OT - Label printing DVDs - Recommendations?

Alf Hanna wrote on 10/19/2010, 2:31 PM

I'm doing low volume runs of DVDs (10 at a time), and have had bad luck with stick on labels peeling after a short time. Lightscribes are too slow and one off, and look terrible on DVDs. I'm considering an Epson printer with CD/DVD printing and buying white blanks (which I'm using now with the stick on labels). Opinions on this? Also, I see these CSS ink systems to plug and play with Epson. Have you folks tried these?

How do you folks do short runs? Is it worth it to send out to someone with a professional label printer? I see prices for them in the 1000 range. It would take me a year to have that pay for itself.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance...

Comments

Steve Grisetti wrote on 10/20/2010, 6:08 AM

As I say in my book, I certainly recommend against sticking labels onto discs. They can knock the disc's spin off-balance and can damage the disc and your DVD player.

Epson printers that print ink directly on to discs can be had for about $100, and they usually produce pretty good looking results.

I'm not sure how many copies you're producing or if that process is too slow for you. But it's certainly economical and much safer that using sticky labels.

Steve Mann wrote on 10/20/2010, 10:33 AM

"I'm doing low volume runs of DVDs (10 at a time), and have had bad luck with stick on labels peeling after a short time."

They still make the stick-on labels?

I've been using Epson printers and the Epson PrintCD software for short runs (up to 100 discs) for ten years and no one has demonstrated anything faster/cheaper/better.

Get Taiyo Yuden Watershield disc blanks. The quality of the printed image is amazing and extremely professional looking.

TOG62 wrote on 10/20/2010, 10:45 AM

I'm considering an Epson printer with CD/DVD printing and buying white blanks (which I'm using now with the stick on labels).

There are white blanks that are not printable. Make sure you buy printable discs.

Alf Hanna wrote on 10/20/2010, 11:28 PM

Thanks to you all. I cross posted this to the regular Vegas thread and have over 10 comments there. These here are new to the discussion. Yes, they still have stick on labels, and they work ok to begin with. But they seem to peel fast. And yes, they seem to screw things up. That's why I'm expecting a new printer this week. I have put all my stuff on the internet until now. Now I am having to get a decent way to print labels without breaking the bank.

jkerry wrote on 10/22/2010, 6:29 PM

I had nothing but problems with using stick on labels.

Purchased an Epson PP100. Get machine. Not only will it print labels but also burns the DVD's. But for most all of my DVD productions which I mail out 250 each week for our church, I just print the labels on the disk. Great quality and crisp look with the printing.

For my DVD copies I have been using DiscMakers X5Pro and Reflex 10. 25 copies at a time.

Jeff

Alf Hanna wrote on 10/22/2010, 7:46 PM

Thanks for the input, obviously in some future situation, I'll look into buying the PP100. But $2000 is just not justified at this point for the profit I'm making. Maybe I'll work on figuring out a way to make it worth while. The other ideas you have of Reflex and some of the smaller industrial duplicators might work. Might be able to hire myself out to all the other videographers out here, but do I really want to spend my time duplicating??? I'll go with the printer route for now, and see how successful I ultimately am. Less than $200 vs. $2000. At $25 retail per disc that's probably 160 or maybe 320 disks before breaking even. Or buy the $600 to 1000 units and get even lower break evens....Hmmm. well, maybe that's not so outrageous....

dan-hedrick wrote on 10/23/2010, 6:35 AM

I have been using the HPPhotosmart C5280 for about 4 years with great results. I have made school videos ...about 60 - 90 at a time and printed the labels on this machine...with no trouble. This model is no longer made, but there are newer HP models out there.
I also purchaseda CD/DVD Copier that copies 3 devices at a time...from www.duplicators4less. They are very responsive to the few problems that I have had with this machine. I've had it for about 3 years. (cost at that time was approximately $400). I highly recommend this company.
Good luck.

lcdrdan

autopilot wrote on 10/23/2010, 7:11 PM

I've used stick-on labels for several years with good success. BUT, let me say there are TWO kinds of sticky labels. Paper and plastic. My advice is if you're going with labels is always buy plastic. Memorex has them, and it says right on the outside of the package - "Safe For DVDs". Even then, some of the ink on some of the labels kinda spreads out onto the label ever so slightly to make the lettering not so crisp.

Lightscribe comes in different colors now, for what it's worth.

I do have an Epson 810 which I bought used on ebay, but the label printer doesn't work right. Yeah, I know. Looks like all that new ink is going into a new 710.

My verdict - Print-on-disc labeling.

Kimberly wrote on 10/25/2010, 9:51 PM

I just purchased an Epson Artisan 810. It's one of the few printers currently available that prints on CDs/DVDs. I paid $140.

I love it. It's fast and the output is beautiful. I have heard that Epson ink is colorsafe, unlike the HP Inket that I just replaced. I haven't tested that assertion yet, so I can't say if it's true.

Yes of course the ink costs a fortune. But so did the HP ink. Essentially they give you the printer knowing you'll create annuity revenue with your ink purchases.