Paul and everyone else,
 I tried using "white out", "liquid paper", and a white paint in years
gone by.  Most of them started yellowing and some started cracking.  I do
not necessarily consider these substances archival.  Light Impressions,
Inc. does have a white base with a clear polymer coat that is archival.
It only cost a few dollar and seems to work better.  I might suggest this
as a good alternative.
  I used Rotring technical pens but got tired of constantly cleaning the
nibs.  I now use Pigma marking pens, which are archival.  Light
Impressions also sells an archival pen but I do not remember the brand.

Charlie
******************************************************************************
Charlie Sturm, Jr
Research Associate - Section of Invertebrate Zoology
                     Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA
Assistant Professor - Family Medicine

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On Sat, 13 Nov 1999, Paul Callomon wrote:

> For what it's worth : my pa, who is a fossil man, marks all his rocks by
> applying a square block of typing eraser (remember that, computer-istis?
> Thick white paint with which you covered up bloopers on paper. Remember
> paper?) to a non-essential portion of the specimen and then writes the data
> on it with a Rotring .2mm pen. I have done the same on some rocks of my
> own, and it seems nice and permanent. If you're really worried, add a layer
> of clear nail varnish to seal it in.
>