I've had trouble with DVD/CD tracking and the use of stick-on labels as well as Sharpie pen labels. To avoid the cost of direct-to-CD/DVD inkjet labeling, and to avoid its tendency to smeer, I've been advised to use Casio's $90.00 thermal labeler. Seems like a real bargin. Another 'pro' is that I hear that the ink doesn't smeer and that there are no tracking problems. Cons - It uses only one color per disk (Black, Blue, Red, or Green) and constrains your label to about an inch tand a hald tall block above and below the center hole of the disk. Given the low cost I"ve decided to try using one. NOW MY QUESTION: Does anyone out there use one of these? Are all thermal printable blank DVDs the same?

Dan,

I haven't used one, but am interested what they produce. "The cost of inkjet labelling?" There are alternatives under $200 dollars (Epson 900, I believe) and as for the smear they make a sealent you can apply after printing so they won't smear. Depending on your use, I would spend the extra $100 and go the inkjet route...hopefully Santa Claus will look nicely on me and I will have a Epson 960 to report on after christmas...

Clay

I bought one when they first came out, Used it for a little while but I then realized that it's limited capabilities doesn't make it very useful in the real world. Not many clients want only a few lines of text all in the same color on their discs. Most of them want Logos, graphics and color which this device can not really handle. Its a perfect device if you want to quickly label discs at home to make them look good instead of using a sharpie, but in the real world they aren't useful. Mine has been sitting in a box for the last few months. Which brings me to my next point and why it is sitting in a box. I discoverd the Epson 900 printer than allows you to print directly on Inkjet Printable CD's. Since I got this my casio has never been used. The only drawback is that the CD's aren't waterproof, not that you should be dumping water on your CD's anyways. I was used to using the Signature Pro printers (we have 4 of them at work) and the Epson to me gives better quality than the $1500 Signature Pro printers. Unless you need watrerproof CD's and DVD's I would go with the epson. The casio by the way is waterproof under most conditions.

Jason and Dan,

Here's the link to the thread which the spoke of sealing the CDs or DVDs after they have been printed:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17995

This would waterproof them and give a more professional look to the CD/DVD...a solution for all!

Clay

I agree with Jason. I have a Signature III at work and an Epson 960 at home. I'll take the output of the 960 over the Signature III any day. These new CD printers are very easy to use. At this point, I don't know why anyone would use labels instead.

Edward and Jason,

What software are you using to do these inkjet direct-to-cd labelling? What comes with the 900 or 960, if anything?
Thanks.

Clay

To print on the DVDs, I'm currently using the software that came with the printer. It does an adequate job and allow pictures, text, backgrounds...

To print everything else, I'm using PageMaker or Word or Notepad...