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Inspecting Tapes
Thomas May edited this page Sep 17, 2025
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There are several key issues to look for when you're inspecting tapes, whether it be 1/4" open-reel tape, U-matic, VHS, 2" Quad, or a simple audio cassette, for the most part, they can all fall victim to the same maladies.
- Mold: Mold, technically speaking, is fungi that form "mycelium," the substance we often colloquially call mold, and it will feed on certain substances present in different formulations of videotape.
- Mold can be hard to identify, particularly if it's not very dense. It can often look like just a scattering of dust on a wound hub of tape, or it can look more like a spider web structure within the cassette, or it can be a huge, devastating mass where you will have no question. This link from the Preservation Self-Assessment Program provides some helpful images of different mold on tapes.