Printing directly to CD/DVD disks

Well, my limited search skills returned absolutely bupkus,
so I'm just gonna ask the experts around here:

What to use to print directly to the common, inexpensive,
and easily-obtainable inkjet-printable CD's/DVD's?
Please keep in mind, that I'm not able to spend thousands
of dollars for a pro-level duplication printer, and I'd prefer to
keep my expenditure at around $200 or so for the initial payout.

The background is that my HP PhotoSmart D5160 seems to have
officially given up the ghost. Nothing but blinking lights and errors
from the driver/status software and the device itself.
I can't find a hard-reset sequence, or even a POST sequence,
which is independent of the device's seemingly failed sensors
and/or electronics. I even had to remove a physical sensor
optical shutter, just so the damned printer would report other than
"not ready" to my Win7 32-bit system, but I now only get a message
that the print carriage is stalled, when it is, in fact, NOT.
Ink levels of the new carts report as nearly full, and the printer
reports being in a ready state just prior to a complete failure.
Genuine HP carts and third-party carts have been tried, both to
the same nonworking results.

The rest of the background:
I used to hate the Epson printers because of their use of 4 or more
ink cartridges, due to the cost(at the time) of cart replacements.
When I found the HP at a good price soon after its introduction to
the market, I jumped on it, because I trusted HP's products.
No more.
HP's consumer products are now decidedly lacking, in not only
physical design(as evidenced by the sensor trip-lever which was found
to be completely non-functional in my printer of very little use) and
electronic stability(as evidenced by the lack of operation with various
"chipped" cartridges), and they largely ignore their consumer-base,
as well. While I was servicing and repairing their corporate-level
and commercial-level products of over a decade ago, I used to think
that their printers were the gold standard.
No more.

So here's a plea, from me to everyone:
What would you recommend for a non-professional to use, for printing
directly to CD's/DVD's? I used to print everything, from game backups
to photo collections, to movie backups, to downloads I wanted to archive,
to just about everything else.
And, lest you be tempted, allow me to tell all of you who would suggest that
I archive to a bunch of hard drives/safes/banks/vau​lts/off-site/redundant/
out-of-country/firesafe/earth​quake-proof/online/cloud/or other:
YES! I actually WANT to print to disks as I used to. It's how I share much
of my stuff with family and friends, they like it, and I enjoy it.

Suggestions?

I picked up a Epson Artisan 725 on sale about a year ago for $100 and that's about all I use it for.

D Thompson wrote in post #14876502
I picked up a Epson Artisan 725 on sale about a year ago for $100 and that's about all I use it for.

Seems to be a good-spec printer, and could easily replace my HP pair for print/scan/copy/disk-printing. How are the replacement cost(s) for consumables, i.e. ink cartridges?

Thanks for responding!

I looked and it's about $80 to replace them all. I know the 725 was being discontinued when I got it for that price. I needed cartridges for my old HP which didn't do CD printing and the cost was more than the cost of the Epson so it was a no brainer. It's sad when you can buy a new printer cheaper than you can get cartridges. I've got a laser that I use for everything else.

I've actually used it a few times for some test prints and it does a pretty decent job. Nothing I'd give a client though.

By "printing to DVD/CD" you presumably mean printing perhaps some kind of image and a title onto the disc?

I found Epsons disc printing instructions impossible to figure out so now use self adhesive circles of paper made for the purpose which come 2 to an A4 sheet, on which I create something, add a title and print off. Mine are made by DECAdry PC Labels, with the codes OLW - 4796 (for 30 sheets) or DLW - 1796 (for 100 sheets). But there must be others.

Lowner wrote in post #14877250
I found Epsons disc printing instructions impossible to figure out .....

The Epson 725 came with "print to cd/dvd" software included that couldn't be any easier to use imo. It works much better and easier for me than trying to print on a label and press on to the cd.

My PC has print to CD/DVD software by Nero installed as standard, it makes loading the files onto CD very simple for me. Thats why I wondered if the question was about making a disc "pretty". Its this daft English language, using one word for multiple different meanings again. Its time we learnt that one word one meaning is the future.

Lowner wrote in post #14877823
My PC has print to CD/DVD software by Nero installed as standard, it makes loading the files onto CD very simple for me.

I've used some of the Nero stuff as well in the past and it worked ok. My only problem was sometimes getting the label pressed on. The program that came with my Epson 725 is very easy to use as well and I like the fact that I can print directly to the cd/dvd.

Then the use of they're, there, and their can get screwed up as well.

Lowner wrote in post #14877250
By "printing to DVD/CD" you presumably mean printing perhaps some kind of image and a title onto the disc?

