I'm new at this and have yet to label my first DVD (I haven't even filled up a short spindle's worth, so I'm not too far behind), but I have benefited from my brother's experience. I won't use the full DVD labels as I've read about the instability they can cause and, having see my brother's practice of using only the hub labels, am unimpressed with that as well.

I recently stumbled across the Casio line of thermal printers for printing directly onto the DVD and wonder if anyone out there has gotten satisfactory results with one of these. Are the DVDs damaged in any way? A blank, unlined surface is specified, but shouldn't any DVD qualify as long as any preprinted areas are avoided? Will the ink smear once you play the DVD because of the high rate of spin? Does the ink fade over time (a problem with thermal printers and paper, I seem to recall.) Even if these questions are stupid, any input will be appreciated. Thanks!

PatH

P. S. I'm comfortable buying over the web, but I'd like a looksee as well. Does anyone know of any brick and mortar in Houston TX that might carry these, excluding Fry's and Best Buy, where I've already checked.

Does the ink fade over time (a problem with thermal printers and paper, I seem to recall.) Even if these questions are stupid, any input will be appreciated. Thanks!

PatH



I would avoid thermal lables because they darken over time just at room temperature. When I remove a DVD from my recorder or Player they are warm to the touch and I fear that a thermal label would be turned black.

Although not pretty I just use a sharpie.

I'm new at this and have yet to label my first DVD (I haven't even filled up a short spindle's worth, so I'm not too far behind), but I have benefited from my brother's experience. I won't use the full DVD labels as I've read about the instability they can cause and, having see my brother's practice of using only the hub labels, am unimpressed with that as well.

I was using SureThing labels all the time until someone on this forum mentioned the printable discs.
I thought about it, and being my printer had that feature (printing on discs) which I was leery of trying and neglected using it, finally got brave enough to use it and LOVE it.
My printer is an EpsonStylus PhotoR320. I am still experimenting on what finish and brand DVD I like best to be my prime buy.
I let my discs dry for 24 hours like stated and have no problem.
I lean towards the "full face" and just ordered a 50 Pack Verbatim DVD-R White inkjet "Hub" Printable $9.99 after rebate.
Some people put a spray coat on them but I would never do that. I have no need to.

Urlee

I'm new at this and have yet to label my first DVD (I haven't even filled up a short spindle's worth, so I'm not too far behind),
.
.
.
P. S. I'm comfortable buying over the web, but I'd like a looksee as well. Does anyone know of any brick and mortar in Houston TX that might carry these, excluding Fry's and Best Buy, where I've already checked.

I use this (http://www.amazon.com/Primera-Signature-DVD-Label-Printer/dp/B0002SQ2IY) printer and have found it to be very good. It uses the shiny-surface disks, won't have balance issues, and it does not rub off. The labels look good too. It is monochrome though. Sure beats a sharpie like I WAS using. There is no smearing, and no fading that I have seen so far. It has never damaged a disk. The print quality suffers a lot if the disk has any kind of surface feature. If there is anything on the surface that you can feel, the device will likely not print well because it must maintain physical contact with the disk surface.

Urlee:

I ... just ordered a 50 Pack Verbatim DVD-R White inkjet "Hub" Printable $9.99 after rebate.

I'm looking to replenish my DVD-R supplies -- can you tell us where you found this deal. Thanks.

Urlee:



I'm looking to replenish my DVD-R supplies -- can you tell us where you found this deal. Thanks.
meritline.com has them

Urlee:



I'm looking to replenish my DVD-R supplies -- can you tell us where you found this deal. Thanks.

I ordered them from Meritline but actually, considering shipping costs, it turns out it cost me $20.44.

Urlee

I would avoid thermal lables because they darken over time just at room temperature. When I remove a DVD from my recorder or Player they are warm to the touch and I fear that a thermal label would be turned black.

Although not pretty I just use a sharpie.

That's not how these thermal labeling systems work. These use a thermal process to transfer a pigment from the source ribbon to the substrate, in this case the DVD disc. There is nothing on the finished DVD that will or can darken more over time.

I agree on the "just use a Sharpie" scheme tho....that's what I do. :D

look at Epson's line of CD/DVD printers. Yes it requires special media, but I have been very happy with mine and might buy an AIO to eliminate some clutter. I have the older R300 and have printed close to 700 discs without a problem.

