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It started with labeling my vials...

47 replies26 peopleJul 13, 2026β˜† Follow
Summary

why do people get hooked on labeling everything after buying a label maker for vials

Users describe how acquiring a label maker quickly turns into an obsession that starts with vials and spreads to food containers, cables, and other household items. Several mention expanding into 3D printing and other crafting tools as the fixation grows. Jokes about older manual label makers and practical tips about waterproofing appear alongside stories of large labeling projects.

What this discussion establishes

Nothing here is advice.

47 replies Β· 26 people
SlowCinder32archiveopening postJul 13

Anyone else feel the same? Got this gadget just two days ago yet already wasted hours fiddling around with it. Started by tagging every vial I own. Next the fridge caught my eye and I figured those open food items inside needed tags too. Soon the cluttered cupboards, my book collection and even the area holding my pet’s meals all seemed to require the same treatment. It felt like nothing escaped needing a tag. Guess having spare moments leads you to spot endless random items worth sorting.

GreyAlder39archiveJul 13

My collection of supplies sits deep inside a huge upright freezer unit. The ones I expect to reach for soon sit toward the upper levels while those meant for much later rest at the bottom. I picked up a portable tag printer during a sale event and now I keep marking every container I can find. When I first started with these compounds years back I began making tags for the sets I kept for myself and a few people nearby. That made spotting items quicker and stopped any mix-ups such as swapping caps by mistake during unpacking. It also gives the whole collection a touch of personal style.

RustTimber85archiveJul 13

I don't see why anyone would bother with those modern labeling gadgets anyway. πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ

PlainAlder11archiveJul 13

I've finished marking roughly one hundred eighty of those small containers on both the bodies and the tops. One hundred twenty still need attention. One machine handles the round white tops while a separate unit does the container bodies.

PatientBeacon15archiveJul 13

To answer your question, everyone in here can relate!

PlainQuill85archiveJul 13

New Need unlocked. I need a labeller, with icons.

PatientBeacon15archiveJul 13

I'm after vibrant tags that hold up to moisture. Printing them at home then covering with clear tape might work out.

RustTimber85archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @PlainAlder11

Not sure about it myself, still these tools make really believable pictures. 😎

SharpTimber80archiveJul 13

Your perspective will shift once you end up with a three dimensional printer of your own.

LevelAlder29archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @PatientBeacon15

There are also special blank stickers designed for cosmetics and such. They cost more compared to ordinary ones, yet during my time producing liquid hair and body items these withstood leaks and bathroom moisture effectively. Mind if I inquire about the need for waterproof stickers? Planning to pin in the swimming area? Wow you tricked us all! Pleased actually because I wondered if your GHK-Cu had insufficient amount due to the shade. Clever!

SteadySparrow75archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @LevelAlder29

Seriously, that looks like an awful lot of experimental pastimes you're juggling right now. πŸ˜„

LevelAlder29archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @SteadySparrow75

Wow, autism turns my passions into all-consuming obsessions while ADHD makes sure they stay exciting! My mind sure loves spending money on this stuff πŸ˜‚ yet I'm strangely cheap like that ring creature and refuse to abandon earlier pastimes. For instance I still own an unopened digital DJ mixer along with a grimy analog version. The sale after I'm gone will be legendary!

SteadySparrow75archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @LevelAlder29

Haha what's the trick for sorting those pastimes of yours by letter sequence time order or cash based math and I bet each one has its own neat tag too πŸ‘

LevelAlder29archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @SteadySparrow75

Certain belongings, often the costlier pastime equipment or minor pieces, sit in tidy rows with straight edges, clustered by similarity. My book collection follows the same pattern, sorted first by subject matter, next according to how often I reach for them or visual harmony. The rest form a chaotic heap that seems almost animated on its own. That's something I'll tackle in the coming days, maybe the one after that, with a chuckle. Everything about my setup mixes order and disorder completely. You've got plenty of interests as well, so what's your method for keeping them in place? Is that favorite timepiece looping around the preferred firearm? 🀣

IronFenwick84archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @RustTimber85

That genuinely got me cracking up in an authentic way!!!

IronFenwick84archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @SharpTimber80

I've shown up and kept working on this item without any break so far.

AmberCinder18archiveJul 13

Unfortunately that only gets provided once retirement finally happens. Even though I really enjoy mine I struggle to locate sufficient tasks for it. Perhaps my tendencies toward obsession aren't as strong as I believed.

SharpTimber80archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @IronFenwick84

I've owned this for around seven days and figure I've logged about a hundred hours so far. The opening days went into fabricating parts for the unit. Currently I'm shifting over to peptide projects.

NorthWillow72archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @LevelAlder29

Are all the materials for your pastimes properly identified?

PatientBeacon15archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @LevelAlder29

Taking vials out of the fridge causes condensation to form on their exteriors. The ink that dissolves in water then smears when touched by fingers. Thermal printing from those machines doesn't face this issue, but oil seems capable of removing that type of marking. I plan to experiment by applying tape over inkjet prints to observe the results.