Yes, but I don't like using adhesive labels. They add weight to a disc, and can unbalance them, leading to drive failure.

D Thompson wrote in post #14877586
The Epson 725 came with "print to cd/dvd" software included that couldn't be any easier to use imo. It works much better and easier for me than trying to print on a label and press on to the cd.

Exactly what I'm after.

Lowner wrote in post #14877823
My PC has print to CD/DVD software by Nero installed as standard, it makes loading the files onto CD very simple for me. Thats why I wondered if the question was about making a disc "pretty". Its this daft English language, using one word for multiple different meanings again. Its time we learnt that one word one meaning is the future.

"Printing" to disc, to me, means using a printer to convey text or images to the surface of a disc. "Writing" to a disc, to me, means to burn data in some form to a disc, meaning that I am transferring data from PC to disc.


Many thanks for the feedback, folks.
I have come to learn that some of Canon's PIXMA line of printers are also capable of printing directly to discs. I may grab a NewEgg deal for an MG5320 at $99.99 ($104.98 shipped).

SkedAddled wrote in post #14877882
I have come to learn that some of Canon's PIXMA line of printers are also capable of printing directly to discs. I may grab a NewEgg deal for an MG5320 at $99.99 ($104.98 shipped).

Sounds like a good deal.

Yes, most folks don't know you can enable many printers for direct CD printing capabilities.

A CD tray (about $40) for a pro9000 (new for $200 or less in the classifieds here, on Craigslist, and elsewhere!) will answer all your printing requirements. 8)

To get you started -
Guide To Canon CD Tray.
CD Printer Tray In Action
Enable Canon Printer

Look into Lightscribe discs. Basically you write to the disc, then turn it over in the drive and, with Lightscribe's software, design a label for the disc that the drive will burn onto the label side. It works pretty well.

I eschewed printing on adhesive labels long ago. The adhesive is never permanent, and even after doing the printing, you still have a quite painstaking task of properly adhering it to the disc. Simply not a good thing, especially as I do this for professional distribution--however I'm a portrait photographer, so my disc printing is always one-off work. That's why a professional disc duplication machine would not be suitable for me.

I've been doing direct CD/DVD printing for about five years now. I've used both inexpensive HP and Epson printers. Epson printers have always had the better image quality of the two--significantly so, easily noticeable.

However, the earlier Epsons were really cranky operationally and mechanically, and the propensity to head clogging made them a real pain. I had to toss more than one old Epson simply because the heads clogged after two weeks of non-use.

With the Artisan series, however, Epson solved nearly all my issues with their low-priced printers for CD/DVD printing. Head clogging is solved. The ink system is even cheaper, last for a lot more discs, and I like the fact that the colors are separate, because there are definitely some colors that get used more than others. The Artisans are far smoother to operate (although they still seem to do a lot of excessive groaning and grating). I've got an 810 that I'm very happy with, although the 825 has a bit more neatness.

Unfortunately, Epson seems to have removed CD/DVD printing from their latest models of the 700 and 800 series--but if you can find an older one, those are very good buys for CD/DVD printing.

Edit: No, on their website they still do list CD/DVD printing in their latest 700 and 800 series, but they must have improved the CD carrier mechanism. When I saw them a bit ago in my local Office Depot, I didn't see the CD tray button and the placard didn't list CD/DVD capability.

Right now the only low-priced printer Epson is offering for CD/DVD printing is the Artisan 50. It uses a different mechanism than the 700 and 800 series, so I can't attest to its mechanical abilities.

I don't use LightScribe as my primary method mostly because I prefer full-color discs--especially the gorgeous glossy discs printed on Taiyo Yuden Watershield discs--they look like a glossy, enameled finish. Also, LightScribe is extremely slow per disc.

However, I do use a compact LightScribe burner with my laptop for the very rare circumstances that I have to burn a CD/DVD when I'm on location.

I think software makes or breaks the process. My favorite software is Acoustica CD/DVD Labelmaker. A benefit of 3rd party software is that it (and its files) are transportable from printer to printer. In fact, Acoustica also handles LightScribe burners, so you can even use the same design for color printers and LightScribe.

Acoustica is very powerful and versatile, but it's also intuitive--none of the odd quirks I've found in other disc applications. One important thing is the ease of adjusting Acoustica for the slight differences in sizing of different brands of discs. It's very easy to make adjustments of as little as 0.1mm in the size of the hole or the rim, or direction.

Perhaps I've just been lucky, but I've never had a problem with the self adhesive labels, either to apply or afterwards in use.