5" and 5.25" for all platforms I use(d) (Apple II, Mac, PC, Lisa). I always buy 3Ms if I see them at a Goodwill computer store or something. (If anyone wants me to look, I may be going there later this week so I can drop stuff off at the recycling center).

 

[Mac128]

1. Disk labels, like programs and manuals, are protected under copyright. Don't go scanning Apple's labels.

Really? C'mon Scott. Reject902, scan all you want for personal use. Heck I might even scan the dingy, yellowed labels on my old disks, clean them up and then print them out on nice fresh new labels to apply to copies, as well as my original disks. There's a tendency with the old labels for the adhesive to leach through the paper over time.

Preservation always warrants a little copyright infringement. And where exactly would we all be if manuals and programs had not been copied and preserved for – ahem – academic purposes?

However, Reject902 in response to your original question ... like CJ_Miller, no I don't believe I have seen any of these YouTube videos of which you speak. Perhaps you should post a few for us here so we are all on the same page.

 

[JDW]

1. Disk labels, like programs and manuals, are protected under copyright. Don't go scanning Apple's labels.

Perhaps Nike can offer us the most sane advice on this matter.

 

[reject902]

Well here's one lisa auction I spotted that had them. They looked real good. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320541774541&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_4200wt_1118

Here's one of MacPaint on a Sony disk:

There was a couple of others I spotted. I cant remember where the others were now. I think I'm starting to pay too much attention to these things lol.

 

[Mac128]

Well here's one lisa auction I spotted that had them. They looked real good. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320541774541&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_4200wt_1118 Here's one of MacPaint on a Sony disk:

Why exactly do you think those Lisa disks are not original? (which they are by the way, notice the pictures on the manual match the floppies exactly – sort of a dead giveaway).

As far as that Sony disk is concerned ... that's a standard Apple label that came with a box of blank Apple disks which they sold at least into the late 90s as I always insisted my corporate office supply purchaser keep them in stock for my Mac. I think there were 12 labels per 10 disks (in case you messed up a couple). But we used Avery disk labels and printed them out on a laser printer, so those labels mostly went unused. As a result, at one time I had a stack of them I hoarded in a drawer. Absolutely NOTHING unusual about it. They occasionally turn up on eBay from time to time.

Of course I can't be sure that the guy didn't print out his own, which as several have indicated here, is quite easy to do with standard Avery labels you buy at most office supply stores, a Word template and a rainbow Apple logo graphic.

 

[reject902]

Well the lisa auction states: "Speaking of which, I'm including a full set of fresh, never-used DUPLICATE 400k Lisa 7/7 disks, as well. These replicas look very much lke the authentic Lisa disks, except they are less yellowed, the label art is not quite as crisp, and the write-protect tabs are black instead of red. But they may prove useful if you ever need to re-install." If you look in the photo gallery where he shows the images of the "duplicate" disks, you'll see the back sides have the high density indentation ready for punch out.

 

[Mac128]

Well the lisa auction states: "Speaking of which, I'm including a full set of fresh, never-used DUPLICATE 400k Lisa 7/7 disks, as well.

Ah, didn't read, just looked. Again, with respect to your original question, that's a no-brainer – he scanned and printed copies of the disks as several have alluded to here. It's not like he downloaded them from some site, particularly not an entire set of Lisa disks. Although, that would not be a bad idea. Unfortunately, like the Mac service repair manuals, Apple would likely send out a cease and desist letter as soon as they caught wind of it. But the Lisa seller is well within his rights to duplicate his original disks, right down to the labels to preserve the software as the disks wear and age.

Also, I'm not entirely sure those are HD indentation punch-outs. My original 128K 400K Mac System disks have these exact same indentations and that was before even double-sided drives existed.

 

[reject902]

Ah yes, I see those on my 128k disks as well. They seemed to have had a numbering purpose at one time. Interesting spot to put them nonetheless!

 

[Mac128]

This may be what you're looking for ... DIY:

http://shop.ebay.com/adams78232/m.html

Also check the completed listings for this guy as some stuff has already sold.