# whats that white stuff they use for beaker labels?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-white-stuff-they-use-for-beaker-labels/445773
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 17, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-white-stuff-they-use-for-beaker-labels/445773 "2008-04-17T19:56:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-white-stuff-they-use-for-beaker-labels/445773/1 "2008-04-17T19:56:07Z")
It’s not really paint I don’t think. It doesn’t seem like it will ever come off. I see it on a lot of glassware; flasks, test tubes, beakers. Its the white area that you can write on. What’s it made of and how do they get it to stick so well to the glass?
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### Author:  [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-white-stuff-they-use-for-beaker-labels/445773/2 "2008-04-17T20:19:21Z")
It’s been a while since I’ve seen them, but from my college chem lab days I seem to remember that something wasn’t attached to the glass, but the glass was etched in a way that produced a writable surface on the glass itself.
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### Author:  [@masterofnone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/masterofnone)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-white-stuff-they-use-for-beaker-labels/445773/3 "2008-04-17T20:24:50Z")
It sort of looks like it’s etched, but it’s definitely something attached to the glass, as it comes off if you use a nasty enough acid cleaner, leaving a smooth surface. No clue what it’s made of though.
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### Author:  [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-white-stuff-they-use-for-beaker-labels/445773/4 "2008-04-17T20:26:30Z")
Definitely etched. I’m not sure of the process, but I would guess they use hydrofluoric acid. Don’t try this at home, seriously.
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### Author:  [@masterofnone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/masterofnone)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-white-stuff-they-use-for-beaker-labels/445773/5 "2008-04-17T20:35:29Z")
Let me ammend that - I just checked some newer glassware, and the new stuff does seem to be etched. My older glassware is not etched, as I’ve had graduations come off using sulfuric/chromic acid cleaning solution.
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### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-white-stuff-they-use-for-beaker-labels/445773/6 "2008-04-17T20:35:36Z")
Some of them are just etched, and some of them have actual raised white…I dunno, enamel, maybe? [This beaker, for instance](http://www.bourne.k12.ma.us/Class%20Links/Smith/Smith/images/beaker.jpg).
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### Author:  [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-white-stuff-they-use-for-beaker-labels/445773/7 "2008-04-17T21:19:26Z")
Tagging onto this thread – without that enamel stuff, how does one write things on glass without having it come off in thirty seconds with friction?
What kind of pen should I be looking for?
This is a problem since I have bunches of little glass bottles that need to be labelled, and writing out even tinier paper labels is a pita.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-white-stuff-they-use-for-beaker-labels/445773/8 "2008-04-17T21:26:03Z")
[QUOTE=lizardling]
Tagging onto this thread – without that enamel stuff, how does one write things on glass without having it come off in thirty seconds with friction?
What kind of pen should I be looking for?
[/QUOTE]
A [china marker.](http://www.dickblick.com/categories/markingpencils/)
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### Author:  [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-white-stuff-they-use-for-beaker-labels/445773/9 "2008-04-17T21:31:01Z")
And is it the same thing as that [white area on plastic bags](http://www.uline.com/Group_187.asp?desc=White+Block+Poly+Bags) ?