writing on top of media

[THE_SAINT33]

does anyone have the dvd media that is completly blank on top? if so i was wondering if you have wrote on top of it with a sharpy. i do it with all of my cd-r's but i just wanted to make sure that i could do it with the dvd media, so that i dont ruin it, cause its expensive.

[defense]

your good to go to write on those disks. I actually thought the white top disks would be better to write on...but didn't realize how rough they were on top..causing my DVD marker to friz...anyway, the silver tops are smooth and nothing is gonna happen to your disks. I do all of my disks this way and haven't had an issue yet. I don't use sharpies though...I'm sure they are just as safe, but some posters claim that the alcohol in sharpies can seap through the disks and cause issues with playback....i'm not sure I buy that though...I just use a DVD marker because I have a couple of them on hand.

[galactica]

Serious???
If thats true, im screwed! I use just the plain old Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Markers (Serial 30006)

Says: Not for writing in cloth, Nontoxic, conforms to ASTM D-4236 Made is USA

how can i find out if these have alcohol????

[mkelley]

People have definitely reported issues with writing on DVDR with certain kinds of pens, so I would be *very* careful about doing this (unless you can recreate these disks easily).

There are pens made specifically for this purpose that I would use instead (and they are pretty cheap -- I think I bought a set for $15 nearly two years ago and still use them on the hundreds of disks I've made in that time).

[defense]

@galactica, I wouldn't overly concern yourself with the entire Sharpie thing. I have heard issues of damage to cd's and dvd's with sharp pens..but those are pens that can cause actual damage. Some people have reported the "Sharpie' thing, but have only said they read about the issue occurring, not that it has ACTUALLY occurred to them. As far as i'm concerned it's a Urban Legend so to speak..unless someone can show concrete evidence that the problem actually exists or can potentially exist.

[garryheather]

I picked up a pack of multi-coloured Steadtler Lumocolor 318 permanent markers from Staples some time ago, and use these for all my discs, both DVD-R and CD-R. They have a reasonably fine point and it's got a bit of give in it, so it shouldn't scratch the disc or anything nasty (although even with a "sharpie" I dare say you would really have to press hard on the disc to get through the surface lacquer).

No problems to report to date, although the orange is a bit tasteless !

[THE_SAINT33]

well i guess ill try writing on top with my sanford sharpie fine point permanent marker and ill let you guys know if any problems occure when i try to play it.

[galactica]

Just wondering really. Been using my sharpie for as long as i can remember.

Honestly, not a disk has a problem, so im just curious thats all


what about avery label stickers, like the return address stickers?

Putting them on a DVD and writing on them??? Any concerns??

[trialsofg]

The only labels that I have noticed a problem with are the Avery "removable" labels. I noticed that they will start to peel and do cause the player to emit a strange noise (which I would assume means it is off center.) I have heard many horror stories, but other than these particular labels, I have never had a problem with labels causing an issue during replay.

[defense]

@galactica, you are definitely asking for trouble using labels. Even though you are only referring to those Avery labels, they can still heat up and come off...and you wouldn't want that mess in your DVD PLAYER..also, the weight of DVD's is much more sensitive to that of CD's...so even adding an AVERY label could potentially cause some type of unbalance and Wobble....you should check out the label posts on this forum...there's many reports of people who got stuck with coaster after coaster using many different labels.

Also, there is a Frost "NO WOBBLE" label post on this forum which may be a good product for those who like labels.

[@2alien]

:I used a sharpie for years on cds with no problems -never used stick on labels (friend did and had bad results-but for DVD start using the casio cw 50
idea: Here is some threads regarding subject:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=459702&highlight=heres+sample+own#459702

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=153809&highlight=

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=163181&highlight=

[VinnySem]

Yes, I use the frosty "No-Wobble" labels from www.americal.com. They are super-thin, like tracing or tissue paper. They do not curl when peeled from the backing. And as they are so thin and transparent, they give a neat metallic effect to labels when applied to silver topped media. I've used these labels on BeAll media filled to within 30 meg or so of capacity, not a one skip, even at the very end of the credits of a long movie.

I agree with defense about the Sharpie ink myth. Unless you use some industrial permanent marker that uses 104 octane fuel as the ink base and you completely scribble over the top of the disk, I doubt you'll have any problems. I rank this one up there with the "I'm afraid to use labels because the laser might set the paper on fire" myth. Maybe this could hold true with CD-R media, where the ink substrate is directly below the writing surface, but DVD media is 2 layers of plastic with the ink layer between.

[mkelley]

Then again, I kind of suspect the label problem on DVD is also a myth.

After all, I have labels I put on my DVDs over two years ago, and these disks play perfectly (some of these disks have been played many many times throughout the years). I've *never* had a problem with labels, not one, but I do always make sure I get quality labels from Neato, and I always buy from stores where there is a large turnover (so I'm not using labels that have been sitting on the shelf for years, for example).

I have no doubt there are people who have had problems with labels, just as I have no doubt there are people who have ruined DVDs by writing on them. But I strongly doubt there is a big problem with either, as long as you take reasonable care.