Help printing on CDs with an Epson

It would seem from the trawling around forums I've done that the smudging on inkjet printable media is unavoidable with the water based inks used by most printers. Doesn't matter how long you leave it, it will still smudge.

Incidentally, even a 'dry' finger has skin oils on it and that's enough moisture to cause ink smudging.

Most people seem to agree that a coat of Krylon ClearCoat or the like is the best route to go. I'm all ready to start my little operation, got the R200, got the Krylon, got the movies.......now all I need is the UPS guy to deliver my media!! )

If anyone here has some good tips how to prevent the spray from getting on the back (data) side of the media it'd be much appreciated. I've had some thoughts but not sure how effective they'll be.

 

Woodbane, I can't remember if I read this suggestion on this forum or another, but I thought this was pretty good idea and just tried it myself. Someone suggested using saran wrap (clear cling wrap) to place the discs on. You know how saran wrap works, so it hugs the bottom of the disk until you lift it off. I put about 6 disks on a large piece and gently pushed them into the wrap, but don't leave wide edges of the wrap exposed in case the wind blows (of course I DID and the four corners folded over the discs a little). I'll post after the nimock's spray dries and I run the discs through a scan and check the data.

And Saugmon, are you saying that you print on an inkjet printable Maxell disc with a dark or black background and run your finger over it after 5 minutes and NO color comes off?

 

Heres a tip for all you guys who spray a fixative cover of whatever type on top of your printed DVD/CD's.

If you can get hold of a spindled base (the type that you often buy bulk disks on) get hold of some blue tack and put a thin film around the outer edge of the base and repeat around the actual base of the spindle, then get hold of an old DVD/CD or (better still as you can see the spread of the blue tack) one of the clear protective cd covers that also come with some bulk buys and press it down onto the base, this has to be done with a fair amount of pressure and with the blue tack as warm as possible, so that the blue tack starts to seap out slightly at the outer edge and around the spindle, once you are sure that all the outer and inner edges are fully sealed you trim of any seapage of the blue tack with with something like a modellers blade.
Then put this in the fridge for an about 20 mins..
The reason for this is to harden the blue tack slightly so that when you actually remove the old DVD/CD or clear cover it does not pull the blue tack from the base and break the seal between the base and the blue tack.
Then remove from fridge and leave to rise to room temperature for about another twenty mins.
Once all this has been done you can safely put your printable DVD/CD on the base using moderate pressure which will give you a good airtight seal for spraying.

The beauty of this is it cost nothing to make and repair if required
and it is very reliable with regards to no seapage of the fixative to the actual playing surface of the DVD/CD.

Hope this is of use to someone (took longer to type this than to carry out the above - well almost!)

 

Yep, within minutes I am handling them-gently though. I still haven't found any that smudged after about 10 mins or so when I put them in the case.

The darker disc covers turn out better for me.The lighter disc covers tend to be more faded.These are maxell full hub inkjet printables.

grovery3: I was searching the web stores for full hub -shiny injet printable and noticed a ton of full hub- white thermal printable.Maybe you got stuck with those thermals? They would definitely have a hard time drying.

 

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'll be sure to try those out.

grovery, how did the Acoustica software work out for you?

 

Hey all,

Just wondering, what type of clear spray can you use to make the disk water and smudge resistant? I hear this spray also makes the color of the printed disc more vivid, resembling a retail disc.

If anyone could give me an idea of who makes the spray, what it is/what it's called, and where to get it, that'd be great!

Thanks!

Justin

 

i was using a clear gloss coat spray made by krylon, but recently switched over to a spray by Patricia Nomicks (clear gloss). this spray seems to dry smoother and is a bit more transparent than the krylon. you can buy it at craft stores. it really makes your dvd labels look professional, especially if you can find a high res custom dvd label online to print.

 

Thanks for the info on the spray guys.

Questions though: if I'm not using full face discs, won't the spray get on the clear plastic center ring of the cd and won't that cause problems? Would I just be better of then using full face printables?

