Anyone tried the Epson R210 or 310 CD printer?

[ozstar100]

Hi,

In Oz Epson are just now releasing the R210 and 310 printers that also print a CD/DVD.

Anyone had experince with them? It may be the same as the 200 and 300 but for PAL in OZ as they also take images direct from SmartMedia , cams etc.

I wanted to know how good they were on the print standard for DVDs and how many DVDs one would get before a refill if the DVD was fully printed liked most DVDs are.

Thanks

Rock

[Whitestorm]

I've always had Epson printers but about 4 months ago I swapped across to a Canon i965 printer and couldnt be happier, I knew Epson were releasing new models for printing on CD and DVD's.

I bought an Epson just before the Canon it still sits in the box after using it for a month because its too expensive to use and really noisy.

Unless the new Epsons run 6 colour individual cartridges I would be very wary because pricing here in Australia is sooooo expensive for there combined cartridges.

Also I found the Canon to be so much quieter and better built, if the new Epson use PIGMENT INK, 6 colour individual cartridges and are reasonably priced I would consider them.

Just a thought
Whitestorm

[ozstar100]

Thanks.. I am in Sydney.

Does that Canon print onto CD/DVDs ?

These two do and have the 6 ink cartridges and I have read that there are some non Epson ways to refill or get cheaoer carts. I am not sure about pigment ink tho'.

I think the 210 is about $250 and the 310 about $350. The dif is the 310 has a viewer and a card slot for smart media etc.

I'm going to check and see but would like to hear others. Thanks for yours and I will also check it if it does CD/DVDs.

Oz

[Whitestorm]

The Canon does print directly onto Inkjet printable Cd's and DVD's, does a great job and virtually dry as soon as they come out.

There has been a lot of discussions on this site about inkjet printable discs, when wet the ink smudges, this is very common because most printers use DYE based inks and really is unavoidable unless a protective spray is applied.

However if a printer can take PIGMENT inks then the ink is more resilent against moisture hence no smudging and is a lot less likely to fade.

The Epson Photo2100 uses both inks and also prints onto CD and DVDs around AUS $1500.00, the new Epson cheaper models may use pigment inks, Epsom call them Ultra Chrome Inks.

Very importantly if you are looking at printing onto your DVDs ensure that you use the WHITEST inkjet media to ensure best colour reproduction and preferably good quality media as well.

Whitestorm

[troyvcd1]

So is the cannon more resistant to water smears and how much is it.

[troyvcd1]

Looks like the canon is not available in US

[Whitestorm]

At this point in time the Cannon I dont think is available in the USA, in Australia it is though.

Dosent matter what printer you get if it uses DYE ink it will smudge on the Discs as the DYE just sits on top and looks pretty.

Pigment Inks will be more resilent to moisture smudging though, but most printers dont take them as yet although that will change no doubt in the near future.

There is a machine that is specifically made for coating DVDs and it makes them virtually waterproof it offers them a greater protection and brings out the colours more with a gloss coating.

Spraying the surface with hair spray also works but more tests are needed before it can be noted as a resounding success.

Whitestorm

[The village idiot]

Doesn't matter what inkjet printer you get, the inks will still smear when you get them wet, even after several days of drying, that includes pigment ink printers. The disks are at fault here. Some disks are worse than others.

[quasar1963]

Yes, that fact (smudging) unfortunately is the deciding factor in me returning the printer. The discs look great when printed, but the slightest bit of water or wet/greasy fingertips .. and the ink smudges. And I am simply not going to be bothered with the hassle of "spraying" each disc to effectively waterproof them. It's hit and miss and who really knows what kind of potential damage these solvents on the top coat may cause down the line to the player/s.
I was hoping the pigmented inks would solve this but unless they start actually making the surfaces/paper of inkjet printables more waterproof, this is always going to be a potential problem.

[offline]

@ Whitestorm

Spraying the surface with hair spray also works but more tests are needed before it can be noted as a resounding success.

Would you spray before or after printing as hairspray would remain sticky?

I was also thinking of getting a Cannon printer but my budget leans
more towards the i865 rather than the i965. Was there a major
reason you went for the more expensive model?

[Tiny71]

All my comments are refering to the US market.


I have the Epson R300, prints on DVDs and CDs and prints many different borderless sizes, also has the card inputs. I love it. Six seperate ink carts. I have only used the recomend ones, so as for generic ink carts I can not comment.

When burning and printing on DVDs, I only use Ritek inkjet white-top printable DVDRs. When burning and printing on CDs, I only use TY inkjet white-top printable CDRs.

Smudging WILL occur if you get them wet or rub them with your thumb or finger. To remedy this I simply place the DVD/CD(AFTER BURNING)in a jewel case that I have lined with plastic wrap(just thow the plastic out after each use), then making sure the bottom and center hole of the DVD/CD are effectively 'sealed off'(as not to allow for overspray onto the burning surface)I spray the discs with Krylon Workable Fixatif. Let it air dry for a while(time depends on how much you spray)and when it is dry it is pretty much smudge proof.

To test, I lick my thumb and rub really hard for a while to see if there is ANY smudging or transfer of ink to my thumb, and so far....NO PROBLEMS.

I am going to be trying a new(to me anyway) Krylon spray that is called Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating....just to see how well it will work and what kind of finish it will give the CD/DVDs.

Anyway.....thats my two cents.(in US dollars)

[Whitestorm]

Offline

I went for the Canon i965 because it has 6 ink tanks where I think the other one had 4.

I sprayed hair spray over the DVD after printing, it wasnt sticky but it did make it smudge free, howver more testing I think should be needed as I would hate people to spray their valuable DVDs and something un expected happens later.

I dont really see moisture as an issue.

Whitestorm

[offline]

@Whitestorm

Yes the i965 has 6 tanks while the i865 has only 4. In terms
of just cd printing I can't see a quality advantage. If I need
a full panatone colour glossy print I'll stick with the printer
service I use. Build quality seems similar.

Looking at canon's web page I see they have a new model
with 7 ink tanks - the extra being a special red for flesh tones.

I dont really see moisture as an issue.

can you elaborate? I'm concerned about handling (i.e. human sweat)
in a warm humid environment. Please keep us posted on
your hair spray results.

[The village idiot]

My thoughts on hair spray:

Hairspray is meant to be washed out of hair with water. Other than that, I haven't tested it on anything.

[Whitestorm]

Offline

I didnt think going to a 7 colour was needed, where do you stop, however 6 colour over 4 is quite a good jump in print colour.

Moisture of any type will effect the print on inkjet discs, judging by what I have seen a drop of sweat will most likely effect the printing, but I usually have a shower sit and relax before handling DVDs.

Like anything common sense is needed dont touch electricals with moist hands etc.

The printing on the discs are very resileant in just about every other way, I really think its not a major problem, unless you have a flood in your house or you really perspire a lot. lol.

Whitestorm

[offline]

Whitestorm,

I have ordered an EPSON R210 to be used just for DVDR
and will continue to do my inserts at the printers as it is
still more cost effective than ink+canon HR paper. I must
admit I liked the output of the i965 on HR paper but as
The Village Idiot inferred, the difference on printable DVDR
is not going to be much different. Meanwhile I'm looking at
the i990 as a general purpose photo printer.

I really think its not a major problem, unless you have a flood in your house or you really perspire a lot. lol.

Some of my DVD's will be going to Perth - the land of the
sweaty hand. As for floods - yes I had one over Xmas
thank you very much :P (rated the worst storm on
record for Melbourne.) My insurance co. might bail at having to
cover DVDR's as well.