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    • White Paper: Basic Material Identification of Legacy Tapes In An Archive
    • White Paper: Basic Inspection Techniques To Sample The Condition of Magnetic Tape
    • White Paper: Dangers of Inadequate Restoration
    • White Paper: The Benefits of Tape Cleaning
    • White Paper: Common Signs of ​Problem 3/4" and Beta Videocassettes
  • Preservation
    • Preservation Basics
    • Preservation Tape Endangerment Issues
    • Preservation Minimum Tape Handling Standards
    • Preservation Effects of Moisture On Tape
    • Preservation Effects of Temperature On Tape
    • Preservation Legacy Tape Timeline
    • Preservation Video Tape Proliferation Until 2000
    • Preservation History of Tape Obsolescence
    • Preservation Standards and Recommended Practices in Print
    • Preservation FAQs
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WHITE PAPER: Basic Material Identification of
​Legacy Tapes in An Archive

For preservation and inventory purposes it is essential to accurately and uniformly identify the materials in your collection. While different organizations use a wide variety of terms, the following is the essential information you need to describe your tapes:

​1. Is the object tape or film?
If you can see images on it or it has sprockets along the edge, it is film.
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 If you cannot see through the material, it is tape.
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2. Is the tape open reel or cassette?
Open reels are single reels with the tape somewhat exposed. Open reels are always described by their width (e.g.: 2", 1", ¼").
​
​Cassette tapes are enclosed in plastic “shells.” Cassettes are described by a “trade” name (e.g.: VHS, Beta-SP.)
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Note: Some cassettes are described by tape width (e.g.: ¾" or 8mm), but since the tape is hidden by the shell, it cannot be easily measured and the width is essentially used as a “trade’ name.

​3. Is the tape an audio or video recording?
Many tapes are used to record either audio or video. To distinguish the type of recording on a tape, you may have to examine the label or content information.
This cassette may look like a VHS but is a digital audio ADAT.
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4. Who manufactured it? What is the size?​
Experts can often identify potential problems associated with specific manufacturers, and tape size can have an impact on processing costs.
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The manufacturer's name or logo will usually appear somewhere on the reel or cassette.

The size of a reel is defined by the diameter of the reel, or the length of the tape marked in feet.

The size of a cassette is defined by the length of the tape in minutes, printed on the shell.

5. Is the tape acetate  or ​polyester?
Acetate and polyester perform and age differently. Common treatments for polyester tapes will destroy acetate tapes. Only open reel audio tapes may be made of acetate. No video tapes or cassettes are acetate.

With audio tape, if light
can be seen through the
side of the reel, it is
acetate (left).

If light cannot be seen
through the side of the
reel, it is polyester (right).
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6. Can you identify the content?
At a minimum, you should have the title, record date, and program running time.

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​Check the label on
the reel or cassette.
The label on the storage container may not match the tape.
​SPECS BROS., LLC
For more information:
Call (973) 777-5055 or
E-mail: admin@specsbros.com
Download a PDF of This White Paper
© 2006-2016 SPECS BROS., LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Us History
    • About Us Clients
    • About Us Client Comments
  • Archival Transfer
    • Archival Transfer Basics
    • Archival Transfer Getting Started
    • Archival Transfer Commercial Services
    • Archival Transfer Consumer Services
  • Disaster Recovery
    • Disaster Recovery Services
    • Disaster Recovery Emergency Response
    • Disaster Recovery Magnetic Tapes Can Survive Flood Exposure
    • Disaster Recovery Institutional Disaster Response For Magnetic Tape Materials
    • Disaster Recovery Images of Flood Damaged Tapes
  • White Papers
    • White Paper: Basic Material Identification of Legacy Tapes In An Archive
    • White Paper: Basic Inspection Techniques To Sample The Condition of Magnetic Tape
    • White Paper: Dangers of Inadequate Restoration
    • White Paper: The Benefits of Tape Cleaning
    • White Paper: Common Signs of ​Problem 3/4" and Beta Videocassettes
  • Preservation
    • Preservation Basics
    • Preservation Tape Endangerment Issues
    • Preservation Minimum Tape Handling Standards
    • Preservation Effects of Moisture On Tape
    • Preservation Effects of Temperature On Tape
    • Preservation Legacy Tape Timeline
    • Preservation Video Tape Proliferation Until 2000
    • Preservation History of Tape Obsolescence
    • Preservation Standards and Recommended Practices in Print
    • Preservation FAQs
  • Contact Us