Also, it seems from reading these posts that it can be kind of tricky to apply the fixative spray to the top of the disc without getting it on the data side. I thought I saw a post saying that one should put the disc in the tray of a slimline jewel case first before spraying...will that prevent the fixative from getting on the bottom of the disc?

Finally, does anyone have any (semi)conclusive information on whether or not the fixative spray will ruin the disc over time? I've heard theories and some makers of labels or special CD pens claim that Sharpies and other permanent markers will also deteriorate discs over time. Any ideas guys?

Thanks!
Justin

 

I've been having great success by putting cellophane wrap on an old chopping board and then sticking the disc to that, data side down. No spray on the underside.

I also use discs that are not full face so spray gets on the plastic cirlce in the middle, no problems as of yet.

 

Woodbane,

Awesome! Cheap, easy and effective. Never would've thought of that method. Gonna pick up a small pack of inkjet printable cd's to test it out with, and some of that spray you guys have been recommending. So with the spray, even if your fingers are slightly damp or have oils on them, it won't smudge the ink after the spray has been applied, correct?

Thanks

Justin

 

Correct! Once the Krylon (or whatever spray your using) dries, then the ink is sealed in. You may find you need 2 applications of the spray tho'. I was originally doing just one coat but then 'tested' a disc and still got a little ink off. Did a second coat and then Voila!, problem solved and the discs look great!

 

OK,

I ended up buying a Krylon UV-Resistant clear gloss acrylic coating spray. Is that the right stuff? It says it's moisture and smudge resistant, protects against UV rays, non-yellowing permanent coating, and can be used on photographs, metal, artwork, plastic, etc.

I am assuming this is the right stuff? I wasn't able to find that Patricia Nomick's stuff, or whatever it's called, at the craft store. So is the Krylon stuff I got sufficient?

Also Woodbane, when you put the cellophane (is it like saran wrap?) on the cutting board, do you have to stretch it all the way across the cutting board, or can you just lay it flat on top, then the disc on that?

Thanks,
Justin

 

I use Patricia Nimocks spray,either the gloss or flat,both are fine. And I just put the disc on paper or cardboard and spray from a distance of 2 feet. Distance is the key or otherwise you'll get a funky look to the disc,the droplets won't have spread fine enough. I print the disc,put it over on the easel for spraying,shake can well,hold at no less than 2 ft and spray lightly back and forth. I've never had any spray on the data side so I don't know where that's coming from unless folks are getting a bit too zealous in their application. As long as the disc is flat and not raised on whatever you put it on,it shouldn't get on the data side. So far I've had zero problems with any of the discs I've done with the spray or method.....

 

Cool,

so it's OK to put the disc on a piece of paper on a table or on the floor, and stand above it and spray directly downward on it with the can about two feet from the disc?

 

Curm, that should be fine...as long as the table isn't your dining table! ;o) Seriously, the Krylon will leave marks where you over spray so don't do it on a table that's not meant for DIY.

The cellophane (saran wrap) works really well because the disc actually 'sticks' to the cellophane being made of plastic, so there is very little chance of any spray getting underneath if you make sure you seat it properly.

Sportty's method will also work fine as long as you don't get to over zealous like he said. I spray from about 12 inches (as per can instructions) and also do a light back and forth motion and 2 coats. Don't just spray straight onto the disc as the coating will be uneven and you'll get 'orangepeel' effect.

And just a word to the wise...that Krylon spray SMELLS!! Make sure you're in a well ventilated area or expect to have a smelly house for a few hours after spraying! And whatever you do, DON'T get the Krylon 'low odor' version of the spray, it's rubbish!! I think it has less volatile chemicals in it but the consequence is that it is much runnier, takes ages to dry and will find its way onto the data side of the disc if there is so much as a hairs breadth of a gap under the disc (speaking from experience here)!

Good luck, I'm sure you'll end up with many professional looking discs.