The printers will run from $100 to $500 depending on the features. This also print pretty good photos to boot :)

I'm using the Casio thermal printer, I believe it's the K85. Excellent results, I'm very happy with it.

Jon

I'm using the Casio CW-100 and Taiyo Yuden thermal label discs. I've been pretty happy with the results as my handwriting with (or without) a Sharpie is pretty bad. Also, you can print a small font that would be tough to do accurately with even a extra-fine Sharpie. Now the labels I've done so far are just simple lettering in two ~1"x2" blocks on the disc. I haven't tried printing a graphic figure yet. But most of my buds think the discs look professional. The wife wouldn't think it was cost effective and she would use a Sharpie. But I'm quite happy with the results. They don't appear to fade and you would have to scratch hard enough to damage the disc before you could get the printing off.

Now the Casio uses print tape cartridges like old typewriters. You should note that you can only have one color cartridge in at a time and you have to swap cartridges to go to another color. So multicolor on one disc would be complicated. I have seen a very few complaints about bad prints, but I think that is due to the printer being left unused for a while. If I use mine every month or so, I don't have a problem. If more time than that has gone by, I figure I'll just print a test label on an old disc just to get to a fresh spot in the print cartridge.

Let's see some pics of these masterpieces ?

I got the Epson R340 on Black Friday for $29.99 after $100 rebates @ Ritz/Wolf Camera. I love it and it does an excellent job! I purchased Printable DVD's + & - @ SAMS for $40 per 100. The best media deals are @ supermediastore.com. They have Taiyo Yuden's & Ritek's with the printable hub area which give you more coverage on the DVD face. I don't understand why basically only Epson makes these type of printers?? If more people try it it's awesome!! I tried everything: sharpies which I still use for non-important DVD's, labels which cause balance problems, lightscribe which is slow and limited to B&W. IMO nothing compares to printable DVD's unless you spend big $$$ for the professional process!! Take it from me, it's the best/cheapest way to go for impressive DVD labeling!!

I use a permanent black marker, works great every time!

Thanks for all your input. The weather here has prevented me from shopping locally, but then I thought that I should clarify that what I'm currently looking for would print directly on the DVD. Are y'all saying that you have to by "pre-labeled" DVDs before these work or will these thermal printers work on any DVDs that have "un-raised" surfaces?

Thanks!

PatH

Thanks for all your input. The weather here has prevented me from shopping locally, but then I thought that I should clarify that what I'm currently looking for would print directly on the DVD. Are y'all saying that you have to by "pre-labeled" DVDs before these work or will these thermal printers work on any DVDs that have "un-raised" surfaces?

Thanks!

PatH

I have the Epson R320 inkjet printer.
You have to buy PRINTABLE discs which have a special coated surface for the ink to be printed on.
The disks say "injet printable" for inkjet printers, when you look to order them.

Urlee

thermal or inkjet, either way you must purchase special discs...unless you have a printer that you can load with sharpie markers instead of ink :D

thermal or inkjet, either way you must purchase special discs...unless you have a printer that you can load with sharpie markers instead of ink :D

I hope not! I just ordered a Casio CW-100-IH.

I labeled more than a thousand DVDs so far with my Casio CW-L300. I have nothing but praise for it, as long as all you want is a simple, neat monochrome label. I label my DVDs with the movie title and a reference number that refers to my database and storage location. I use TY blanks from http://supermediastore.com/taiyo-yuden-silver-thermal-8x-dvd-r-media.html
I used the Epson inkjet printer early on, but the amount of time needed to create a simple label put me off. I may use it occasionally for a special DVD to give to a friend, but even for that, I have a lightscribe burner and I'll be more likely use that.

I hope not! I just ordered a Casio CW-100-IH.

I haven't seen any printer that will print on the standard "shiny" discs (I.e. no special surface). So maybe you can sell your discs to a friend?

I haven't seen any printer that will print on the standard "shiny" discs (I.e. no special surface). So maybe you can sell your discs to a friend?

The TY discs I have are the ones that oldnacl refers to in his previous post.

