Labeling Masters

[midilord]

Greetings all gearslutz

Quick question. Once I have made a CD master, what is the best method to label the CD Itself. I have heard that paper label is bad, and a sharpie is bad as well. What method do you use.

MIDILORD

[bob katz]

Originally Posted by midilord

Greetings all gearslutz

Quick question. Once I have made a CD master, what is the best method to label the CD Itself. I have heard that paper label is bad, and a sharpie is bad as well. What method do you use.

MIDILORD

There are (supposedly) water-based markers that are not volatile and do not eat through paint like standard sharpies. I do not have hard proof of this but I've been working under the approach that the double coat on modern CDRs is very solvent-proof. We started with Taiyo printable (white surface) CDRs and then printed our own silkscreen label on top of that, so it is now double-coated. To date, with hundreds and hundreds of masters having left here labeled with sharpies, there have been no troubles.

Certainly in the old days, an uncoated CDR with a sharpie on it, the sharpie used to eat through the top surface and into the underlayer.

Bottom line: Be safe totally: get a water-based marker. Be pretty safe based on evidence and experience: Use a regular sharpie on well-coated discs with a good top coating.

BK

[jayfrigo]

Originally Posted by midilord

Greetings all gearslutz

Quick question. Once I have made a CD master, what is the best method to label the CD Itself. I have heard that paper label is bad, and a sharpie is bad as well. What method do you use.

MIDILORD

It _is_ the master, so I usually take a conservative approach. I either label with a sharpie around the edges, outside the area where the data is written (you can of course look at the bottom of the disc to see how far the data comes out), or with a water based marker if it is a very full disc and the data comes all the way out (Apogee used to distribute one). Even then, I'll try to stay on the edge and write small and have as little impact as possible. Sometimes for VIP refs and other such things from both studios or video suite, we'll pop it in the printer and make a nice, pretty picture on top of the disc, but for masters, I keep it as simple as possible. Why tempt fate?

[Jerry Tubb]

Originally Posted by midilord

What method do you use.

My handwriting is so bad, we finally switched to a TEAC thermal printer.

https://shop.teac.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2

Quite cheap, works great on our utility PC !

JT

[streaky]

We use Taiyo Yudens and print on them with something very similar to this beast - bit of a strain on the wallet but as our old thermal printer died, hopefully this is a long term investment. I'd recommend it any day. You can print graphics on it up to however many zillion dpi also. The down sides - it's expensive, and it's massive.

[Cellotron]

I use a Primera Z6 inkjet printer to print directly on Taiyo Yuden inkjet printable CD-R's. It's a pricier solution than many other CD printers out there but it's built like a tank - and it has a dedicated tray for the CD (instead of a caddy that gets pulled through the printer like you find in cheaper Epson's) which much better guarantees that the disc will not get scratched from printing.

Previously I had a slightly cheaper printer from XLNT Idea that had poor drivers and fell apart as soon as it was out of warranty - I would avoid this brand.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[jdg]

those epsons suck for inkjet on discs.

i had a batch of blank TYs printed on by my fav local duplicator instead

then i just fill in the blanks (with a sharpie.. BOOOOOO)

[Greg Reierson]

Epson R220. It's cheap and a bit quirky but it does a very nice job. Zero impact on the data in my experience.


Greg Reierson
Rare Form Mastering

[ed littman]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

I use a Primera Z6 inkjet printer to print directly on Taiyo Yuden inkjet printable CD-R's. It's a pricier solution than many other CD printers out there but it's built like a tank - and it has a dedicated tray for the CD (instead of a caddy that gets pulled through the printer like you find in cheaper Epson's) which much better guarantees that the disc will not get scratched from printing.



Best regards,
Steve Berson

Me Too.
May I add ,that i print first Than burn & error check last.
Ed

[MASSIVE Master]

Originally Posted by Greg Reierson

Epson R220. It's cheap and a bit quirky but it does a very nice job. Zero impact on the data in my experience.

Me too. Amazing job on TY WaterShields.

[dcollins]

Originally Posted by Greg Reierson

Epson R220. It's cheap and a bit quirky but it does a very nice job. Zero impact on the data in my experience.

Yep. R300 Epson here. Many thousands printed with no troubles, and the printing does not increase the error-rate.

Looks professional too!

DC

[Riccardo]

R200 and R220 here. All fine.
Somebody mentioned they are a bit quirky.....probably meaning occasionally moody or erratic I suppose
The tray can be a bit of a pain.

[masteringhouse]

Also R220. Only issue I have is that it usually spits out the first attempt without printing anything.

There a special incantation that I use that often seems to help prevent this:

"Write it b*tch!"

[Paul Gold]

Originally Posted by Jerry Tubb

My handwriting is so bad, we finally switched to a TEAC thermal printer.