SteadySparrow75archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @LevelAlder29

Haha that reaction hit me hard. Audio setups tend to remain fixed in position. Earlier on I kept various bulky amplifiers plus scattered older loudspeakers but cleared out the entire assortment. Timepieces slide away without trouble inside one compact compartment and nothing gets marked on it. Only a single registered automatic firearm is left these days. Those full auto models climbed sharply in cost so the extras got sold. Climbing values wrecked the enjoyment of the pursuit. My fourteen hundred compact discs rest inside twenty elongated containers on an upstairs shelf. All of them were copied across to a digital player once the files were sorted out properly.

LevelAlder29archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @NorthWillow72

I suppose not entirely. Labels go on the ones inside containers that are tough to recognize. Labeling plenty isn't an issue for me, yet that cheap part of me thinks it's silly to use them up since they barely cost anything. Laughing. Yeah, that checks out. Keeping stuff away from potential thieves and buddies is smart. I wish I had that level of commitment. Organizing my digital stuff is where I fall short. Not sure I can bother converting every music disc into data. I'd likely have to get a drive for discs too. Back when online music sharing was popular I handled it fine, but once laptops ditched the readers I've let it slide for ten years or so. Laughing.

LevelTimber28archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @SlowCinder32 (opening post)

Perhaps I'm even more extreme than that. I made some tags and stuck them onto containers. After that I revised the tags by stripping away the previous versions and applying fresh ones instead. This whole thing is insane. Now that I've got a three-dimensional printing device the obsession has gotten much stronger with it.

PlainAlder11archiveJul 14
↳ replying to @RustBeacon82

You probably got a few of them. But the sticker is crooked. That's the honest reality. I can't keep track of the days anymore, and my tasks just keep piling up. Definitely not young like I used to be. Been installing those lights from the sales event. It's wild trying to hang them when it feels like over a hundred degrees outside. I manage two sixteen foot lengths each day before heading inside to rest. My box has been open lots of times with bottles needing stickers on the tops, but never had problems using my printing devices. These days I apply the stickers right as the packages arrive.

RustBeacon82archiveJul 14
↳ replying to @PlainAlder11

Nope I'm blameless here πŸ˜‡ Our cramped spot already gets filled completely by the pepper items leaving nothing free.

SlowCinder32archiveJul 14

I call it SchrΓΆdinger's free time.

RustBramble70archiveJul 14
↳ replying to @PlainAlder11

From what I vaguely remember in a different discussion about stickers, a person mentioned that the tiny circular ones have stopped being offered by the maker. Could that be mistaken?

PlainAlder11archiveJul 14
↳ replying to @RustBeacon82

Right, I forgot you're into puff boating. πŸ˜‚ Still find you likable though. Wasn't my words. What I pointed out was the need to buy straight from the maker while handling their setup. Could be I mentioned some stores not having them available.

PlainLedger95archiveJul 14
↳ replying to @PatientBeacon15

I bought some adhesive sheets meant for printing and fed them into my ink device. It came out great. My online shop now has tags that stay sharp even after touching moisture.

SlowCinder32archiveJul 15

Absolutely! Every single wire throughout my home ends up receiving the treatment without exception.

PatientSignal60archiveJul 15
↳ replying to @RustTimber85

Your comment prompted me to recall owning a similar tool for stamping letters on tags.

AmberCompass48archiveJul 15
↳ replying to @PlainAlder11

jesus, I have one model sitting next to another, and tucked next to them is a couple more.

IronTimber37archiveJul 15

Lmao, mine was the other way around.

PatientMarble32archiveJul 19

Once I picked up the cutting device along with those shiny adhesive films the results blew me away. Now I turn out forty four bright water resistant tags in any dimensions I choose even down to zero point one millimeter. The single use holders for vials still get made on the three d printer yet this method leaves ordinary label machines far behind.

PatientTimber12archiveJul 19

A lone 3D printer seems to want others nearby for company. These machines behave like they belong in groups. Without several present they fail to operate well. That explains why I now own ten with plans to add more. Funny.

SlowCinder32archiveJul 20
↳ replying to @PatientMarble32

Seems interesting. I might give this a shot once I'm done fiddling with the sticker gadget, and perhaps look into one of those three dimensional units later. Ten already? Is the whole place now stuffed with such machines? πŸ˜‚

PatientTimber12archiveJul 20
↳ replying to @SlowCinder32

I find myself totally hooked on grabbing more of these gadgets. It's just like chasing every creature in that old game where the goal is to collect the whole set. That's why I've converted an extra room at home into a compact production space for the printers. Lately I've been trying to get a small side operation going with them so the machines can eventually cover their own expenses. haha.

SlowAnchor19archiveJul 20

You gotta stop listening to appliances lol.

WryFenwick10archiveJul 20
↳ replying to @PlainAlder11

Those shades ought to hold steady through long periods of freezer storage.

BrightCompass30archiveJul 20

I'd like to own a uv printer of that sort since it creates bright labels that hold up to water.

PatientTimber12archiveJul 20

Man, plenty of folks are in the same boat as you. My setup includes ten different machines for printing, some dryers for the material, rolls of plastic scattered all over, machines that use liquid resin along with their cleaning setup, plus a workbench for experimenting with whatever hobby catches my attention right now.

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