View Full Version : DVD label printer


Mike Rehmus
December 5th, 2003, 01:38 PM
I have moved from printing NEATO labels and then applying them to the DVDs. It is slow and the results are not great although all of the DVDs have played fine.

Just got the new Epson Stylus Photo R300 printer ($179 at Office Max) which will directly print on CDs and DVDs.

Just flip down a guide in the front, load a DVD into a separate carrier, align it in the guide and press the go button. 3 minutes later the DVD is finished. Nice quality too.

Some people say that the print-job is waterproof. I've not made a coaster yet so I haven't tested the point.

BTW, it's a killer printer for box liners and cover sheets too.

Ken Tanaka
December 5th, 2003, 01:55 PM
You must have read my mind. (Ain't this Internet thing great?) I've been looking for such a DVD printing solution, although I'm a bit shy about buying yet another printer.

I assume that you're using special "printable" DVD's with this printer? If so, what brand / source has worked well for you, Mike?

J. Clayton Stansberry
December 5th, 2003, 02:02 PM
Hey Mike,

Just wondering if you have put them "through the ringer," testing to see how much it will wear or smear? I, like Ken, have been in the market for one of these, and $179 sounds like a great deal, if the quality is ok! Oh, yeah, did you do the coaster test either?? Thanks...

Clay

Jason Casey
December 5th, 2003, 03:02 PM
I have yet to see a Inkjet printer for CD's and DVD's that is waterproof, usually the only way you can get them waterproof is to laminate them after you print. The printable surface of most Cd's and DVD's is made from clay, and we all know what happens when you mix clay with water :) I'm sure they say that the INK is waterproof, which it may be, but the surface you print on isn't going to be waterproof.

Bryan McCullough
December 5th, 2003, 03:09 PM
I use an Epson 960 to print onto inkjet printable DVDs. It's been great.

I've split water on a finished disc before. Not waterproof.

Gints Klimanis
December 5th, 2003, 03:22 PM
I wonder if a sprayable sealant would work. My sword dealer (Yes, I have a few steel swords) recommended a sprayable silicone sealant to protect the swords from air and water.
The stuff could be wiped off and didn't yield a uniformly thick coating. He recommended a particular laquer for a permanent seal. Hmmmm. Can anyone recommend such a sealant for plastics or the clay (as someone else mentioned) for printable DVD-Rs ?

Mike Rehmus
December 5th, 2003, 03:34 PM
I have yet to make one coaster with this DVD burner (Sony external 4X) so I don't know when I'll test the water susceptibility. I think that water isn't too much of a problem anyway.

A licked thumb (damp not really wet) does not smear the heaviest ink application. A wet thumb does. So don't wash the disks in the sink.

I let the first batch dry for 24 hours as Epson recommends and they don't rub off on a thumb. Or even mark as will the NEATO labels (you can rub the haze off the surface even 48 hours after printing. That doesn't effect anything unless you look at the surface using a grazing light.

Ken, I'm trying, for the first time, white printable Verbatim 4X disks from Tape Resources. I think theyare now $2.21 per disk in batches of 50 (although I bought mine for $2.78 the week before).

Every disk type I've tried in this burner (all name-brands) have worked and played back in every player I've tried with one exception. An older Dell laptop wouldn't recognize the disk even though the disk played well on my circa 2000 Sony DVD player.

Jack Robertson
December 6th, 2003, 11:12 AM
From memory, the only way to get a waterproof and smudgeless print onto a disc, is to use a thermal transfer printer like the Inscripta by Primera. Info available at: http://www.primera.com/Inscripta/

The only thing is the price...

Cheers,
Jack

Mike Rehmus
December 6th, 2003, 12:27 PM
I used to make ink-jet printing damp-proof on report covers by spraying the cover with a light mist of semi-gloss laquer.

Should work on DVDs too. Think I'll try it soon.

Jeff Donald
December 6th, 2003, 02:13 PM
Ken, I think your Epson 2200 will print on DVD's/CD's also. It will be more permanent, also.

Lorinda Norton
December 6th, 2003, 02:37 PM
<<<-- Originally posted by Ken Tanaka : I assume that you're using special "printable" DVD's with this printer? If so, what brand / source has worked well for you, Mike? -->>>


I'd like to know, too, please!

Mike Rehmus
December 6th, 2003, 03:42 PM
Verbatim 4X from Tape Resources

Gints Klimanis
December 10th, 2003, 05:20 PM
Here are some spray sealants used to protect inkjet prints.
Has anyone tried them on printable DVD-Rs ?

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/default.php?manufacturers_id=101&PHPSESSID=

Mike Rehmus
December 10th, 2003, 05:37 PM
It is the same type of material I have used in the past on ink jet prints.

You can get it in the local artist supply house.

Spray Fixatif. In fact I have one here on the shelf now. Spray lacquer works as does some hair spray.

Jeff Farris
December 10th, 2003, 06:20 PM
<<<-- Originally posted by Jeff Donald : Ken, I think your Epson 2200 will print on DVD's/CD's also. It will be more permanent, also. -->>>

That appears NOT to be the case, Jeff. At least, according to Epson. That 960 is looking pretty interesting, though. Wondering how I can convince my wife I need both the 2200 (already sitting there) and the 960 to print the occasional disk.

Michael Westphal
December 10th, 2003, 09:30 PM
I just ordered 50 Maxell 4x printables... I'
ll report in next week on how well they work (Mac G4/Superdrive/Epson 900).

I finally burned a bad disk (authoring error) on Verbatim 2X. I printed it for fun. Let it dry a week, then stuck it under the faucet. Some of the ink washed off, but most of it remained -- the colors just went "pastel". I then left it wet for a few hours, and no more ink departed and the disk remained readable.

Good enough for me.

J. Clayton Stansberry
December 10th, 2003, 10:37 PM
Just got my emedia magazine and in this months issue there is a review of all sorts of printers for printing DVDs and CDs. Just what I was looking for....and thought I would share. Check out this link:

http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=8067