 

Woodbane,

Hey! Tried out the spray, works great! I noticed though, doesn't seem to really make them TOO water resistant. I did a test, wet me finger under running water and it seemed to go right through the coating and make the ink run, but then again, I hadn't let the disc sit for twenty four hours (as recommended on the spray package) before trying it.

What's up with the Patricia Nomick's spray? Does it not have that horrible odor that the Krylon does? I couldn't find it in my local crafts store (A.C. Moore). Also, is it more effective with water proofing? I know a lot of people on the board swear by that stuff. Maybe I'll have to get it online.

Anyway, I set the disc on some newspaper and sprayed down on the disc from a height of about one foot back and forth quickly. I got no underspray so I'm happy. Discs look great but DAMN does that stuff stink.

If the PN spray is better I'm gonna get some of that. Thanks guys,

Justin

 

Woodbane,

Also, when you say don't spray right on the disc, do you mean sraight down? I sprayed straight down on the disc, back and forth, but I was holding the can about 12 inches above the disc. Should I hold the can at the same height, but at an angle instead? I did seem to get a tiny bit of an "orangepeel" effect I guess, it looked pretty even though, I only noticed the texture of the spray when I held the disc at an angle under the light.

Justin

 

OK, just one more question. ;-)

Just wondering, what do you guys use for paper for making DVD case inserts? I've been using Epson photo paper, but it gets expensive (like 15 dollars for 20 sheets), and of course, regular everyday printer paper looks like crap.

Does anyone know of any good general purpose paper, glossy or semi gloss, that works well for making inserts and that isn't too expesnive? For some reason, everytime I use non-Epson paper with my R800 I get ink running all over the place, it's like the ink doesn't take to the paper. Drives me nuts and I can't figure out why it's happening. Anyone else have this problem?

Justin

 

Hey curm,

Ya, that Krylon spray does stink! I'd say to use it outside if at all possible but if that's not practical then make sure you use it in a well ventilated area.

12 inches away and sweeping motion is about right. I sprayed straight down onto the discs until yesterday when I came up with a neat idea. My concern was that holding the can horizontally while spraying straight down, you lose some of the propellant gases while spraying. Eventually you can end up with a half full can of spray and no propellant to get it out.

Anyway, as I do my discs on the chopping board with the saran wrap, I just put the krylon lid under the board, so its at an angle! That way I'm holding the can almost vertically while spraying the discs. I also find I can see the spray going onto the disc surface better when under a good light source.

Haven't tried the PN spray but my local craft store does a huge range of sprays so I'll almost certainly try an equivalent next time around.

I know what you mean about 'not completely waterproof'. It really depends on how many coats you do and how thick you make the coats. I've found that two good coating works well, but don't soak the discs! You'll know you've reached the limits if the disc actually starts to look wet. Mind you, I did do that with a couple of disc last week and they're fine. Took 'em a bit longer to dry but they have really hard, glossy coating....definitely fully waterproof.LOL!

I wouldn't recommend this as a matter of course though. I think the main aim is just to stop the ink rubbing off during 'normal' handling of the disc, ordinarily your hands wouldn't be wet and you wouldn't be rubbing the surface in an effort to make the ink come off!

 

Woodbane,

Thanks for the continued advice and responses to my posts. I work at Wal Mart, and never realized we carried the Patricia Nimock's spray till I read about it on this board! Picked some up today. Gonna try it tomorrow, couldn't today because I'm in New England and it was 50 degres and rainy yesterday and today it was a bit snowy and 18 degrees. Gotta love New England weather.

Also, has anyone else tried the Acoustica CD labeling software? I've been playing with it - in terms of it's general functionality, built in templates, backgrounds, and options, it's definetly superior to Epson Print CD.

One flaw though that I found with Acoustica though. I noticed, the default template for full-face printables with R200, 300 and 800 has about a 43mm center hole. I don't know of ANY full face printables that I've seen lately that have a center hole that big. Most have around 39 or so. I know you can change the center hole diamter in Print CD but I have thus far been unable to find a way to edit a template or make my own in Acoustica. Has anyone else used the program, and found a way to do this? Thanks,

Justin