Many inkjet printers can print on CDs, although like lightscribe they require "special" CDs with a printable coating on the top surface.

The main requirement is that the CD has to be able to pass through the printer without bending. Usually a "carrier" is used to hold the CD during the pass.

(I haven't used either "printable" or lightscribe disks, so my comments are just what I've read in the news.)

While lightscribe was sort of a fad a while back, the ones I've seen were sort of grey on grey (monochrome) and not particularly legible, although there may have been improvements in the disks to allow better contrast. Comments have been, as Joe mentions, that "burning" the label is a lot slower than most people expect when they take one out of the store.

As far as equipment is concerned, the printers that can do the labels directly on the CDs range from "home style" for a hundred bucks or so, comparable to a lightscribe, that will work for a few disks, up to ten or 20 kilobuck machines that feed the disks automatically, burn the record, and print the label.

If you're making one each of many records, it might be about as efficient to use one of the cheaper setups, but it's going to be slow no matter how you do it.

If you're making many disks all the same it would be a lot more efficient on the high dollar machines. For more than a few "all alike" disks the best option is probably to find someone who has a big machine and hire them to do the disks for you. Reports here have been that there are people who will burn and label them for you for reasonable prices, although each person may have his/her own definition of "reasonable."

There's no question that lightscribe will put a label on made-for-lightscribe CDs, but I'd suggest you also consider "printable CDs" as well. Juat be careful about the printers that advertise CD printing, since some of the ad copy can be a little on the optimistic side. Get a demo if possible before you buy(?).

John