Label cassettes as shown. Use ONLY a sharp No. 2 lead pencil or a ShurMark or similar histology marker. Don't use a Sharpie or similar marker, even if it is supposed to be solvent-resistant. The combined effects of the xylene, ethanol, and hot paraffin used in processing will remove the labels, and if that happens your samples will be unidentifiable.

Please use no more than 6 or 7 characters. Small characters are hard to read, especially after coating with paraffin, and could result in your specimens being mislabeled. If you need to place more information on the cassette, write on the side(s). Only the label on the label end of the cassette will be placed on the slide.

Our cassette labeller imprints clear, permanent labels as shown on the yellow cassette. We can label cassettes for you for a small charge.

Since it's easier to write on the label end of the cassette with the cassette lying down, we often get cassettes with the labels upside down. It doesn't hurt anything, but if you file your blocks in a block file, which positions the label up, the labels will be hard to read.

Illegible labeling is one of the most common problems we encounter.

You can purchase cassettes from us or from vendors of histology supplies.