Last Updated on January 18, 2025 by Dave Farquhar
The labels on Activision cartridges for the Atari 2600 didn’t age nearly as well as the games did. And the average hobbyist won’t be able to make the labels new again, there are some things a hobbyist can do to reattach detached labels and even clean them up a bit. In this blog post, I will provide an inexpensive way to deal with detached and dirty Activision labels. Replacing the label with a repro isn’t your only option.
Removing labels safely
Reattaching Activision labels starts with carefully removing them. Be sure to practice on some cartridges you don’t care much about before trying to restore cherished cartridges that have been in your family since 1980.
Frequently, the adhesive on the cartridge has already started failing. I found several of my own cartridges where the flap that folds over onto the top of the cartridge was no longer attached at all. I found another where the flap was mostly attached, but a small corner was unglued.
As long as the original label isn’t torn, I prefer to reattach Activision labels rather than replacing them with reproductions. Even if it’s somewhat discolored, I’d rather have a complete original label than a repro.
Loosening the old glue
Regardless of how much of the old adhesive is still hanging on, we can loosen it with Ronsonol lighter fluid. Ronsonol softens the glue and removes dirt and oils without harming the ink. Be careful using other solvents, because many solvents will harm the ink on Activision labels.
If the glue is intact, squirt enough Ronsonol onto the label to cover it, then set the cartridge aside and put a plastic tray over it to cover it. This is to stop the lighter fluid from evaporating immediately. You want to give it a chance to really soak into the label and into the glue. Leave it there for 15 to 30 minutes, then come back and give it a look.
See if you can slide a fingernail or a utility knife blade under any of the corners. If any of the corners are loose, see if you can work your way along the edge to the other corner. Failing that, squirt some more lighter fluid under the label anywhere you can reach, and let capillary action do its thing to loosen the glue.
If you are able to free the edge, peel back slowly and carefully. Don’t fight the label. If it puts up any resistance at all, squirt some more lighter fluid under the label, let it soak for at least 10 seconds. Then peel some more.
If you fight through the resistance, you are likely to damage the printing on the label. Be patient and work slowly. After two or three cartridges, you will develop a feel for removing the labels.
Cleaning the remaining adhesive from the Activision label
Cleaning the remaining adhesive from the label takes longer than cleaning the cartridge shell. To make it easier, I recommend you set the label face down on your work surface and place a couple of coins or washers on the flap to hold the label flat to the surface. Then saturate the label with lighter fluid again and place it under your plastic tray to let it soak. While that’s going, turn your attention to the cartridge shell.
Cleaning up the Activision cartridge shell
It is important to remove all of the old glue to improve the bond and prevent further damage to the label. The glue Activision used contributes to the dreaded discoloration we call Actiplaque. Removing the glue from the cartridge is easy. Squirt some lighter fluid onto the cartridge where the label used to be, then use a cotton ball to clean off any remaining glue.
If you prefer, you probably could scrape the glue off, but I find it wipes away very easily with Ronsonol and a cotton ball.
The lighter fluid will leave some streaks, so you may wish to alternate cleaning the surface with lighter fluid and alcohol until you are confident the surface is completely clean.
Finishing off the label
After the label has soaked, the remaining glue should now be nice and soft. Wipe the surface of the label with a cotton ball to remove the remaining glue from its surface. Wipe the entirety of the label, then hold the label up to a light. Soak the areas where you see discoloration again, and then wipe away the lighter fluid and the glue again. Repeat until you stop seeing improvement. You won’t eliminate all of the discoloration, but you may be surprised how much discoloration the lighter fluid can correct.
Reattaching the label
To reattach the label, you can use acid free rubber cement. Craft stores like Jo-Ann and Michaels carry acid free rubber cement. So do art supply stores. Just make sure whatever you buy says acid free on the label. Otherwise it will attack the label just like the original glue did.
Stir the rubber cement with the included brush, and then spread a very thin layer of rubber cement onto the surface of the cartridge and also the label. When I apply it, I wipe all of the excess off one side of the brush, then brush onto the surface with what remains. The idea is to not cover the entire surface with what’s on the brush the first time. Spread what you can across the rest of the surface, then come back and get a little more.
Let both the label and the cartridge sit for a minute or two, then place the label on to the cartridge. I start with the long side of the label and work my way back toward the flap. Push the label onto the surface, and if you feel any air bubbles, you can roll them out with the cylindrical part of a ballpoint pen.
Give the label about 15 minutes to dry, and now you are done.
What to do if the label doesn’t apply smoothly or line up properly
If the label doesn’t go down quite right, don’t panic. But don’t try to pull it back up either. Get a hair dryer, and apply heat to the label with a hair dryer to reactivate the rubber cement. After a few minutes, you’ll be able to peel the label back up. Work very slowly and carefully. Then apply a bit more heat to keep the rubber cement soft, and try again until you are able to apply the label straight and smooth. Then let it cool.
A better but more expensive way to restore Activision cartridges
Some hobbyists have had success restoring labels using products marketed for stamp collectors. But these products cost about 12 times as much as a bottle of lighter fluid. You will also have to find a stamp dealer, where you can buy a bottle of Ronsonol lighter fluid at any drug store.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.