As for the DVDs I've already done, if the printer won't handle them, what kind of Sharpie's best? I'm vaguely familiar with the name, but I thought there are different kinds of points. Forgive my ignorance, please.

PatH

http://www.cards4magic.co.uk/acatalog/HD_1701_M.jpg

There are various tip sizes, depending on how large you like to write, some may suit you better than others.

PatH,I like the ultrafine,because I only write on the clear inner ring,there is no problem with writing on the surface of the non reading side of dvds,aside from possible ink migration over time to the dvd on top of it,if you store them on spindles(there can be problems with cds because they're constructed differently).

Some Canons can print on printable DVDs, but you need a tray that does not come with the printer. You can make your own. I did with my pixima 4200. There is also a free printer program. Info is at

http://pixma.damnmachine.com/forum/

My HP computer came with a lightscribe burner, but I like the full face, color print on the DVD.

The Casio thermal printer was made for shiny disc. The stock TY's are perfect, they are all I use. And no, it's does not use special "printable media", just plain off the shelf CD's & DVD's.

I wish people who don't have a Casio thermal printer would stop spreading misinformation as to what it can and can't do. Once again it's perfect for shiny disc.

Jon

I wish people who don't have a Casio thermal printer would stop spreading misinformation as to what it can and can't do. Once again it's perfect for shiny disc.Jon


"I have the Epson R320 inkjet printer.
You have to buy PRINTABLE discs which have a special coated surface for the ink to be printed on.
The disks say "injet printable" for inkjet printers, when you look to order them."

Urlee

I was referring to my Epson inkjet printer. Not a Casio thermal printer.
Urlee.

The Casio thermal printer was made for shiny disc. The stock TY's are perfect, they are all I use. And no, it's does not use special "printable media", just plain off the shelf CD's & DVD's.

I wish people who don't have a Casio thermal printer would stop spreading misinformation as to what it can and can't do. Once again it's perfect for shiny disc.

Jon

Other than no logo, what is a "thermal printable disc"?

example: http://www.supermediastore.com/taiyo-yuden-silver-thermal-8x-dvd-r-media.html

"I have the Epson R320 inkjet printer.
You have to buy PRINTABLE discs which have a special coated surface for the ink to be printed on.
The disks say "injet printable" for inkjet printers, when you look to order them."

Urlee

I was referring to my Epson inkjet printer. Not a Casio thermal printer.
Urlee.

I believe aviman33 was referring to sivartk: "thermal or inkjet, either way you must purchase special discs...unless you have a printer that you can load with sharpie markers instead of ink ". and "I haven't seen any printer that will print on the standard "shiny" discs (I.e. no special surface)."

I am quite relieved to find out that I did not waste money on the Casio.

For all who are interested, Casio tech support says their disc labeler line will print on any shiny DVD that doesn't have writing on it. I won't quote the whole email here, but this appears to be in line with aviman33's post.

PatH

Other than no logo, what is a "thermal printable disc" as opposed to a non-thermal and non-inkjet printable disc?

example: http://www.supermediastore.com/taiyo-yuden-silver-thermal-8x-dvd-r-media.html

hmmmm????

HP still makes at least one model that can print on inkjet printables. I don't know the model but I saw it on display at Micro Center with the printable discs next to it.

I have the Epson 200 and have printed hundreds of discs but I do have to "manage" each disc feed as the gripper rollers don't always pull the tray into the printer. I just bought a second printer, the Epson 220, for a different computer, which I haven't started using. The CD tray is slightly different on the leading edge and may address the feed problems I have with the 200.

I use third party ink from supermediastore with no problem. They often have it on sale. Epson ink is too expensive even from the warehouse stores or mail order.

For software, I use the Epson CD printing software or Nero's cover designer module. For movies I record from cable, I screen cap the title from the film and print that as a graphic on the disc. I may screen cap a major credit like the star or director. I've developed standard templates for the TV shows I record using screen caps and graphics from their web sites and just key in the epsisode title.

hmmmm????


