You can speed it up a touch with less complicated backgrounds & pictures. The Epsons with the tray in front of the printer take and extra 30 seconds of fool-around time with the exception of the 960 which you hand load. Try text only with no background.
JJK

> There has to be a better way! Anyone have an idea of how to automate DVD printing without spending a fortune?

I bought a Primera Bravo Disc Publisher II and it burns and prints 50 disc at a time (while you sleep even) totally automated. They have models starting as cheap as $1329 for 20 disc capacity. I bought one for around $1700. I don't consider that a fortune when you consider what your time is worth to baby-sit a DVD burner and printer all day for several days to make 120 DVD's.

~jr

I can second the Primera Bravo II. I bought a refurb on ebay from a reputable guy (a lot of good feedback) and it came with a year (or was it two) warranty.

The only thing is the ink is expensive but I just add that to my price I charge the customer.

j razz

Several days? How long does it take for that printer? I can average a disk with full graphics about once every 1:45 with an HP Photosmart D5160. For your project that would mean a bit under four hours. I knocked out about a hundred disks in a few hours on my last project.

I'm just a hobbyist, so there is no way I can justify paying for a duplicator.

What he is saying because it holds 50 blanks you start it and go to sleep.
(or other tasks) Remember it burns it too.

Also, you can design a silk screen for your company have it printed on blanks.
You can order ink jet printable area (usually white) that you can later print a
title in black very quickly.

I have to recommend what was previously said about having mutliple printers. Its true that the process will stay automated, but if you have two or more printers you are still getting the job done faster. This would also be a less expensive option versus the automated Bravos.

I have chosen to not get a Bravo, because I don't want the headaches of a $1700 system going down and then being repaired. While it may goes for a year or two with no problems I believe all things mechanical eventually break. If a $99.00 Epson crashes on me I just run down to the Office Supply store and pick up a new one.

The Bravos are nice, but do not fit my model.

Just my 2 cents,
Chad

If I have to do more than 10 of anything, it's off to the duplicator for print / burn -

I don't do enough large volume to justify a Multi-burner / printer option but would consider that over multiple Epson printers - ugh...

cheno

> Several days? How long does it take for that printer?

It's not that the Bravo printer takes any less time, it's that without one, you are baby-sitting the burner and then the printer, feeding discs one-at-a-time. With the Bravo it burns and prints without any intervention (burning the next disc while it prints the current one).

I agree it's not for everyone, but it is a time saver. As RCourtney said, I can be sleeping while it's working (sometimes over-night even) ;-).

~jr

Primera Bravo II Autoprinter for me as well. It's great, up to 25 at a time, technically 50 at a time if you get the "kiosk mode" option. Ink is just part of the cost of the DVD, so I don't worry about that. My ink use tends to go from $0.15/DVD to $0.30/DVD depending on just black text versus full color/full disc backgrounds.

I've had it for three years, works great. I've printed about 7,000 DVDs on it so far. Well worth the investment.

For the duplication, I use a 7-target duplication tower that I built with a hardware controller.

My Epson does not print to the center of the DVD, but stops where the old CD's and DVD's used to stop, leaving a white hole in the middle of the disk. My question: do later DVD printers print all the way into the spindle hole?
Burt

If you are saying the discs you have are "print to hub" you can adjust the Epson software to cover all the white area. Set the inner circle to 27 mm and the outside to 119 mm. I beliieve these are the correct dimensions.
JJK

Burt, have you downloaded the latest Epson Print CD software (I think I found a Russian version) and adjusted the inner/outer diameter settings?

In EPSON Print CD 1.50E, "File" > "Inner Outer Diameter Settings"...

For Philips and Taiyo Yuden DVDs that are "printable to the hub" I use inner diameter 22mm and outer diameter 118mm.

For Verbatim DVDs that have less printable area i use inner diameter 36mm and outer diameter 118mm.