Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?

Subject: Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 01:01 PM

Hi all.

I'm still having some vision issues making online research more difficult that doc's orders will allow, so....

I want to be able to print basic labeling info directly onto CDs we will burn at home. This is for a ministry thing; it will involve some music CDs but mostly CDs of worship services, etc.

I have received some $$ as contributions towards this, but will need to ask the parish to pick up the difference. So I want to be able to ask for as little as possible!

With the cursory glance I took at printers for this, I saw that they require "printable" CDs. How will I know the diff? I usually buy our church CD blanks in bulk, and I have some to use up.

Time to try and to learn new ways of doing stuff is pretty hard for me, and I'd prefer to hit the ground running if possible.

What I HAVE been doing is using the simple black-ink printer on address labels, and putting two labels on each CD, burnishing them down well so they do not rub off like the bigger, heavier round CD-labels have been known to do inside the payer-- because I KNOW how to do it that way.

(In the meantime I do have the bulk CDs and some address labels to use =up, so for now I can just keep producing that way, and continue to put them out for donations to raise the cost of the printer.)

Kin y'all hep out an old lday?

Thanks,

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?
From: Will Fly
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 01:08 PM

I buy printable DVDs from eBay - I can get 50 for around £7.50 a pack (UK). Printable CDs are also available. The discs have a matte white face, rather than the shiny faces that you normally see.

I have an Epson FX700W printer which has a special tray that slides out on which the blank CD can be placed. Software comes with the printer which allows you to create a CD/DVD label on the computer.

Prices may well be cheaper in the US.

The finished product can look quite professional.

Subject: RE: Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?
From: MMario
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 01:22 PM

LIghtScribe drives run from $29 bucks up ; and I've found a number of exterbnal USB lightscribe drives in the $45 dollar range.

Lightscribe discs bought in bulk (50 pack) average $O.37

It won't give you colour, but it will give you one stop burning and labeling.

MMario

Subject: RE: Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 01:27 PM

Will it work on my dinosaur Gateway?

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?
From: olddude
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 01:38 PM

Lightscripe is the only way to go I think, the DVD burners are cheap and do a beautiful job ... if your Gateway is running windows 2000 or above you will be ok ... It should work with the toughbook notebook I gave you Susan, it uses a USB connection to the external DVD lightscripe burner call or email me

Dan

Subject: RE: Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?
From: treewind
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 02:18 PM

Printable CDs are available in bulk or smaller quantities just like their non-printable counterparts. They are commonly available and cost about the same. They have a matt white surface that accepts inkjet printing; normal CDs won't work at all.

I have an Epson Stylus Photo R200 that can do CDs (it's the only thing I use it for). That's an old model now, but I'm sure Epson have made a successor. If your computer has Windows XP or later and a USB port you should have no trouble. Maine came with a software package for designing and printing CD graphics.

There are other CD printers, but mostly professional machines that cost thousands.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?
From: open mike
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 04:17 PM

printable hub c.d.'s have a white surface...
and are available in bulk...

from places such as this:
http://www.taperesources.com/CDBS600-P.html

the Epson used to be the only printer that could print directly on them, but now HP makes several models that do this as well.

here is one that is for sale from 90 - 150 dollars..google...
HP PhotoSmart D5460 Color Ink-jet printer

(this is similar to the one i print fabric on)

do not put small labels on c.d.'s
there are some labels that cover the entire surface,
but anything that sticks on can peel off, too

also: the extra weight of added stickers can throw off the high
velocity spinning required to play and burn c.d.'s--balance is important for this...

in order to do lightscribe you need a burner with this capability
you basically turn th edisc over after burning "tracks" and it
burns onto the face of it...it smells wierd, though and seems
sort of toxic or something--the smell of burning plastic is more
intense than the smell of burning c.d. while data is burned in.

http://www.taperesources.com/DISCS/LIGHTSCRIBE.html

i have an external cd/dvd burner/player that has light scribe,
and bought some of the special discs but have not been able to
get it to work...outdated driver or summat, i suppose..

it does not require ink, it etches into the disc...
www.lightscribe.com
it is mono-chrome, no colors in the image, but discs
are available in colors...

Subject: RE: Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?
From: Arkie
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 04:35 PM

I have an HP D7560 that prints on CDs bought after the D5160 failed. Both printed to CDs quite easily, but I never use the HP label software. The reviews usually give the printer high ratings and the software poor ratings. I cannot say from experience. I have a labeling program that I like and am used to and it works with most printers and lightscribe. The greatest cost will be ink. Printable CDs are white and the package is labeled printable. Not all sales outlets carry printables but they can easily be ordered. I usually get mine from Radio Shack. The local WalMart does not carry them. Staples carries a house brand of printable CDs at about 20 Cents each. I am not using those for anything I want to last for a long time but if your CDs will be listened to a time or two and forgotten the cheapies should be fine.

Lightscribe will work very well. It is slower than the printing and might take up to 15 minutes a CD depending on the intricacy of the artwork. It might be faster now. I have not used my newest burner for lightscribe yet.

Subject: RE: Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?
From: IvanB
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 04:44 PM

You can buy printable CD's and/or DVD's in both matte silver and matte white finishes. When you print on the silver ones, the colors all look metallic, which I prefer. Beauty is in the eye...

I get my printable discs from SuperMediaStore

I use an Epson Stylus Photo R260 for printing CD's & DVD's at home. When we're in SC for the winter I have an HP Photosmart C5500. Both of these do an excellent job. I got the Epson on eBay for about $50. This whole series has been discontinued and the only printers I see on the Epson site that have CD printing are the Artisan series. Right now they're offering the Artisan 710 at $179 with a $50 instant rebate which brings it down to $129, with free shipping. They also have the Artisan 50 at $99 after a $30 rebate, but no free shipping. I personally think the 710 is a better value for the features and price. Looking at the HP site, I didn't find a single printer in their current lineup that prints CD's. The Epsons can be found here: Epson printers and here: Epson Artisan 50

I also have two CD/DVD burners with Lightscribe, but I'd recommend a true CD/DVD printer above them. Lightscribe "burns" the label onto special discs. Although you can get various colors of discs, the label is black only.

Subject: RE: Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?
From: IvanB
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 04:50 PM

One other thing no one mentioned: Lightscribe labels take 10-20 minutes apiece to burn, depending on the complexity. If you're doing multiple copies of the same disc, printing the labels seems the only way to go.

Subject: RE: Tech: Best Cheap CD Printer?
From: Arkie
Date: 08 Apr 10 - 06:08 PM

The HP Photosmart D7560 should still be in the HP catalog and while I am satisfied with the quality, the computer seems to gulp ink. I have had two previous HP printers and neither drank ink like the newer models. Canon also makes printers that will print to CDs but for some reasons the models sold in the US do not have this feature. There are articles on the internet providing instructions on hacking the printers to restore the CD print capability.