Questions about CD labelling
Sergiu Vlad
Hi everyone,
I am rather new to the technique of labelling CDs and I would like to
find out more details about the options I have.
Let's say that I want to produce some professionally looking CDs. Would
using labels be an appropriate method for labelling them? I guess
that printing labels with an inkjet printer and sticking them onto a CD
would not resemble a really professionally produced CD, right? Do people
sell CDs labelled like this? Are the labels usually coated with some kind
of wax to make them shinier?
Another option I have would be to purchase a special ink-jet CD printer
like Fargo Signature. Do I need a special kind of CDR media for that? How
about the quality obtained - are the CDs much better looking than those
labelled with paper labels? The real question is - do I get more bang for
the buck with such a printer for, let's say, 500 CDs?
And finally - which alternatives do you think to be best for the above
two categorie (which are the best CD labels/labellers and which are the
best and not too expensive CD printers)?
Thank you very much and please respond via email at vl...@fas.harvard.edu,
Sergiu
Dr. John M. Stout
We produce here at the Natural Resource Foundation a number of professional
Wildlife cdroms. We use both stickon labels and screen printed labels. We
also considered purchasing an inkjet label printer, but it was not cost
effective, and wasn't needed. You have to have a special media for that.
When we have a new edition, that serves both the public and the professional,
we always have these done by a cdrom professional, and since 1989 we have used
Isomedia in Washington State. However the design of the label can be done by
them, but since we are trying to produce these cdroms at around a buck apeace,
we do the design, and have the photo images done locally. Our sucess in doing
this is with an old shareware publishing tool called "Publish-It". The
imagery is accurate to the pixel.
When we have short runs, we do it ourselves, or we overstick the other label,
when we want to produce a specialized cdrom that is already part of the other
cdrom.
With Isomedia, we wanted only 500, but found it was actually cheaper to
produce 2000 than to produce 500. It's true. Packaging and shipping are done
by us, with the aid of local printing, from masters we produced with
publish-it. I don't know where one can get publish it now. We have to do a
cost analysis to on every step of our operation. Shipping cost to you and
from you may not be important, but it is to us, since we are a non profit
organization. So we have them delivered to us on a core, and we sleeve them,
add specialized software, and sleeve them (instead of using jewel-boxes) and
send them out by mail at $0.52 each.
We use stomp-it to stickem. Beware of some brands, whose labels do not cover
the whole printed surface.
John Stout, director
Mark T
> Another option I have would be to purchase a special ink-jet CD printer
>like Fargo Signature. Do I need a special kind of CDR media for that? How
Some brands of blank CD are available for direct inkjet or thermal printing.
Those printers are expensive though! Like $1100, I believe.
Katherine Cochrane
Sergiu Vlad wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I am rather new to the technique of labelling CDs and I would like to
> find out more details about the options I have.
There's an entire series of articles about this subject at
http://www.cd-info.com/CDIC/Technology/CD-R/Labeling/index.html
Cheers,
Kathy
--
The CD-Info Company, Inc.
Come to our CD Pioneers Party during SIGCAT '98
May 20, 1998 - Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel - Baltimore, MD
Visit http://www.cd-info.com for more information
See http://www.cd-webstore.com for Burning Issues and Pressing On
e-publications about CD-R and CD publishing and manufacturing