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Ditch the Pen for a Cool Disc Labeler

Tired of handing out your high-quality work on hand-scrawled discs? For a more professional look, you have a number of labeling options, at a range of prices. At the baseline are adhesive labels you can apply to your disc, after printing the label on an inkjet or laser printer. We don't recommend such labels, however; even with the assistance of plastic guides that often ship with label packages, it is difficult to apply adhesive labels evenly. And a label that isn't perfectly even could throw the disc out of balance when it spins in a high-speed drive.

If you're buying a new drive and covet slick labeling, look for drives that feature LightScribe laser-etching technology. You'll need to have both a LightScribe-capable drive and appropriate media to generate LightScribe's polished-looking monochromatic labels. Unfortunately, a full-disc, graphics-intensive LightScribe label can take 20 minutes or more to burn. According to LightScribe, faster label-etching speeds and solid-color media are coming later this year or early next.

If you already have a burner, you have two affordable labeling choices. Epson's $100 Stylus R200 or $150 Stylus R300; and a thermal printer such as Primera Technology's $150 Signature Z1. The Epson R300 took just 3 minutes to fill the surface of an inkjet-printable disc with a 3-megapixel image. Most media manufacturers offer spindles of inkjet-printable CDs and DVDs at little to no extra cost as compared with standard discs. You can even choose between matte or glossy surfaces; however, neither surface is smudge-proof if moisture gets on it. The Primera is quick, too, but it's limited to single-color printing (special media isn't required, but you'll be best off using media with a blank top-surface, which may mean you'll need to buy thermal-printable media). The Primera can do basic icons, but its limited resolution makes it a better choice for text than for graphics.

If you need to produce batches of discs with professional-looking labels, consider an all-in-one disc duplicator and labeler, such as Rimage's 360i and Primera's Bravo II Disc Publisher. The Rimage, which sells for $1750, integrates a Plextor PX-716A DVD burner into a stylish, upright 25-disc duplicator. The unit connects via USB 2.0, has an HP-based inkjet printer built-in (with separate black and color cartridges), and uses a slick but proprietary software package to design labels and burn discs.

The Bravo II, which lists for $2700, also uses the Plextor PX-716A, includes a two-cartridge inkjet printer, and connects via USB 2.0. Its horizontal design has a larger footprint than the Rimage's; but for that real-estate investment, you get a 50-disc capacity and a clear window cover so you can observe the process. The Primera contains optional networking software, and ships with SureThing CD Labeler Primera Edition and Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator design templates.

M.J.P.