A DVD Printer Suitable To Impress Wedding Customers
 

Hi Everyone,

I'm starting up doing wedding videos in Ireland. I've been pulling my hair out about the following printer selection dilemma and I'd really appreciate any suggestions whatsoever...

I recently bought a used Epson R360 and bought a compatible CISS solution but sadly the printer was defective and I had to return it. I'm now on the hunt for a quality inkjet printer (in UK/Europe preferably for compatibility) that can print:

Directly onto white-faced DVD disc (not labels)

Has a CISS (Continuous Ink Supply System) solution available for it

Can also print quality DVD case covers

Can also print letter-headed paper and fliers

I'd read lots of reviews of the Epson R285 but does this really have the quality needed to produce excellent DVD case photographs and printing onto disc? The CISS I bought for the Epson R360 I think is also compatible with the R285 so at least there'd be an ink saving for me!

If anyone can drum up a few names of printers that have the quality to impress wedding video customers I'd really appreciate it. I've noticed the very expensive DaVinci printer from Copytrax for about £900 but that is really expensive for me.

The key for me, with my ideal printer being inkjet, is the CISS.

I'm also wondering whether I should be spending much money on a DVD printer as I'm only starting out - perhaps it would be more cost-effective using software to design my labels and then sending the 'pre-burned-with-completed-wedding-video' blank-white-faced discs off to a place that can do them ultra-high quality? Do any of you use this 'third-party' method for your wedding videos?

Again, I'd truly appreciate any suggestions. I'm a bit confused as I'm sure you can tell!

All the best

Peter

Hey Peter,

I use the Epson RX580, it work pretty good. I'm really happy with the result when printing to white DVD-R. The quality is soo good that customer won't believe that is a DVD-R

For the DVD Cases it depend on the paper you use, it work pretty good too, but for me is cheaper to print outsource, save money and ink. I don't know how it work on UK, but on US I sent my print to Office Max and they do a really good job for just $0.60 or less per page.

Hope this help

Thanks

That's brilliant advice thanks - do you design your DVD cases on Photoshop before sending them to Office Max? Or is there special software you use to design the case-covers? If it's Photoshop, I guess I would need to research exact sizes to create the case-covers - are you aware of any templates perhaps that would have the correct DVD-case-cover sizes? I'm aware that there would need to be a back, front and 'side' cover.

Can anyone here please recommend a cost-effective UK service for printing DVD case covers should I create the case art myself and email it to them?

Any ideas really appreciated.

Peter

I've had a couple of Epson printers and have had good luck with them. Sounds like you got a pink one. I currently have the RX595 and beat it to death. After a year, it's still all good. It will print everything I want, plus it has a scanner. There are probably a number of Epson models with the same printer "engine". I don't have a CISS but I've read there are systems for a number of Epson printers. I paid US$150 for mine.

Printing on the DVD media is not an ink-intensive activity. I've read that you can give the disk printing surface a glossy look after printing by spraying a thin coat of urethane, but I've not done this.

As for DVD inserts, you'll want to use stock made using photographic paper. The difference compared to matte paper is quite large. This is also very ink intensive so a CISS will be valuable if you're doing any real quantity. Outsourcing may be more cost effective for what you're doing if you do larger runs. Nearly any copy shop should be able to do this for you as long as they have the paper stock. Being an yanqui, I cannot help you with a local resource.

Peter,

I've found these
Taiyo Yuden Watershield Full-Face Printable 16x DVD-R (Pack of 50) - SVP
to give the best DVD printing surafce I've come across and I only use the Epson R220, I also use the same printer to print the inlays with.

PM me and I'll send you a sample of the cover.

I'm using the Epson R260 onto non-watershield Taiyo Yuden discs and I'm thrilled. The transport is occasionally problematic and the printer stops printing even all black (ie. text) when a colour cartridge runs out but for $100 Canadian, I'm pretty happy. Next stop is an all in one robotic disc burner and printer combo. Until then, I'm happy enough.

Peter, I design my own DVD case art. Search on Google, there is a couple of template for photoshop

Thanks so much for all your suggestions Tripp, Phil, Shaun and Yunisbel.

I have already invested in the Taiyo Yuden Watershield discs when I was testing out the defective printer I got - great to hear that they get a thumbs-up from you.

Here is the Epson Stylus RX585 All-in-One High Quality Photo Printer I'm on the verge of buying: Amazon.co.uk: Epson Stylus RX585 All-in-One High Quality Photo Printer: Electronics & Photo

I intend to use a monochrome laser printer for my general letter printing etc, but will use the RX585 specifically for printing onto DVDs and letter-headed paper and graphic-headed invoices.

I will then use a third-party service to print out 'glossy' DVD case-covers and perhaps DVD case inserts also. I'll still need to research who might be good for this task. Any suggestions more than welcome!

Does my plan of action sound okay do you think?

Absolutely. As I said, I have the RX595 and it works with no feed issues like the older Epsons. Laser is best for text and has a lower overall cost. Since I'm from the wrong side of the pond, I can't help you with a print service shop.

Brilliant, thanks Tripp. I'll go ahead and buy that one today.

When you said "Sounds like you got a pink one" had you heard of a common 'pink' defect in Epson printers before? I was pulling my hair out - for two weeks I was trying all manner of tests, thinking it was perhaps the printer's compatibility with my iMac that was to blame. Finally I concluded that the printer itself was defective, because it was still printing 'pink' even when connected to my PC laptop with all the latest Epson updates and deleted preferences etc. It was truly a nightmare! I had searched forums galore and wasn't really able to find a solution - Epson just said that it was most likely a hardware problem. I hope no-one else has to suffer this 'pink' problem like I did - you wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy!

No Peter, it's just an expression meaning that you got one that didn't work correctly.

Epsons from a few years ago would need a little help from the human operator to help start the CD/DVD tray moving when starting a print job. I had that issue on an Epson 320 (I think) that I bought in 2003 or 2004. The RX595 that I bought a year ago has had no such problems at all, and I've run about two hundred disks through it.

Thanks Tripp, I appreciate your recommendation.

This was fixed (for me, at least) by the solution in this DVinfo thread. The solution itself is quicker to do, than it takes to read that thread!!!

I use the Epson R800 with excellent results on T-Y Watershield media.

CIS is also available for the R800.