DVD Labeling Systems
 

What is the best labeling system for a MAC? I do not want to spend a chunk load of money to buy a printer that prints directly onto the DVDs, although that would be nice. I've used some in the past that have caused the DVDs to be unbalanced, therefore causing the playback to be jittery or not function at all. I quit for awhile, but I want to try again. Can anyone recommend a product? I just looked into this Neo labeling system and the review was terrible. Thanks a bunch.

Josh

I'm not sure what you mean by a 'print to DVD becoming unbalanced' unless you are referring to the stick on labels. If so, yeah stick on labels are not the way to go. IMO, it more economical to print to DVD than to spend the money for labels, then ink on top of that.

The Epson 220 is a decent solution for printing to disk. It's less than 100 bucks now a days. The Epson comes with your basic disk layout software.

There are lightscribe solutions, just google lightscribe and you'll see a bunch. (clarified, this is a way to label a disk, but you have to have a lightscribe drive)

Ditto on the Epson 220. I ve used it for about 6 months, and have done runs of up to 125 units on the printer. Its not automatic so you have to reload each disk, but it still produces a nice finished product.

Yep, the (now) 220 works great. I run 2 of the 200 units and have run about 2000 thru them and they still work just fine. If 1 breaks so what, for about $100 I can get another and as was mentioned they print out quite well.
Don

For those of you who have used the Epson 200 series extensively -- what is your ink cost / DVD to print edge-to-edge photo labels? And are you using generic ink (if so, what source) or genuine Epson?

I recall Consumer Reports saying that the generic inks tended not to save any money in the end (I guess the cartridges didn't last as long in their tests). I've also had problems with off-brand inks in the past in my Canon printer (bad color, clogged heads), but if you've got a source of good, cheap ink, I'd love to hear it.

-Terence

You know, I've never really counted how many I get with the carts but its quite a few even with a full face print. As for ink, i used to buy the genuine epson thru 1 of the office suppl places but now I get it at a place called Cartridge World and it's about 60% of what the office supply places charge so I know my cost per unit is down but honestly I've never taken the time to actually figure it out. I know I should and I promise that next year i will (maybe ;-O)
Don

This Epson printer, do you design the labels within photoshop and then print directly to DVD? Therefore, buying DVD-R's with print directly to DVD capability?

Epson has a basic printing program with design elements that you can bring BMPs or JPEGS into as backgrounds, photos, text-it's actually not a bad little program. I have also done some stuff in photoshop and then imported into the Epson program. Yes buy printable DVDs, use the supplied tray from Epson and fire away.

Don

I use my Epson 220 to print to both CDs and DVDs (make sure to buy the printable ones!). However, there is one serious "gotcha". I use a Photoshop template customized for both, and it has clipping masks perfectly matched to the printable surfaces of both CDs and DVDs. This is important because you don't want the print heads to "overspray" the areas of the media. It makes a real mess and wastes ink, too.

The quality is quite good (nowhere near "photo" quality, though) and my clients are always surprised and delighted to see their discs.

Do you use a clear coat on printed media?
 

I've talked with a couple of folks who print their (white-faced) DVDs/CDs, then spray them with a clear coat after the ink dries. I've been told it preserves the printed labels. I've tried it a couple of times using Rustoleum Crystal Clear spray paint, but after drying, the spray seems to leave tiny little "bumps" in the clear coat, kinda like polyurethane applied to wood but before it's been sanded between coats.

Does anyone else have experience and/or recommendations with this?

The benefit of your experience and wisdom would be appreciated.

Krylon has a clear glossy or satin finish spray that works very well on the faces of DVDs. Thats the stuff art and graphics houses use. Also shake the can every couple of minutes to make sure there is no air in the nozzel.

Don

LightScribe sounds great on paper. Have you actually tried it ?

I fell for the LightScribe promise. First of all, the contrast is so bad that it's hard to read text. There are some contrast tweaks, but they really don't improve the situation that much. Burning a LightScribe disc takes over a half an hour. According to one fellow that uses a lot of DVD burners and prints on Epson printers, your DVD burner has a life span of about 300 disc burns. LightScribe reduces the lifespan of your burner. Text is ok, but pictures are just horrible.

I wouldn't recommend LightScribe to anyone.

This might be a boneheaded question but here goes.
I am planning on getting the 220 also. Do you print the DVD before you burn it, or after, or does it not matter?

I'd be tempted to print first so that I know the DVD works after burning, but does the ink mess up the burning process?

Josh: Yes, you have to buy printable CD or DVDs. I have seen them in Silver and White so far.

Nick: I print after burning, with no effect to the burns. I would not print before.

The original poster asked about labeling systems for the MAC. The software that came with my R200 is Windows only and I used it once or twice.

I've been using a demo of a MAC application called Disc Label. It seems to be a nice application. The demo is fully functional but watermarks the printouts until you buy a registration key.

-gb-

Nick...before you run out and buy your 220, consider a Canon. I use to be an Epson man, but my last one turned me off...didn't last a month past the warranty.
I went to a Canon IP4200 and love it.