It will print on all disc, both plain shiny and previously silk screened.. Here is a demo;

http://www.casio.com/products/Label_%26_Disk_Title_Printers/Disk_Title_Printers/CW-K85/content/Interactive_Demo/

However, it's best on smooth consistent surfaces. If the disc was silkscreened by the manufacturer, like TDK or Maxell, you will have to orient the disc to a smooth area. For instance you would not want to print on top of the manufacturers logo, because if run your finger acress it you will find it is not smooth.

For example;

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/meritline_1930_368197810
You could print on the top and bottom of this disc, but you wouldn't want to print over the logo areas, left and right, because it is not a level smooth surface.

One big advantage of this printer, as someone previously mentioned, is being caplable of using very small font with excellent results.


Jon

What are people's opinions on the stick on labels here?

^^ Stick on labels are a no-no. They can come off after awhile, and mess your recorder or player up.

What are people's opinions on the stick on labels here?

I no longer use them, but I do have some 3 year old DVD's with them and have had no problems so far...however, they were the clear stickers and not the typical white that you see.

I did have a label come off of a CD in my car, luckily it didn't do any damage, but getting the disc out along with the label proved tricky.

It will print on all disc, both plain shiny and previously silk screened.. Jon
It looks like the casio and the Signature Z1 are very similar printers using similar technology. The Z1 connects to your computer, so it isn't as stand-alone as your casio, but the print looks very similar, and the mechanism looks similar too, just rotated 90 degrees and with a plastic shell. I think the Z1 has been discontinued though.

Initially, I wanted the cheaper Casio (non stand alone), but couldn't find one so I went with the Casio K85. I'm surprisingly happy with this unit. I thought I would never use it without the computer interface, but in actuallity I use it more as a stand alone. I'll never go back to a sharpie again. And I recently threw out all my stick on labels.

Jon

I used up & wore out an Epson R300 printer after about 5,000 dvds. It also required about 4 min per 600 dpi jpeg image on a dvd.

So I purchased an Epson R800 which is about 4x faster and the quality is stunning.

If all you want to print on the DVD is text either printer will do a nice and quick job.

For those concerned about inkjet ink smearing due to moisture or water, a couple of the manufacturers (including T-Y) are now making ink jet printable discs that are waterproof. No special ink required. All those threads about spraying on protective coatings are now obsolete. Here is an article at a media vendor's site about the technology. http://burnsmart.com/news-wspart1.html

I’ll burn and print 20 DVDs at a sitting. I have a 100 DVD tree and those little white foam washers that sometimes come packed with DVDs.

Always burn first, then I print DVDs and when printed I stack them on the tree with the foam washers in between.

I let them dry for a few hours before use. I have no issues with smearing and transferring ink between DVDs with that precaution in effect.

interesting....just tested to see if anything had changed on the new Epson RX580 the other day....shhhhh...don't tell anyone, I was the one that smeared the disc on their display unit :D

I just ordered a spindle of TY Watershield which will be here this Thursday.
Am anxious to see the glossy finish Etc.
Now maybe I can sneeze without running out of the room? "LOL" :)

What are people's opinions on the stick on labels here?

If you are referring to the Full Face ones, then I agree with everyone else in here who doesn't like them (although I never had a problem with a CD that used them, with DVD's it's different).

I do however use stick on Hub Labels that go directly over the stacking ring in the center of the disc. It's just enough to type in the title of what is on the DVD so you can library them better. I think they work much better because they don't go over an area of the disc that has any recorded material on it.

The best thing to do though, and I now have one of these and use it a lot myself, is get an Epson printer that can print directly on the printable media. I use the R340, but any one of them that accommodates printable media will do the job.

I use third party ink from supermediastore with no problem. They often have it on sale. Epson ink is too expensive even from the warehouse stores or mail order.

I am so glad you said this. I have wondered about third party ink (have some, but haven't needed to use it just yet).

I bought some from Meritline and it says "RiDisc" on the package. Further looking at the package mentions a web site, www.dvdrecordable.org

I am sure the inks will do just fine.

What are people's opinions on the stick on labels here?
I would not use sticky labels on DVD's but Avery and Fellows have both released a full face label specifically for use on DVD's. They explain on the package that the paper based labels absorb and lose moisture causing the label to grow and shrink warping the DVD sufficiently to cause read errors. The lesser data density on a CD is not affected as greatly. The special DVD label is a plastic film that does not have the moisture absorption issue.

