Digital Workshop

Hi

New to using an inkjet printer to create a graphic design, logo and text to print onto a printable CD-R, I would appreciate some suggestions/opinions from Forum members.

My main question is whether to purchase silver blank CD-R's or white blanks. In terms of design, which would (1) better support a full color graphic design (not just text and logo) and (2) look more professional?

I would appreciate any suggestions/opinions.

Kind Regards,

Stephen

I bought an Epson Photo R200 at a close-out price of only $50 USD. Original price was $90. Turns out the replacement ink cartridges cost $60. Since most of what I create as Master discs for clients has a white "flood" background, it made more sense for me to purchase media with white backgrounds, otherwise I would be running out of white very quickly. Your needs may vary.

Something I did learn the hard way was about the rated burn speed on DVDs. I bought a spindle of 100 DVD-Rs which were rated at 16X. It turns out my Sony DVD burner is only rated at 8X. The media would NOT work, so I returned the blanks, then bought another brand rated at 8X. I've had no problems since. I do recommend you record DVDs at the slowest speed, which in my case is 4X. This seems to reduce/eliminate artifacts in finished DVDs. Since I am making Masters, I don't want the replicator making 10,000 copies with artifacts scattered throughout my video presentations. CDs seem to burn fine at the fastest possible speeds.

Be aware that printing at the highest quality level takes over 1 minute for each CD or DVD. I belive you can print paper labels faster, but they have to be applied to each media which then adds to the total completion time.

Over all the cost of the more expensive printable media and the high cost of cartridges make the total cost several times more expensive than recordable media and adhesive stick-on labels. If cost is a factor, you'll want to avoid the printable media.

Thanks very much, Fred for your helpful reply. (It furthers my conviction that the Opus Forum has an extraordinary amount of expertise available.)

It sounds like I should probably go with white blank CDs. While cost is a factor, getting a graphically professional look is very important.

While I can use the vector drawing tools in Opus or Corel Draw, I also wondered if there are any high quality software design programs at reasonable price that specifically focus on graphics for CD labels (as, for example, having CD as a layout choice).

Any suggestions are welcome.

Kind Regards,
Stephen

Have used the Epson R200 - and cursed it mightily. If you have more than 2 or 3 CDs to print then resign yourself to what seems like ages before the job is fully done.

My printer become very temperamental. Occasionally prints a series of different coloured dots down the CD - using Epson inks up to this point. Sometimes takes a while before it will recognise the CD and start printing. At other times it needs a push on the CD tray to get it to engage with the printer.

All that said - and I've possibly got a duff/worn out printer - it produces superb results. I have printed some 250 CDs over time and they have looked good - but I hate to think of all the time I've spent over them.

Ink is a major cost factor. I started to use Jet-Tec inks and had no problem with quality.

Be aware that the ink is not permanent. It will smudge with ease.

DVDs are now being produced that are much more smudge proof and I believe the same surface will be/is now available for CD-R - TDK?

I have given up on inkjet printed CDs. Am investigating thermal printing. OK - much more restrictive in what can be accomplished, but they can still look very professional.

Hope this helps.

John

Hi John

Thanks for your reply. Poised to go out and buy an Epson 320, it certainly makes me think twice.

The water resistance issue had stopped me until now, but Imation just announced they will release a water resistant inkjet printable CD with AquaGuard. Due in the USA mid-2006, available now in Japan, their partner, Primera, will be selling their brand of these, TuffCoat, beginning next week. From what I can learn from both Imation and Primera, they are the same product. Primera: about $48 per 100 blanks, silver or white.

Slowness, cost of ink and glitches like you mention with printing, remain concerns.

I currently use a thermal, Casio CW-75 disc title printer. Good for what it can do, but very limited results. And, ink cartridges are not inexpensive and hard to find (best option, mail order them).

So, no easy choices. I do need to get a professional look, and so would be willing to endure the slow printing, just as long as it prints accurately at all. And, water resistance is a big step forward.

Not very graphically skilled, the one additional issue is to find a software program, at reasonable cost, that can insert text, images, allow for some vector drawing, all within a CD size layout. Don't want to print on a white blank and find an unintended rim/border around the edge. Still looking for a program to help. Besides Opus, have Corel Draw, Paint Shop Pro, Nero CD label maker. Only Nero has CD layout, but is very limited. (I wonder if the Epson would come with any CD label printing software?)

All suggestions/comments appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Stephen

Hi Stephen,

'Not very graphically skilled' reminds me of me!

Epson R200 comes with CD printer software. I found it quite useful.

You can import graphics and text and it's flexible on positioning. It has drawing tools:straight line, circles and rectangles. You can horizontal and vertical align, flip and rotate. Bring forward, send to back and variations thereof. Enlarged and reduced view. Alignment grid. All against a white image of a CD with the hole and inner circle.

Thanks for the info about the CDs. I'll keep a look out for them and see if they appear in the UK.