How is the print quality on that? I got a Casio CD50 and the print quality sucks. You'd think it could print text evenly since that's what it's supposed to do. Sometimes it doesn't print and most of the time it's lighter at one end than at the other. It looks cheap. The thing was only $70.00 so I'd like to have a good excuse inflict a painful death. The Epsons look nice but they are finicky and take forever to print.

[dcollins]

Originally Posted by masteringhouse

Also R220. Only issue I have is that it usually spits out the first attempt without printing anything.

I cut the flexible plastic lip off the tray on mine and it works 99.9% of the time. Also important that the printer is level and on a sturdy base that doesn't wiggle around as the sled travels to and fro.



DC

[Jerry Tubb]

Originally Posted by Paul Gold

How is the print quality on that? I got a Casio CD50 and the print quality sucks.

The TEAC's actually pretty good, we use the black ribbons only.

Had it for a few weeks, printed a few hundred discs, only a few have printed lightly.

The catch of course is the price of the ribbon cartridges ~ $18 each.

We get about 50-100 discs printed per ribbon.

So far so good... makes me laugh to be using a TEAC product again.

The thing was only $70.00 so I'd like to have a good excuse inflict a painful death.

Yeah, a bad printer deserves a ritualistic execution ala Office Space !

JT

[Paul Gold]

Originally Posted by Jerry Tubb

Had it for a few weeks, printed a few hundred discs, only a few have printed lightly.

I'll ask again in a couple of months. The Casio worked well for the first couple of months but has gone down hill. I swear I spend more time screwing around with printers than I do maintaining the lathe. I think I might just get a rubber stamp set. At least it will always work.

[Thomas W. Bethe]

Paul,

You could always get one of these

Teac P-55 Thermal Re-Transfer and Dye-Sublimation Printer With Photo Realistic Professional Print Quality for DVD and CD Printing

[masteringhouse]

Originally Posted by dcollins

I cut the flexible plastic lip off the tray on mine and it works 99.9% of the time. Also important that the printer is level and on a sturdy base that doesn't wiggle around as the sled travels to and fro

DC

Thanks Dave. By first attempt I meant when the printer is first turned on, works fine after that.

Anyone ever try a cartridge eliminator for these models?

MIS Cartridge Eliminator

It seems more and more that printers are just loss leaders for selling ink.

[Brad Blackwood]

Primera Sig Z6 here as well. Four years and going strong, great printer.

[jamesp]

I'd like to put in a good word for the Canon printers - our IP4200 seems very reliable and has given me far fewer problems than the Epson that it replaced.

Cheers

James.

[Greg Reierson]

Originally Posted by masteringhouse

It seems more and more that printers are just loss leaders for selling ink.

True. I've been using ink from http://www.clickinks.com with no complaints.


Greg Reierson
Rare Form Mastering

[midilord]

Thanks for all your responses, I think I am going to try the Teac thermal CD printer.

[diamondjim]

Originally Posted by Jerry Tubb

My handwriting is so bad, we finally switched to a TEAC thermal printer.

https://shop.teac.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2

Quite cheap, works great on our utility PC !

JT

The TEAC unit is priced at $139.00. I just ordered the same unit re-branded as a U-Print Thermal CD/DVD Disc Printer from the following site, for $99.00. The ribbons are $15.99.

https://www.runtechmedia.com/store-d...D+Printer&a=12

[Jerry Tubb]

Originally Posted by diamondjim

The TEAC unit is priced at $139.00. I just ordered the same unit re-branded as a U-Print Thermal CD/DVD Disc Printer from the following site, for $99.00. The ribbons are $15.99.

https://www.runtechmedia.com/store-d...D+Printer&a=12

Thanks for the tip and link!

JT

[Andy Krehm]

We use a Primera Signature Z6 inkjet printer printing directly on Water Shield Taiyo Yuden inkjet printable CD-R's. Looks great.

[lucey]

Sharpie on the edge ... but now I feel quite inadequate

[Riccardo]

Anybody tried the new "Dymo Disc Painter" yet?

[ron florentine]

With the Teac thermal printer can you use any any tpes of CD,s ( I tend to use Apogee Gold and never had anything come back) or do have to buy special types of disc like the lightscribe CD,s......which are more expensive and also not as high quality for putting a mastered studio project on.




Ron Florentine
Soundswest Studio

[finetuner]

Fine marker anywhere on the disc. Never any problems / complaints over 17 years.

I don't like to put a master in any more mechanical device than needed (QC only).
Obviously, you print your discs prior to writing.

Now the master is for manufacturers eyes only so i don't give about it's visual appearance that much. But i have to admit that for clients refs it's a slightly different story.

So, i was wondering: Do you all use these printers on masters as well or refs only ?

thanx,
Peter.