I am so glad you said this. I have wondered about third party ink (have some, but haven't needed to use it just yet).

I bought some from Meritline and it says "RiDisc" on the package. Further looking at the package mentions a web site, www.dvdrecordable.org

I am sure the inks will do just fine.
I have learned to no-likey my Epson R340 as a paper or DVD printer. I used Epson pigmentized inks solely for the 1st few months and noticed that it "charges" the ink every time you turn it on. Olemanphil said he kept his Epsons on and that worked for me for about a month or so, but then I started getting lines in the print. No printer utility fixed it.

I finally opened the top and saw a foam strip that was mostlty covered by a plastic bar, but the left end was open. That end of the foam was FILLED with excess ink, which I sopped up with many paper towels. The print lines cleared up after a few prints.

I ordered some cartridges from rima.com (much lower price than supermediatore.com, $15 for all 6 carts) and used them successfully for 2 months or so, turning the printer off each time.

I also noticed that the much cheaper generic inks apparently don't charge up like the Epson inks...the status bars stay at about the same level after turning the printer on. With the Epson inks, the charging took enough ink that it was noticeable in the status bars. Might have some "chip" on board that the generics don't have?

My rima.com inks have printed many things on all types of paper and several DVDs with no problems so far. If I get fine lines again, at least I'll know it can be fixed by sopping up the excess ink on the foam strip. :)

I just saw an HP printer for $89 at Wal-Mart that prints on DVDs. I'd prefer an HP 'cause I've had them before and they work great, plus they don't use heavier pigment inks and the only thing that can clog is a replaceable ink cartridge, not the entire mechanism that Epson uses to deliver ink...I've read many posts on other threads about Epson printers clogging and difficulty in clearing up. (I got the Epson for its "water-proof/resistant inks...found the generics are also water-proof/resistant.)

I just saw an HP printer for $89 at Wal-Mart that prints on DVDs.

Link, model number? Last I heard Epson owned the patent in the US for inkjet printing directly to DVD. Hopefully this has changed.

Link, model number? Last I heard Epson owned the patent in the US for inkjet printing directly to DVD. Hopefully this has changed.
While they have some of these, HP D5145, at my Wal-Mart, their online store doesn't have any, and the HP site says "discontinued." Guess I'd better grab one?

Link, model number? Last I heard Epson owned the patent in the US for inkjet printing directly to DVD. Hopefully this has changed.
Canon has disabled the print to CD function on their U.S. machines because of those Epson patents. I saw that HP printer at a Micro Center store so they may still be in the marketplace.

While they have some of these, HP D5145, at my Wal-Mart, their online store doesn't have any, and the HP site says "discontinued." Guess I'd better grab one?

Interesting, not sure when these were released, but the copyright of the user's manual is 2006. States discontinued with no replacement :(

Interesting, not sure when these were released, but the copyright of the user's manual is 2006. States discontinued with no replacement :(
Maybe they didn't work too well, but buying from Wal-Mart is not a risk in that regard.

I am so glad you said this. I have wondered about third party ink (have some, but haven't needed to use it just yet).

I bought some from Meritline and it says "RiDisc" on the package. Further looking at the package mentions a web site, www.dvdrecordable.org

I am sure the inks will do just fine.

I bought those and have replaced all but one color with them so far.
So far so good but this is my first set of them. Am thinking of ordering some more.

My question tho, do you remove that plastic blue duhicky that's on them? They fit so loose and sloppy that I did.

I bought those and have replaced all but one color with them so far.
So far so good but this is my first set of them. Am thinking of ordering some more.

My question tho, do you remove that plastic blue duhicky that's on them? They fit so loose and sloppy that I did.
Yes, if you mean the plastic spacer that keep the snap-lever up. There is also a clear plastic film over the ink nozzle, but that gets punctured when you install the cart. Mine from rima.com also had a paper label that says you have to tear off the top portion of...purpose? Not sure but it seems to uncover some leak-proof air-holes???

Yes, if you mean the plastic spacer that keep the snap-lever up. There is also a clear plastic film over the ink nozzle, but that gets punctured when you install the cart. Mine from rima.com also had a paper label that says you have to tear off the top portion of...purpose? Not sure but it seems to uncover some leak-proof air-holes???

