DVD covers
 

Hi guys, do you know a good place that does good dvd covers. i tried using my printer but it came out really bad. Thx

What printer are you using. I think if you do a search of 'printing dvds' on this forum search, you'll get a lot of your questions answered.

For what it's worth, I know Kinko's will print DVDs.

Maybe even Office Depot. Any place with a color laser.

Kinkos does a good job and it only costs about $1.00 each.

I echo the sentiments of the others.

I go to my local Staples and print up as many colour covers as I need on 92 bright legal size paper and it runs about .74 cents CDN per whether it's a wedding cover or a dance recital cover.

Cheap and, unless their copier needs a cleaning, relatively close to what I put together.

ian

canon ip5000 printer
a variety of kodak papers from high gloss through to photomatt, through to 170gsm standard gloss

cant fault the image quality and the price is right

i get my inks for $4 a tub and buy in bulk so theyre much cheaper (i also get my discs from same supplier

as for paper, any photo or project paper will work fine, so long as its no les than 170gsm

I use an HP Color Laserjet 3800. I like it because the toner in it is able to be tweaked. In other words if the yellow is too yellow, then you can adjust it a little bit. total cost on a networkable one was about 900 bucks, but well worth it. I use it for so much more than DVD covers too. For my DVD printing I use a Bravo2 that my other employer has, but I am about to purchase a microboards GX-1, because the ink is much cheaper and my local ink refill place can actually refill the microboards cartridge.

If I have a lot of covers to do ( but significantly less than 500 copies) I will print one on high quality glossy photo paper and then take that copy to a printing business that offers color photo copies. Then I have as many printed as I need.

Note a few issues:

Color photocopiers can not offer "pin-registered" accuracy, so expect each copy to be printed in a slightly different position than the previous copy.

Color photocopies will not accurately reproduce the color of the original print. Only printing press projects can do that, and those are expensive. I simply live with the difference, and trim every copy with a knife paper cutter myself.

Try and locate a knowledgable employee at the business your ask to perfrom the work for you. Always ask for a sample print, and continue asking for one until you get an acceptable print. I usually pay for these tests. It is worth it in the long run.

On the other hand, spend some time to play around with your printer, because I rarely have to go to the effort I just described.

Thanks guys. My printer is old and eat ink like candy. It cost me about 50 bucks every time i need to change the ink. i am looking to up grade to better but not expensive one. What do you guys do recomand? Also do you know any online place that you can design the covers and order the case with prints? thx in advance

If you deal with reprodutions of less than 500 my experience is your printer will be more cost effective than commercial low volume printing.

I feel the big issue with printers is how well they deal with after market ink.

I used to own a Canon 6 color cartridge pinter. Sorry, I can not remember the model number. It worked flawlessly with both Canon and after market inks except the cyan color. Had to be Canon ink. Forturnately, that printer died. Enter Epson Stylus Photo 200 printer, also six color. Cheap. $99 US.

5000 copies plus later this thing is still going strong. It has no issues with after market cartridges. A complete ink cartridge change retail costs $80+US. Same after market cost at Meritline.com is $35 - $40US. Color reproductions issues haven't appeared ... yet.

Bottom line for me, any project is a balance between cost paid out vs my time. One will always make more sense financially than the other.