Copy of Generic labels/Creating Labels (Copy)

Needs updating! Include LabelDesigner and Generic label maker

Labels are used to attach an identifier to a specimen, show that it can be identified individually and connected to its information in Kotka. Label usually also contains some data about bthe specimen (such as locality), in order to make it easier to find correct/interesting specimens from collection storage.

Creating labels with Kotka

There are two methods to create specimen labels from Kotka.

If you are using Excel to save variable specimen data to Kotka (i.e. data that varies from specimen to specimen), but don’t wish to print out all data to labels, it’s better to use import-print. This way there is a smaller risk that labels will be associated with wrong specimen data, since the variable information will be recorded only after specimens already have unique identifiers.

In other cases, you may use either method (for example, when saving data with web form instead of Excel, or saving only gathering data that does not have variation between specimens).

Import-print: write data to Excel and print it out from that.

1. Write the data to Excel file, with your namespace identifier and a running number. To print several labels with similar data, use Excel’s tools to duplicate the rows and generate unique running number for each row.
2. Upload the file using import tool. While previewing the import, select to print out labels. Don’t save the import.
3. Attach the labels on the specimens. (If you are printing labels with different information, use collector’s identifiers or other distinctive information to figure out which label goes to which specimen.)
4. (Add more information about specimens on the Excel file if you wish.)
5. Upload the file using import tool and save the data

Save-print: save the data to Kotka and then print out labels.

1. Save the data to Kotka, either by
   1. Writing it using web form.
   2. Writing it to Excel file, with your namespace identifier and a running number, then importing the file.
   3. Search the specimens and print out labels
   4. Attach the labels on the specimens. Be careful to attach each label to correct specimen.
   5. If you need to add more data (such as identification) to the specimens, do this using the web form.

There are several label types defined in Kotka. These vary in sizes and on the information they contain. All labels always have a full identifier printed on them (e.g. http://id.luomus.fi/JA.123). Using bar code version of the identifier is voluntary - decision to use or discard bar codes should be based on whether they will help or complicate collection management.

New label types can be implemented if a need arises, though collections should aim to use labels that are as similar as possible, to prevent extra work developing Kotka.

Specimen labels

Labels that contain information about gathering event (where, when, how and/or by who the specimen was collected). These may or may not contain also determination information.

Det(ermination) labels

Labels that contain only determination (identification) information. One specimen may contain zero to several these kind of labels. 

Temporary labels

Labels that can be attached to the specimens (or specimen boxes) temporarily during accession process, in order to prevent mix-ups.

Special cases

Vascular and Bryophyte labels take collector (leg) name from the Verbatim leg -field. If this field is empty, Leg-field is used instead. This method allows printing collector names and identifiers as free-form text. In any case, collector names should be recorded also in Leg-field.