People like to label their own DVDs and CDs- there’s no doubt that it makes them look more professional.

There are a number of different technologies you’ll have to decide between when labelling your discs. These include:

• Inkjet Printable Discs
• Thermal Printable Discs
• Lightscribe Discs
• Adhesive Labels
• Pens

The label technology and the actual disc type (e.g. DVD+R, DVD-RW, CD-R, etc) are two unrelated issues, and one doesn’t affect the other. For example, you can happily copy data onto a Lightscribe-compatible DVD+R using a non-Lightscribe drive (so long as it supports DVD+R recording). However, you won’t be able to directly label it unless the drive supports Lightscribe.

If you want to print directly to your discs (via ink-jet, thermal or Lightscribe), you have to buy blanks with the correct print-surface for your printer/drive.

Inkjet Printable

Many discs are designed to be printed to directly by an inkjet printer. (For inkjet-printed labels, see “Adhesive Labels” below). Not all inkjets can do this- they have to be designed to accept discs, typically via an adapter/mechanism integrated into the printer itself. Nowadays though, this facility is available on even fairly inexpensive models, so it needn’t break the bank.

You’ll also need discs with an inkjet-printable surface- these are widely-available. In fact, just like inkjet photo paper, you’ll find different grades, from ordinary printable (suitable mainly for text) all the way up to very high-quality glossy surfaces that give photo-like results, albeit at a somewhat higher price.

Disc-compatible inkjet printers usually include an application that supports the design and layout of disc labels directly, making the job a piece of cake.

The main drawback with inkjet-printable discs is that they’re not normally waterproof, although a protective layer can be sprayed on later. If this is an issue, thermal-printable discs may be more suitable.

Thermal Printable

Thermal-printed discs have the advantage over inkjet that they’re waterproof. Some thermal printers use two ribbons; a CMY one which contains the actual image and a transfer ribbon which copies it onto the disc and overlays a protective layer. Some cheaper thermal printers only use one ribbon, but the images produced by this method are typically less resistant to scratching.

Cheaper thermal printers are also often monochrome (single-colour), whereas more expensive models often include full-colour, higher-quality printing.

It’s generally best to use discs specifically designed for thermal printers. Some thermal printers work with certain inkjet-compatible discs, but this can be a bit hit-and-miss. Unless you’re sure of a particular brand, it’s best to stick with thermal-compatible discs.

Lightscribe

Lightscribe is a technology that uses the drive’s own laser to “burn” the label image onto the surface of a Lightscribe-compatible disc. No printer is necessary- simply flip the disc, re-insert and design/burn the label using the supplied software. Both disc and drive must support Lightscribe.

Lightscribe printing only supports single-colour labels. It isn’t blisteringly fast, and the discs are typically more expensive than inkjet printables. However, for occasional use, it’s a clever and convenient system that doesn’t require a printer.

For more details on Lightscribe, see our full-length article.

Adhesive Labels

For those without access to a disc-compatible inkjet, adhesive labels are often an effective alternative. You can print to them using almost any printer type- in most cases, this will be a normal inkjet that accepts sheets of labels.

However, you should never just stick any old label on a disc and hope for the best. These can unbalance the disc, affecting playability at the high speeds used on modern drives. The labels can also come off inside the drive.

For reliable results, you should use specially designed disc labels and an applicator designed to make sure that the label goes on as straight and evenly as possible, and to minimise bubbling and peeling.

Unsuitable adhesives on certain labels can also cause damage to data on the disc via the top layer- this is a particular issue with CDs (see the section on pens below for an explanation).

We don’t advise using labels on your main copies of archive material, and given the choice we’d still recommend printing directly to the disc (via inkjet, thermal or Lightscribe technologies). These limitations aside, for general presentation and distribution, labels are fine, so long as they’re applied correctly.

Pens

This barely counts as “labelling”. Most disc surfaces let you write on them, provided you use a suitable pen- in practice, this usually means ones designed specifically for DVDs and CDs.

You should never use a hard pen to write on your discs, as it can damage the top surface. This is particularly bad news with CDs, because their data layer is actually just below the label! Many people don’t realise this because the discs are read from underneath (through the clear plastic), but it means that any damage to the label is also quite likely to damage the reflective aluminium layer or the data layer itself, both of which can cause (at best) data loss or (at worst) make the disc totally unreadable.

You should also watch out for markers that contain solvents that- again- can damage the top surface, and possibly the data layers below that. DVD/CD markers are designed especially with felt-tips and non-damaging solvents.