I guess you might find the software on the Epson site and could try it out? It certainly satisfied all my requirements.

All the best,

John

PS. If you buy the 320 let us know how quick/slow it is to produce 10 or 15 CDs at a time!

Thanks John for your reply.

One more issue resolved: if I purchase the Epson, it has software that just may do the job.

Regarding Epson difficulties printing CD's, yours is not the first mention of this. I've reviewed websites in the past and found similar comments. Ah, what to do? Unfortunately, the Primera Z6 (6 ink colors), which is tauted as a professional CD printer, costs about $1000. Having never tried either an Epson or Primera, who knows if the Primera is better or just costs more. Anyway, Primera is far too expensive for me.

If I buy the Epson I'll let you know about printing speed. My guess is that the 320 is no faster than the 200, just a few more bells and whistles.

Has anyone heard about other, affordable printers (available in the USA-one I found a few months ago, which I can't remember the name of, was only available in the UK) that can print CD's?

Kind Regards,

Stephen

Be aware that sticking labels on DVDs may not get centered exactly and cause playback problems. I have had this come up with a church that made DVDs on a video system I build for them. The labeled DVDs would play fine in about 95% of the home players but every so often there were problems. After switching to printable DVDs all those issues went away. Do a Google search on it.

Hi Evereddie

Thanks for your reply.

I went over to my local store and looked at the Epson 320 and 220 (same functionality for CD printing, about $80 less). Their construction is not reassuring, and a sample CD printed on the 220 was OK but less than professional in appearance. So, I've held up buying, for now, to explore additional options.

The thermal printing I can currently do is looking better and better.

I did recall the name of the other printer capable of CD printing, but only available with the CD feature in the UK and not here in the USA: Canon Pixma. If my memory serves me, it had some good reviews.

I'll keep at it. All suggestions/comments welcome.

Kind Regards,
Stephen

If you want full graphic image, you need white disks - silver will subdue the colours.

We have Epson 950 which we dedicated to printing onto CD/DVD - excellent printer, 7 separate ink tanks, and very good quality results - using Verbatim CD and DVD-R blanks. Not water-resistant, but you can always spray varnish over the dried discs.

Things to look out for...
- It's unlikely that any inkjet is going to give super-accurate positioning on every single disc ...we usually had around 1% where layout was printed slightly off-centre.
- Most printers come with appropriate software, but check that it is able to print onto the full surface area (unable to print into the middle is a common issue).
- If the software will allow you to print beyond the outer edge of the disc, you'll get best results (no white edge around disc) - but you will need to clean up the disc and printer tray after each printing each copy! The ink won't dry on the uncoated plastic surface around the edge of the disc.
- drying time - could be several hours, so if you're duplicating quantities you need a fair amount of drying space.

Our Epson 950 is not being used now, so will be going on UK ebay shortly - I'd like to see it go to a good home, so if any UK members of this forum are interested, send me a PM.

Rob Kirkwood
www.visibleform.co.uk

Yeah, we've got a Pixma 4000 which comes with CD tray and software - haven't tried using it though, so can't advise - the tray is better designed than the Epson 950 tray as it will also take mini-CD and business card (we had to cobble a jig for the Epson 950).

One other option - if you happen to want a standard image/logo printed on your CD/DVD but with different content burned - get a batch of blanks silk-screen printed in advance ...some small-scale software companies do it this way.

Rob Kirkwood
www.visibleform.co.uk

Hi Rob K

Thank for your replies about Epson and Canon, as well as how best to print.

I did confirm with Canon USA: they don't sell their Pixma 5000, 5200 or any Canon with CD printing capability here in the USA, and won't support a product gotten from the UK. Too bad. Sounds like a capable CD printer. Epson doesn't sell a 950 here but has a R800 with 8 ink colors ($400).

I'll look into the idea of getting a batch of pre-printed CD's. Check costs.

Thanks again.

Kind Regards,
Stephen

I use a Canon i865 which you can tell from its "old" name I have been using now for a couple of years.

I comes with a CD tray, software nad uses 5 ink cartridges.

Having previously used CD lables, I have been delighted with the ease of designing and printing graphics directly to CDs.

I have printed 100s of CDs and have found that whait, for my purposes, is better than silver.

I do not have the figures now, but when I first used the Canon, I carefully compared its ink costs of an Epson which died. The Canon was significantly cheaper.

One tip I have learned: recommendations that came with the printer are to burn the CD, THEN print it. I now print the CD and burn it later. I believe, rightly or wrongly, that the burning process better fixes the print to the surface of the CD.

Thanks Ray for your reply.

While it sounds as though the Canon is a very capable CD printer, it, and other Canon printers with CD printing features are unavailable in the USA.

I appreciate your mentioning the experience with pre- and post-burning CD printing.

Kind Regards,

Stephen

Not sure how that could have any effect - I suspect it's just the fact that the label has had longer to dry that makes any difference.