Also on the RiDisc, I pull off that yellow strip. :)

Canon has disabled the print to CD function on their U.S. machines because of those Epson patents.

Not exactly correct. Canon placed a removable plastic strip over the slot where the tray containing the disc would be inserted into the printer. That strip is easily removable.

If you want to go the deluxe route, the Canon IP6700d photo printer will print directly onto a printable disc using an internal disc tray with awesome results. These will run anywhere from $125 US to $150. Check Amazon for reviews.

Note: the tray function is supposedly not to be used in the US market so you will need to buy the tray off ebay and go into the service menu to unlock the tray printing feature. The guy who sells the trays has an online guide to do this. Sounds hard, but it's very easy to do, kinda like changing the region code of a dvd player except you only need to do it once.

The TDK printable discs sold in bulk everywhere work fine, but for the ultimate collection, use Taiyo Yuden's new watershield discs for full hub printing. Just awesome.

A few printer thoughts, I don’t know why I would rework a Cannon printer to do the job when a cheap Epson will do the job off the shelf. I will agree that a DVD printer is the way to go. The result is fast, attractive and permanent.

Choosing among the Epson printers the R300 series do a fine job but are much slower than the R800 series. I also thought the R800’s tray set up was a lot less bother than the R300.

How can I put this tactfully? Either Epson DVD printer can with care reproduce a professional result visually indistinguishable from the original.

How can I put this tactfully? Either Epson DVD printer can with care reproduce a professional result visually indistinguishable from the original.

I just LOVE the print to CD feature. To think I had my printer for two years without trying it?
Thanks to this forum and the party who got me started on printing to CD plus where and what to buy for it.

I, for the first time, just bought and tried the Ridisc Compatible ink hoping it does not wreck my printer?
Now I want to buy some more but------the ones I bought were BRANDED and now I see them as Generic Compatible with different numbers like 123-154 for yellow instead of 123-273??????
What's the difference between Ridisc Branded Compatible and Ridisc Generic Compatible? :confused:

I'm looking to sell my R300 and Epson scanner and get the RX580...just waiting to use up my last set of ink :)

I apologize in advance for being lazy and not searching for the answer to this, but quickly, yes or no - will the Epsom printers print to the shiny TY discs that I now have a boatload of?
(Ironically, I have just purchased at Casio CW-100 that works great with the TYs but won't print on Maxell Inkjet Printables.)

I apologize in advance for being lazy and not searching for the answer to this, but quickly, yes or no - will the Epsom printers print to the shiny TY discs that I now have a boatload of?
(Ironically, I have just purchased at Casio CW-100 that works great with the TYs but won't print on Maxell Inkjet Printables.)
I doubt it!

I just printed a pic on a std CD...a Sony with the white color and reverse embossed text, "Sony CD-R" and "700 MB"...and the pic is a pale imitation... AND IT RUBS OFF!

Apparently , the surface of the CD I used doesn't take the Epson pigment inks well at all, and they don't stick like they do to paper or printable DVDs.

I printed the same pic on a printable DVD (white coating on top) and the pic looks outstanding.

NOTE, however, that I'm currently using generic inks...not sure if Epson inks would do any better tho' 'cause the generic inks stick like glue on a printable DVD...pretty waterproof too!

P.S. 15 MINUTES LATER... my DVD is dry and already waterproof, the ink on the CD is still rubbing off!

I doubt it!

I just printed a pic on a std CD...a Sony with the white color and reverse embossed text, "Sony CD-R" and "700 MB"...and the pic is a pale imitation... AND IT RUBS OFF!

Apparently , the surface of the CD I used doesn't take the Epson pigment inks well at all, and they don't stick like they do to paper or printable DVDs.

I printed the same pic on a printable DVD (white coating on top) and the pic looks outstanding.

NOTE, however, that I'm currently using generic inks...not sure if Epson inks would do any better tho' 'cause the generic inks stick like glue on a printable DVD...pretty waterproof too!

P.S. 15 MINUTES LATER... my DVD is dry and already waterproof, the ink on the CD is still rubbing off!

Thank you. That was exactly what I wanted to know.

