Do "safe" labels exist?

[AlecWest]

A friend of mine burns a lot of CDs and likes to design his own labels for them with a Fellowes (sp?) label maker ... press-sticking them on his CDs. But, I've heard that this is dangerous ... that, if the CD becomes too hot in a player, the "stick-um" can ooze from under the label and gum up the innards of the player.

I'd like to put my own labels on DVDs I burn. But, if the process my friend uses is dangerous, I'd not want to use it. Question. Do "safe" labels exist?

[redwudz]

Here's one of 645 references to 'labels' from a forum search.
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=138166&highlight=labels

[Cole]

From my experience labels on DVDs do not work; they seem to be okay on CD-Rs but you have to be careful of the type of CD-R that is used. For example if there is alot of pressed text, there is less for the label to stick to and it invarably will curl off.

On DVDs, just avoid putting any labels on at all.

I use a TDK CD Printer, which prints text directly onto the DVD. Not that important, it just looks better than my handwriting

[bazooka]

I have had bad experiences with labels on dvd's as well.

Labels on dvd's do not work.

[bugster]

From my experience labels on DVDs do not work; they seem to be okay on CD-Rs

Oh yeah? When I got my 1st CD burner, I backed up som audio CD's for use in my car. I labelled them with scans of the original. In several cases the labels bubbled up and jammed in the car player. They cam out and didn't do any permament damage to the player, but I was lucky. They all wnet in the trash. I have never used any sort of disk label since. Too risky.

Get a cheap CD/DVD injet printer and (Epson r200 maybe) and use inkjet printable disks.

Click here

[Cole]

From my experience labels on DVDs do not work; they seem to be okay on CD-Rs

Oh yeah? When I got my 1st CD burner, I backed up som audio CD's for use in my car. I labelled them with scans of the original. In several cases the labels bubbled up and jammed in the car player. They cam out and didn't do any permament damage to the player, but I was lucky. They all wnet in the trash. I have never used any sort of disk label since. Too risky.

Get a cheap CD/DVD injet printer and (Epson r200 maybe) and use inkjet printable disks.

Click here

For my car CD player it states in the manual that you should never use CDs that have labels on them, so I don't use them in my car. In any case (if your car CD is similar to mine) it would make sense not to put a labelled CD into any type of CD player that 'drags' the CD in. Placing a labelled CD onto a tray seems fairly safe and I have had no problems here (apart from the issues of emobossed text/logo type CD-Rs I mentioned above).

There also may be an issue of the heat generated by a car stereo too which can cause trouble.

Having said that, since buying the TDK disk printer I have had no cause to put any labels on CDs.

But generally it is safer to have labels on CDs. So yeah!

[bugster]

But generally it is safer to have labels on CDs. So yeah!

safer maybe, that does not equal safe. If it works for you, (or any indiviual) with your player, thats great, I am happy for you. But what happens when you buy a new CD player (or car with Cd player or whatever) and that has problems with the labels (heat causing bubbling, balance etc), then you are screwed.

Again, if you are happy, thats fine by me, but I think everyone is entitled to know that labelling CD's or DVD's may cause problems. Not will, but may. Do it at your own risk.

[lordsmurf]

Hub labels. Very tiny.
But those are still not 100% guaranteed perfect.

[jntaylor63]

I 2nd Lord Smurf.

Use Hub Labels if you don't have or want a Disk Printer.

1.) Cheap. (520 Surething Hub Labels for 18.00 USD)
2.) Safe. Very little label that is Center to the Disk = No wobble.

[sunderland]

well ive done a lot of dvds and cds and never had any trouble with labels i must be one of the lucky ones.

[Captain315]

Your friend uses Fellowes labels and those are "supposed" to be safe. I guess that will have to be seen but they claim they have age and heat tested their new labels and that they will not cause data loss. They claim it was the glue used to attach the labels that was causing the problems. If you have to use a label, this will probably be your best bet as they acknowledge the problem and have addressed it.

[freestyler]

This label is pretty safe...



j/k

I stopped using labels after a brief CD-R fiasco with the adhesive coming unglued and damaging the foil top.

DVD-Rs sandwich structure notwithstanding, I don't want to deal with imbalance issues and the like should they arise... no labels for me.

[pepegot1]

I have made many, many labels with Neato and have had no problems to date.

[sunderland]

at the end of the day its down to each person if they want to use them. as there is no proof that they do make the disks skip. or the glue comes of and damages the machines

[pepegot1]

sunderland is right on!! Need empirical evidence. When you don't have it, you can have an Iraq.

[yoda313]

sunderland is right on!! Need empirical evidence. When you don't have it, you can have an Iraq.

Hello,

Let's keep political references off this forum please

Kevin

[pepegot1]

By that I mean: you can be lucky or get screwed

[yoda313]

By that I mean: you can be lucky or get screwed

Hello,

That's better

No need to start anything

Yeah I don't use labels either - just sharpies

Kevin

[Nilfennasion]

What I find puzzling is how people want to try to make their DVD±Rs look all "spiffy" and "professional". Like sticking an adhesive label to them is going to really accomplish that (especially with the way bubblejet printers are).

[ZAPPER]

Sharpie, Marks-a-Lot, crayon or whatever I have close at hand at the time. Save the fancy stuff for the case jacket. Printables would be my next choice, but I have just seen a post with photos of the printable surface failing horribely(sp) I have seen labels that have slipped to the side from being stored on edge (in a hot car I am guessing) The owner got lucky and was able to soak and clean the labels off without damage to the disk. They were copies of alot of rare bands before they were big type bootlegs. Small club appearences and studio cuts and such. The music wasn't even that good but they have historical value. So don't even go close to him with a sticky label unless you want to see and hear a temper tantrum from hell!

[Cole]

What I find puzzling is how people want to try to make their DVD±Rs look all "spiffy" and "professional". Like sticking an adhesive label to them is going to really accomplish that (especially with the way bubblejet printers are).

I have never stuck a label on a DVD, but with some of my older VCDs I did. I don't bother any more, but the answer to the above is quite simply is that it was all part of the fun of the creation process when discovering how to make one's own VCDs/SVCDs etc. The novelty wore off ages ago, but I can at least understand some of the reason why some one would want to.

[lordsmurf]

Moved to media forum...

[ZippyP.]

...as there is no proof that they do make the disks skip.

There have been plenty of posts from people that have trouble when their disks are labelled, and no trouble when the disks aren't. They have removed the labels and the disks stopped skipping. They can't all be wrong.

Now it depends on the player, the disks, the writer and the labelling system. Some people are lucky and have no problems at all. I'd rather be safe, no labels for me thanks.

Check this thread, click here.

[AlecWest]

Get a cheap CD/DVD injet printer and (Epson r200 maybe) and use inkjet printable disks.

Actually, that's not a bad idea. I've been wanting to get a photo printer as well. The R200 does both (photos & printable DVDs). I'd probably print more photos than DVDs (grin) ... and "printing" makes a lot more sense than "labeling." Also, $89.00 is not a bad pricetag for it. Thanks. It's now on my "things to buy" list.