USB Stick Labels

What It Is

This directory contains an Inkscape document (*.svg) containing the DECtape logo and USB stick labels with graphics based on that label. There are three example labels in the document:

• BIN Loader for media/copytoUSBsticks/binloader.pt
• FOCAL-69 for media/copytoUSBsticks/focal.pt
• ADD.PA for examples/add.pt

These labels use the "DECtape" graphics even though they're paper tapes, primarily because it's a nice graphic and I haven't bothered to draw something appropriate to paper tapes yet.

The labels print out at approximately 30×16mm each, which fits the USB sticks I have here, but you may need to scale the printout for your particular USB sticks.

Affixing the Labels

This document is not designed with any particular self-adhesive label stock in mind. Instead, I simply use rubber cement as a contact adhesive to affix these labels to the USB stick.

Simply cut the label(s) you want to use out with scissors, paint both the back of the label and the top of the USB stick with rubber cement, and let it dry for a minute or so. When the glue is dry-looking, carefully place the label where you want it on the USB stick. You won't have much of a chance to move the label around after the two dried glue patches touch, so be careful with your placement.

Press the label firmly against the stick, pressing repeatedly to cover the entire surface, then rub around the label gently to brush away any excess cement.

Protip: Use the part of the page you cut the labels out of as a protective mat to work on. It will let you apply cement to the label fully edge-to-edge without messing up your work surface. The labels will be much more durable if there is no unglued bit near the edge for fingernails and such to snag on. You were going to throw this excess material away, so you might as well get one final use out of it, yes?

Fonts

This SVG file uses a non-free font called Dottie for the faux dot matrix text. There are free alternatives, but none of the ones I liked allow redistribution, so I couldn't include one of them in this repository.

PDF Version

If you don't want to use one of those alternative fonts or simply like the look of Dottie and don't need custom labels, this directory also includes a PDF of the same design with the necessary subset of Dottie embedded, so that you can print it out.