Cd Labelling...I havnt a clue!

[aliferste]

I am going to be getting a printer soon and was wondering about CD labelling. I thought it would be pretty straightforward and was having a look on ebay to see what i would need. There seems to be loads of different ways of doing it......what is the best way?

[Theodoric]

I am going to be getting a printer soon and was wondering about CD labelling. I thought it would be pretty straightforward and was having a look on ebay to see what i would need. There seems to be loads of different ways of doing it......what is the best way?
Well, we've got an Avery one at work; cost about £18. Use the supplied software to do the label and a jewelcase insert, put the CD on the gadget (which for what it is, probably cost about 50p to manufacture), put the label on, press down and Bob's Your Uncle!

I think you'll find that whatever the model you use, the cost will be in the labels (Like printers and printer cartridges).

At home I simply produce a jewelcase insert using a graphics package and (sometimes) write a title on the CD using one of those CD-writable pens.

A note for the paranoid When I was looking for info on CD lifetimes a while ago I found that claims had been made that the ink from these pens and, IIRC, putting on labels, might shorten the lifetimes of CDs. Make of this what you will.

EDIT If you're going to make your own inserts, then rather than using paper, I'd recommend using 160gsm card. I've never known it to cause problems for me, although I admit that I was a bit worried the first few times I tried it. Unfortunately, it can be a bit difficult to find ordinary quality card; you don't want to pay an arm and a leg for photo quality stuff.

[paulyoung666]

well for my twopennorth it is a complete pain in the arse to set up and do , if you have the time patience and money you can make a half decent job otherwise personaly i wouldnt bother :(

[Sociable]

I was given the "Stomper" setup for Christmas a few years back and it works well though as others have said all these systems are a bit of a pain to use and the cost is in the consumables more than anything.

That said you can get by with a "Blue Peter" D.I.Y. approach and do it all by hand.

Either way the effort of CD labelling can be well worth it though as the looks on a kids face when they get their own personalised CD's is well worth it.

Best example was a backup CD I made for an avid Bond fan aged 7 as the CD for his Game now has his picture and name replacing the usual Picture on the game CD and the case.

[paulyoung666]

like you say Sociable , the effort can be worth it but it can also be a very expensive and trying exercise :(

[Stu038]

I normally use the ExpressiT labels and software, simple enough to setup and use, though the stamper thingy can be a pain at times.
Also, the labeling software in Nero will alow you to create a track list from the CD image which can be useful.

[Paul]

We use Neato but they are all pretty similar.

[CaKe]

It's probably cheaper (much!) to go down the sticky label route, however we bought an Epson Stylus Photo 900 a few weeks ago, as long as you buy the correct CD's (they're specially coated) you can print directly to the surface of the CD :) We've found that to be much better than sticking labels to the front of the CD, however, I'd imagine if you were printing loads it'd get quite expensive.

[gary_580]

black marker pen??

[dilli-theclaw]

Just as an afterthought....

I recently got one of these...

http://www.brother-store.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PT65LBU1&Category_Code=LM&Product_Count=2

Which is quite good for doing down the spine of your empty cd/dvd case :)

[Bifta]

I am going to be getting a printer soon and was wondering about CD labelling. I thought it would be pretty straightforward and was having a look on ebay to see what i would need. There seems to be loads of different ways of doing it......what is the best way?

Go for an Epson R300 printer, buy some white top CD's, whack them in, run the included software to print directly on to the CD and you're sorted!

[Matth]

Printable, not just white top!
http://www.xscomputersupplies.com/acatalog/Inkjet_Printable_80_min_CDR_s.html
Not much dearer than ordinary - £7.05 / 50 Datawrite, £12.93 / 100 Ritek.

The R200 is on special offer £69.99 at PC World - or £49.99 as a digital camera accessory - the cheapest one online will do, but instore, they may try to make it only for £99.99 models or above - though they may be ok with it, or give in if you press - and say you'll buy it online instead.

[andygrif]

As you say there are several options, depening on your need.

I did a pretty big investigation into this about six months ago in my last job. We had two needs - one which was sending out about 5,000 discs a month and another which was sending out about 200 discs a month.

Assuming you're talking about on-disc printing for a moment, three options: (I'm omiting the high end thermal stuff as it costs thousands)

1. Simple white A4 labels, printed on your PC. I'd recommend a little 'PressIt' style gadget, they're only a few quid, but will save a lot of misaligned sticks. Results are pretty good, supplies vary enourmously in cost. You can get glossy, matt, clear and metalic labels according to your need. Shop around for the best price.

2. TDK and Casio make a little unit that takes the disc inside. They then have a keyboard or plug into to your PC where you can do reasonable quality prints direct to the disc. They're about £100 - which is overpriced in my opinion. The quality is good, but you are very limited in colours and complexity and position of the design.

3. Have a look at inkjet printable blank CD-Rs. They vary in price, but most are not much more expensive that regular discs - BUT the quality does vary a lot. Try a few and see if you get any duds before buying in bulk.

For this, you will need a printer that handles CD media. Some of the new Epsoms do this and the results are very good. Bear in mind it will consume as much ink as printing full colour on labels, so check the price of refils for Epsom printers first. You also need to 'fix' each disc printed. You do this using a special laqcuer spray. These are a few quid per can, but they do make the ink waterproof and gives a nice glossy finish to your print.

When it comes to the inlays - again shop around for what meets your needs. Someone above mentioned Avery Media inlays - these are ridiculously expensive compared to Neato and the like.

The software I use for inlays in Neato's MediaFace II (which I think is available on their website) and is superb (and I tried them all sadly). Naturally this does limit you to Neato (or Fellowes I think) labels.

I was making the choice for myself, I think I'd plump with the Epsom mentioned above for printing direct to the blank discs, and Neato's MediaFace for the sleves/inlays.

Hope this helps your decision.