06-03-2008, 01:28 PM
I also recommend printing on the disks rather than on labels. Some CD and DVD players don't like the labels and will refuse to play them. There is the chance of a label coming off, for example if a CD is left in the car player on a hot day. And there is the extra step of putting the CD on the alignment jig and applying the label.
I have had three Epson R-series printers and consider them junk. Unless they have changed their design, the carrier has a thin clear plastic leading edge that is very tender and if bent in any way gives problems printing. Two of the printers developed a problem with the mechanism that ran the disks in and out. Of course they always failed in the middle of printing on a large time critical batch of CDs such as the Christmas CD we send out each year (with legal music should anyone wonder).
Unfortunately Epson has the patent on CD printing printers in the US, but there is a very good alternative. Certain of the Canon Pixma printers can be easily modified to print on CDs and DVDs and are a lot more robust than the Epsons. I have a Canon Pixma iP6700D that cost $100 or so from Buy.com and am extremely pleased with it.
The disk carriers for Canon can be bought from eBay sellers for $20 or so with instructions. All you have to do is pop off the cover hiding the slot where the carrier goes in and out and put the printer in technician mode and tell it that it is a European model. This of course voids the warranty and there is some risk that you might screw it up but the results are worth taking the chance. The crucial thing is to get a Canon printer that can be modified. Here is a link that gives the printer models that can be modified and instructions on how to do it.
http://www.cameratown.com/articles/canon...inting.cfm
Here is the eBay link for conversion kits.
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=canon+tray&category0=
Canon offers free label printing software but I had trouble getting it to work. Instead I use an application called Discus. Here is a link for it.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/7501
Finally a word on printable CDs and DVDs. Be sure to get hub-printable ones. There are a number of sources, but I usually buy from meritline.com or supermediastore.com.
I have had three Epson R-series printers and consider them junk. Unless they have changed their design, the carrier has a thin clear plastic leading edge that is very tender and if bent in any way gives problems printing. Two of the printers developed a problem with the mechanism that ran the disks in and out. Of course they always failed in the middle of printing on a large time critical batch of CDs such as the Christmas CD we send out each year (with legal music should anyone wonder).
Unfortunately Epson has the patent on CD printing printers in the US, but there is a very good alternative. Certain of the Canon Pixma printers can be easily modified to print on CDs and DVDs and are a lot more robust than the Epsons. I have a Canon Pixma iP6700D that cost $100 or so from Buy.com and am extremely pleased with it.
The disk carriers for Canon can be bought from eBay sellers for $20 or so with instructions. All you have to do is pop off the cover hiding the slot where the carrier goes in and out and put the printer in technician mode and tell it that it is a European model. This of course voids the warranty and there is some risk that you might screw it up but the results are worth taking the chance. The crucial thing is to get a Canon printer that can be modified. Here is a link that gives the printer models that can be modified and instructions on how to do it.
http://www.cameratown.com/articles/canon...inting.cfm
Here is the eBay link for conversion kits.
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=canon+tray&category0=
Canon offers free label printing software but I had trouble getting it to work. Instead I use an application called Discus. Here is a link for it.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/7501
Finally a word on printable CDs and DVDs. Be sure to get hub-printable ones. There are a number of sources, but I usually buy from meritline.com or supermediastore.com.