Labels

Page in Finnish: Etiketit

Goals

The purpose of labels produced in Kotka is to:

• identify/individualise the specimen and connect it to the data in the database
• Offer the essential specimen information in an easily visible format to those, who handle the physical specimens in order to 
  1. Make relevant specimens easy to find from the collections
  2. Help get a good overview of the specimens easily, e.g. for comparisons of different specimens
  3. Help place the specimens to their correct place in the collections
• Provide specimen data to those, who are not able to use computerised data (no computer, access rights or network available) 

The purpose of the labels is not to

• Record all possible information about the specimen (notes, measurements, additional information etc.)
• Work as backups for the data (the database backups will be stored centrally and in multiple places) 
• Uphold traditions (unless it supports some goals, e.g. through making the handling of specimens easier)

When designing new labels it is important to think, what is necessary information: the goal is not just to produce labels similar to existing ones with new equipment, but to improve the usability of the collections.

Generating labels from Kotka

Specimen labels can be printed from Kotka in a few ways and in different steps of the workflow. It is possible to choose from predefined labels to generate label PDFs or design one's own labels using the LabelDesigner tool, and generate label PDFs based on the design.

Labels can be printed in several steps of the workflow:

• Before entering any data or even before collecting the specimens, by generating data and IDs onto labels, in LabelDesigner (see Generic labels)
• Before entering any specimen data or transforming it to Kotka format, from a file in LabelDesigner
• In Kotka import, when previewing the data, before saving it (see Import-print below)
• From Kotka search, when data is already saved into Kotka ( see save-print below most; common step to print labels)

Currently the maximum number for generating labels is 500 labels in a PDF file. If you print labels from the search, you need to narrow down the search to 500 or less to be able to print labels (button Print labels appears).

When generating labels that include only an identifier (generic labels), the recommended PDF max is 1000 labels per file (LabelDesigner starts to get too slow if you try to generate more labels at a time).

Predefined labels ("old way of printing labels")

There are altogether around 20 predefined label models in Kotka. These have been made based on user requests, for different organisations and needs. New templates of this kind are not created anymore, as it is recommended to use LabelDesigner, where each user or team them self can design and create exactly the kind of labels they need, without the need for a developer to code the label definitions.

Some of the smallest label models include a QR code that only includes the latter part of the URI-identifier, not the full URI. This can cause problems in collections, when trying to read the QR code. Kotka's own QR code reader app can interpret the full URI.

Label Designer ("new way of printing labels")

Label designer is a tool that was added to Kotka in 2019. It is recommended to create your own label design that fits your needs. The tool has a few templates you can use as a basis for your design, or you can start the design from scratch.

LabelDesigner is used also in FinBIF Notebook (Vihko) observation system, where private collection owners can manage their collections and print labels.

For instructions see separate page Label Designer.

Import-print: write data to Ktka format 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. Use either predefined models or Label Designer
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. Entering it using web form.
   2. Writing it to Excel file, with your namespace identifier and a running number, then importing and saving the file.
2. Search the specimens and print out labels, use either predefined models or Label Designer.
3. Attach the labels on the specimens. Be careful to attach each label to correct specimen.
4. If you need to add more data (such as identification) to the specimens, do this using the web form or Excel export-edit-import.

Predefined label types

There are several label types defined in Kotka. These vary in sizes and on the information they contain. Most labels always have a full identifier printed on them (e.g. http://id.luomus.fi/JA.123), but some of the smallest insect labels only have the qname part of the identifier (JA.123). Using bar code/ QR 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 are no longer created in most cases, as users can use Label designer to create label designs themselves.

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 in the recommended "lastname, firstname" format.