I found out most of the IP and MP series printers will print DVDs with the purchase of DVD tray.
Even though they don't sell them ready to print DVDs in the states due to a patent issue, they do sell them to rest of the world, but its the same printer.
They hide the tray slot behind a little cover that snaps off and the programing is already in the machine and in the printer drivers....
The tray is avalible on e-bay for $10-20....

Details here:
http://pixma.allhyper.com/

I converted mine and it works great.

Bob T.

Hmmm, I am on a mac too. I guess I was assuming since the printer supports Win & Mac, that the S/W would too.

if not, maybe I need to make a PDF or Photoshop file (I forsee many coasters in my future!)

Interesting. I will definitely check it out.

EDIT: Do you know if this one is supported well on the mac ? (power PC)

Checkout Disc Label as I mentioned in my above post. Nice little application and it prints out just fine on my Epson using the DVD tray.

-gb-

No, sorry I don't. My Mac exposure is zip.

I make my labels with a little shareware program.
Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker 2.55

Works well...only cost about $20, but again...I don't know if its Mac capable.

Bob T.

For your inkjet printers, I just found out that Taiyo Yuden is making new smudge-proof blank CDs.

For CD and DVD printing, I just purchased a Rimage Thermal Auto Printer with robotic arm. It will print 400 discs automatically. I purchased from B&H after spending the better part of the day convincing them that their website had the incorrect information and picture.

A great place to buy printable TDK DVDs is CostCo. Watch for their $10 rebates off a $40 spindle of 100. Less often, they have two-for-one specials for which you buy two 100pk spindles for $40 ( DVD-R or DVD+R).
The only downside to these printables is that they have a large hub in the middle which is not printable. This makes it difficult to select images that aren't compromised by that non-printable area. Also, check that your printing application doesn't exceed the printable area, as it will print on the plastic. Then, you're left with an inked area that never dries and smudges all over the place for days. I don't have trouble with ink dry time on the printable service with the pigment-based inks used with the Epson R800.

So, I end up buying Verbatim "hub-printable" DVDs.

As for printing after burning, I agree with Chris. In addition to a possible scratch by the printer, many inks need 24-hours to dry. If you burn shortly after printing, your discs will have that 70's spin artwork look as the ink streaks towards the outside of the disc.

I love DVinfo! I just bought an Epson R220, and quickly concluded that the Epson software was, (thinking of a way to say this politely), inadequate. Disc Label works much better. There are still a few things that I think could be done better (aren't there always?), and it did crash on me once (save often), but its much easier to get the job done. Here's the link:

http://www.smileonmymac.com/DiscLabel/

I also found that I can buy Epson-brand ink at BJ's Wholesale Club for $60 for a full set of six cartridges (vs. about $90 regularly). Given I've had problems with off-brand inks in the past (in a Canon printer), I think I'm going to stick with Epson ink for now.

-Terence

Thanks for the info everyone. I have some DVD's on order, now just to select a printer (oh and make up the artwork images of course -- well, and to finish editing the footage and do the voiceovers etc. etc. etc)

I wouldn't recommend any spray-on anything
 

I use another Epson printer (R1800) and get great results. I know for any semi-gloss or gloss job the printer uses a gloss overcoat. I would be afraid of any store-bought overspray fearing the solvent/propellant would eventually attack the plastic envelope of the disc shorten life.

Now if only TDK will deliver those Blu-Ray/ink jet printable BD-R discs!

I don't understand the statements previously stated that Mac isn't supported. I have the Epson printer as well and I just downloaded all the drivers and everything worked fine. I think I have the Espon 300 so perhaps that is the difference???

As for the best price, Staples has a pretty cool program, they give 3 bucks rebate for every Espon Ink cartridge you turn in, suddenly, the 12 dollar Epson cartridge is actually 9 bucks, and it's also being recycled.

Don't throw out your cartridges.

I never said the Mac isn't supported. I just said Epson's Mac software is inadequate. I found it very cumbersome to make layouts and import/resize/crop pictures. I'm much happier with DiscLabel.

The Staples recycle program sounds great. I'll have to check their prices locally (I thought they were charging $14 online, which is the same as the price direct from Epson).

-Terence

What I have found to be true about the Epson software for the Mac is if the artwork one is importing has no bad sides (such as a picture with no white borders that one would normally want to get rid of), then reshaping however one wants is very fast and very easy.

The problem arises if one has an element that needs to be trimmed, (for instance a photo with a white border), once imported into the Epson label program that border is there no matter what.

It's a trade off. If one only works with "pre-approved" elements, for instance a client sends a jpg that is fine as is, it's pretty easy to use and the x and y axis are easily adjusted. If the client sends a poorly framed jpg, then an additional program will be needed.

Just saw this thread...

I've been using an R200 for several hundred disks (Ritek & Taiyo). Another versatile labelling program that runs on both windoze & MACS is Discus. You can check it out at:
www.magicmouse.com

The stick on Memorex labels aren't that bad. The new ones seem to have more adhesive glue so they stick better. Also, I don't like the idea of printing a label directly to a disc because it takes me 1 or 2 tries to get the font, size & alignment of the label to look perfect. If I screw up a label, I just pop another one in the printer. If I mess up a disc, I have to burn a whole new one, wasting a perfectly good disc.