Question about CD/DVD labels

[tcory]

I have never put labels on my CD/DVD's and I have been told that they cause problems in viewing the disc's. Will someone that puts labels on their disc's let me know if that is true.

Thanks

I didn't know if this is the correct Index to post this question.

[jagabo]

Yes, it's true.

[hech54]

Labels are dumb, a waste of time, a waste of money, and you won't fool anyone into thinking the disc is anything but a copy with a sticker on it.

[yoda313]

If you have a newer dvd burner that has lightscribe capabilities that would be an ideal alternative. It etches a label onto compatible discs. I'm not exactly sure of the technology on how exactly it does it but that is the essence of it.

Or another alternative is to purchase a printer that can print on dvds and cds. Then you buy printable blank discs and you can design it yourself and print on the discs directly.

[jagabo]

Inkjet printable discs are fine. Of course, you need an inkjet printer that can print to them.

[usually_quiet]

Stick-on labels = bad idea. They can warp the disc or peel off and mess up your player.

Some people do have a need for light-scribe labels or want to print a label directly on a disc. A business might want to maintain a professional image for its customers. Some individuals find hand printing on a disc is too sloppy looking or they can't print small letters legibly.

However, there are drawbacks to lableing using other methods too. I have read that light-scribe labels can fade over time, particularly if not stored in the dark, and that printable surfaces can sometimes degrade over time and crumble to dust, making a real mess. Plus, the media is more expensive, and printer ink isn't free. Using lightscribe wears out the DVD burner's laser more quickly and takes some time to finish printing.

I'm cheap so I use a permanent marker.

[fritzi93]

Yes, it's true. Experienced it myself in the early days of DVD, the label warps the disc as it heats up. Hell, any change it the weather it seems will do it as well.. If you want nice labels on your backups, the choices are, IMO, as follows (in order of preference);

1) Inkjet printables. I prefer hub printables.
2) Lightscribe, which I used before inkjet printables. A distant second choice, but still more readable than doing it with a Sharpie.
3) What else? A Sharpie.

[Constant Gardener]

I'm cheap so I use a permanent marker.

Agreed, although I have been known to use Lightscribe for special projects. At work, we have a dedicated disk duplicator that incorporates an inkjet printer; its oldest disks are eight, and still look good. Stick-ons from an earlier era have not fared as well; adhesive dries out, or migrates, and I did have one separate while in use, which trashed the drive.

If your hand printing is a mess, practice - calligraphy can be fun.

[jman98]

I used to be a big proponent of Lightscribe back when printers that could print directly to discs cost in excess of $200 US. But Lightscribe has plenty of drawbacks including images not really ever being quite dark enough, images fading over time even on discs not exposed to sunlight, and shortening the life of your burner (happened on all 3 Lightscribe drives I used).

[tcory]

Thanks for the replies and I'm going to stick with the magic markers also....

[LadyJules]

I used to be a big proponent of Lightscribe back when printers that could print directly to discs cost in excess of $200 US. But Lightscribe has plenty of drawbacks including images not really ever being quite dark enough, images fading over time even on discs not exposed to sunlight, and shortening the life of your burner (happened on all 3 Lightscribe drives I used).

I think lightscribe is a joke. It honestly isnt very useful especially now days when you can inkjet a disc pretty easy. If your doing anything with larger quantity, just get it done professionally. The cost is pretty cheap these days. I have had good experiences with a few different companies but have been using Beyond Concepts cd printing lately. Usually anything over 25 discs or so have a company do it. Well worth it. Then I dont have to worry about the hassle of one by one with the inkjet - also then I dont have to worry about the discs smearing etc. if people have dirty or sweaty hands.