I apologize in advance for being lazy and not searching for the answer to this, but quickly, yes or no - will the Epsom printers print to the shiny TY discs that I now have a boatload of?

No, the Epson inkjet printer will not...not sure about the Epsom :p

you want the white printable dvds for the epson, although there may be shiny disks that work the white absorb ink best and don't smear.

No, the Epson inkjet printer will not...not sure about the Epsom :p

Picky, picky, picky. :rolleyes:

In their defense, they make better bath salts than Epson.

Want a superb looking finish on a printable DVD?

Take a glossy Verbatim hub printable and "wash" the goopy stuff off under running water, careful to not scratch it.
Then when dry, print on it. Believe me, I LOVED the nice solid smooth, shiny surface. BETTER than the original surface.
I did that by accident when I wiped an ink spot off (ended up having to wash the whole surface) which came when I was having trouble with my trying to print on it. Turned out, the tray was hitting the wall.
Beware, do not have the printer too close to the wall!

Want a superb looking finish on a printable DVD?

Take a glossy Verbatim hub printable and "wash" the goopy stuff off under running water, careful to not scratch it.

I don't see how this would work as how to wash a layer of the disc off. If you like the silver shine to disc (as opposed to white) and you still want a color print, go buy some silver inket printable (http://www.supermediastore.com/taiyo-yuden-16x-dvd-r-media-silver-inkjet.html) discs.

I don't see how this would work as how to wash a layer of the disc off. If you like the silver shine to disc (as opposed to white) and you still want a color print, go buy some silver inket printable (http://www.supermediastore.com/taiyo-yuden-16x-dvd-r-media-silver-inkjet.html) discs.

It is still WHITE and it's not that I do that to all the ones I have.
It was just that I goofed up on removing an ink stain off the one I was going to print onto and ended up having to wash the whole surface to even the finish out.

It is not a silver shine. It is white and smooth shiny surface. Didn't know if it would take a print after the washing, but tried and was surprised at how nice it turned out.

Link, model number? Last I heard Epson owned the patent in the US for inkjet printing directly to DVD. Hopefully this has changed.
HP PRINTER THAT PRINTS ON CDS AND DVDS!

Here's a link to an HP Fact Sheet. (http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:zqJ72GH8HXgJ:www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2006/ipgconf/ds_d5160.pdf+HP+D5160&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us)

Today's Office Max ad has a HP Photosmart D5160 for $79.99!

Text says "Prints photos directly on inkjet printable CD/DVDs."

Item # is 2115-4242.

I wish I didn't have my ink-hog Epson R340. :mad:

Side note: I have a 10-yr-old HP OfficeJet printer I haven't used in at least 2 years. Just printed several pages with no problem! Outstanding!

I'd rather have outstanding reliability and performance than waterproof ink! As someone said in another thread on inkjet printing, just tell people not to insert discs with wet hands!

I hope someone will get one of these and test it, esp. for how water-resistant the ink is on a printable DVD. :)

Today's Office Max ad has a HP Photosmart D5160 for $79.99!

Text says "Prints photos directly on inkjet printable CD/DVDs."

Item # is 2115-4242.

I wish they offered an all-in-one so I could replace my stand alone scanner. The only all-in-one that I have found (that is affordable) is the Epson RX580.

[B]
I wish I didn't have my ink-hog Epson R340. :mad:
:)

I use the Casio disc titler, but my previous experience with Epson has taught me that the way they report ink levels is in error. In my case, when they reported that a ink cartridge was empty, it was actually was 2/3 full. I assume they still have a chip in the cartridge reporting ink levels to the printer. You might want to trick it to triple your cartridge life. Here is how it's done;

1. Buy and install a new cartridge as usual.
2. After the cartridge is installed, the printer will read the ink leve to be 100% and then the head will move to the hidden/parked location.
3. Now remove the case from the printer to obtain access to the parked cartridge.
3. Remove the new ink cartridge (while in the park position) and replace with you old cartridge.
4. Now reassemble the case and cover your new cartridge with tape and put it in storage.

The printer only reads the cartridge / chip data when it's first installed and then it will automatically start decrementing the life of the cartridge.

Jon

Thanks for the tip and instructions! :)

In my case, when they reported that a ink cartridge was empty, it was actually was 2/3 full.

Strange, I have just the opposite problem with the after market inks and my R300. When it gives the 10% warning, that means its empty, so you better have some spares on hand.

There is a free utility “SSC Service Utility” for Epson inkjets which displays exact & precise information for the quantity of ink left, as opposed to vague bar charts.

I highly recommend it. Just do a Google search. Better to know you have 1% left than less than 20%, or 5% which is very vague.

It can also reset some epson error messages.

There is a free utility “SSC Service Utility” for Epson inkjets which displays exact & precise information for the quantity of ink left, as opposed to vague bar charts.

I highly recommend it. Just do a Google search. Better to know you have 1% left than less than 20%, or 5% which is very vague.

It can also reset some epson error messages.


The problem is, it really doesn't know how much ink is in the cartridge. Even with SSC, it's just guessing.

Jon

HP PRINTER THAT PRINTS ON CDS AND DVDS!

Here's a link to an HP Fact Sheet. (http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:zqJ72GH8HXgJ:www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2006/ipgconf/ds_d5160.pdf+HP+D5160&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us)

Today's Office Max ad has a HP Photosmart D5160 for $79.99!

Text says "Prints photos directly on inkjet printable CD/DVDs."

Item # is 2115-4242.

I wish I didn't have my ink-hog Epson R340. :mad:

Side note: I have a 10-yr-old HP OfficeJet printer I haven't used in at least 2 years. Just printed several pages with no problem! Outstanding!

I'd rather have outstanding reliability and performance than waterproof ink! As someone said in another thread on inkjet printing, just tell people not to insert discs with wet hands!

I hope someone will get one of these and test it, esp. for how water-resistant the ink is on a printable DVD. :)

Comp USA also carrys the HP Photosmart D5160 printer which prints to cd/dvd. The online and in-house price is $79.99. I have been reading some of the reviews for this printer. Very negative reviews when it comes to printing to cd/dvd. The reason being is because of the software that comes with it.

But people have been buying "Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker" software and it works well with this printer from what I am hearing. Just make sure it's 2.51 and above. It supports the HP Photosmart D5160 printer

I have a R200 that have been using since it fist came out. I picked up another Epson the R380 model last week for $89.99 from Comp USA. I might just go back and pick up the HP Photosmart D5160 printer.

From the "Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker" website. Current version 3.04 and their asking price is $21.95

Supports these HP Printers:
HP Photosmart D5100 series **
HP Photosmart D5145 **
HP Photosmart D5155 **
HP Photosmart D5160 **
HP Photosmart D5168 **

** Direct-to-disc printing with HP printers requires Acoustica CD/DVD
Label Maker version 2.51 or higher.

I think the Epson DVD labeling software is also less than professional grade. I use Corel Draw which either lets me import a large jpg or do a lot of detailed & clear text labeling.

If anyone needs or wants a template shoot me a private note off list and I’ll be happy to share.

Photoshop + Import Picture function in the Epson software is what I use.

The Casio thermal printers appear to only print top and bottom not 4 quadrants. I need 4 quadrant printing and either MAC software or stand alone.

Any ideas appreciated in a thermal printer.

I think the Epson DVD labeling software is also less than professional grade.
I use Corel Draw which either lets me import a large jpg or do a lot of detailed & clear text labeling.

Epson Print CD lets me use large graphics but I do all my fancy work in PSP.
Like tracing around my figure leaving the background off and pasting it to the "disk" template I made.
Then I open it up in Epson Print CD to add the text.
I wish those print CD programs would open transparent files to where I could place them where I want in the Printing program.
Have to be JPGs etc..

The Casio thermal printers appear to only print top and bottom not 4 quadrants. I need 4 quadrant printing and either MAC software or stand alone.

Any ideas appreciated in a thermal printer.
This (http://www.supermediastore.com/u-print-cdp78-cd-dvd-printer.html#description) should do what you want. The description does not say if it is MAC compatible though.

If you are looking for color background thermal printable discs (red, blue, green, yellow, purple, and more), you can go to http://www.runtechmedia.com/store-detail.asp?categoryID=200202051655392&subcategoryID=200405111047222&subcategory=CD-R+Thermal+Printable&a=11.