Anything you can spray on a "normal" cd to allow inkjet printing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Doc
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D

Doc

In a quest to use gear in ways the manufacturer says you can't, anyone know
of or tried some aerosol product you could lightly mist on the label side of
a CD/DVD to allow printing on an inkjet printer with direct CD/DVD printing
capability and that for sure won't cause any damage?

Yes, I know they make labels as well as discs with printable surfaces, I'm
just curious.
 
Doc said:
In a quest to use gear in ways the manufacturer says you can't, anyone know
of or tried some aerosol product you could lightly mist on the label side of
a CD/DVD to allow printing on an inkjet printer with direct CD/DVD printing
capability and that for sure won't cause any damage?

Yes, I know they make labels as well as discs with printable surfaces, I'm
just curious.
Click to expand...

Curiosity killed the cat. Satisfaction brought it back.

"I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did.
I said I didn't know." --Mark Twain

lou
 
Doc said:
In a quest to use gear in ways the manufacturer says you can't, anyone know
of or tried some aerosol product you could lightly mist on the label side of
a CD/DVD to allow printing on an inkjet printer with direct CD/DVD printing
capability and that for sure won't cause any damage?
Click to expand...

Sand. But does it come in an aerosol can? Just keep it off the writing
surface of the disk.

What happens when you use an inkjet on a non-inkjet surface? Does the
ink run? Never dry? Maybe someone makes a different ink cartridge that
you could use. Nothing could be cheaper or more reliable than getting
blanks with the right printing surface, but I know you want to
experiment. So experiment.
 
My guess -- and this is only a guess -- that the spray fixative sold in
art-supply stores would probably work.
 
Doc said:
In a quest to use gear in ways the manufacturer says you can't, anyone know
of or tried some aerosol product you could lightly mist on the label side of
a CD/DVD to allow printing on an inkjet printer with direct CD/DVD printing
capability and that for sure won't cause any damage?
Click to expand...

Damage to what? An out of balance CD going at 56x speed can do quite a lot.
Best avoid anything on your Cds.
 
In a quest to use gear in ways the manufacturer says you
can't, anyone know of or tried some aerosol product you
could lightly mist on the label side of a CD/DVD to allow
printing on an inkjet printer with direct CD/DVD printing
capability and that for sure won't cause any damage?
Click to expand...

White Latex paint?

I suspect that commercial CDs receive their printable coatings via offset
printing or something like it.

A cheap-but-dirty way to evenly distribute coatings on CDs is to spin them
around a precise axis. I did say dirty, right? ;-)
 
Arny Krueger said:
White Latex paint?
Click to expand...

Since posting this I tried matte-white spray paint shot in several mist
coats from about 1 foot above the disc. The column of paint by the time it
hits the disc is a bit larger than the disc and thereby seems to give even
coverage. My guess is it won't affect the balance.

Of course, my guess could be wrong. :-0

The paint seems to grab the ink and absorb it, which is the problem with
printing on the slick plastic surface of the CD, the water-based ink just
beads up.

I'll report back when I try burning something onto it.
 
I see two problems potentially.

One, the paint solvent or paint itself may disrupt the pretty vulnerable
surface which has the reflective layer and dye layer under a thin
lacquer coating and two, any overspray that ends up on the other side of
the disk could cause it to create errors while burning due to opaque
spots on the normally clear plastic surface.

Art
 
Arny said:
I suspect that commercial CDs receive their printable coatings
via offset printing or something like it.
Click to expand...

Must be flexo techique, a coating that dries up to a water friendly
surface is not likely to be printable by a lithographic techique and the
required coating thickness also suggests it.
A cheap-but-dirty way to evenly distribute coatings on CDs is to spin them
around a precise axis. I did say dirty, right? ;-)
Click to expand...

<joke>

No, just put them in the drive while wet and write with max speed.

</joke>


Kind regards

Peter Larsen
 
Arthur Entlich said:
I see two problems potentially.

One, the paint solvent or paint itself may disrupt the pretty vulnerable
surface which has the reflective layer and dye layer under a thin lacquer
coating and two, any overspray that ends up on the other side of the disk
could cause it to create errors while burning due to opaque spots on the
normally clear plastic surface.

Art
Click to expand...

Guys, guys, guys! Burn FIRST, print second.......!

Mikey
Nova Music Productions
 
Must be flexo techique, a coating that dries up to a water friendly
surface is not likely to be printable by a lithographic techique and the
required coating thickness also suggests it
Click to expand...

Likely screen brinting, but I can see flexo being used (If It is what I
think it is).
 
Likely screen printing, but I can see flexo being used
(If It is what I think it is).
Click to expand...

Kinda like using a rubber stamp, is used for plastic bags and can also
be used for printing on non-flat objects. I do not know it for a fact,
but it might allow a shorter duty cycle, ototh screen printing as you
suggest is eminent for the layer-thickness involved.


Kind regards & Seasons Greetings

Peter Larsen
 
Peter Larsen said:
Must be flexo techique, a coating that dries up to a water friendly
surface is not likely to be printable by a lithographic techique and the
required coating thickness also suggests it.
Click to expand...

Just like at the carnival, I was thinking that too. Probably not a bad idea
as long as you shield everything from the paint splatter.
 
Just like at the carnival, I was thinking that too. Probably not a bad idea
as long as you shield everything from the paint splatter.
Click to expand...

It might be kind of artistic to print on a non-printable disk, then
spin it up and let the lettering spread out. Each one would be a little
different.
 
Guys, guys, guys! Burn FIRST, print second.......!
Click to expand...

That's why I printed first, seemed like it would be a litmus test as to
whether it effected the disc adversely. My understanding is the burn process
is less forgiving than the read process.

Re: the overspray issue, I had the entire disc flat on a piece of paper and
only applied in light mist coats. No overspray visible on the business side
of the disc.

Anyway, the burn seems to have gone fine.
 
Doc said:
Since posting this I tried matte-white spray paint shot in several mist
coats from about 1 foot above the disc. The column of paint by the time it
hits the disc is a bit larger than the disc and thereby seems to give even
coverage. My guess is it won't affect the balance.
Click to expand...

I just hope it doesn't come off in your drive.
 
Kinda like using a rubber stamp, is used for plastic bags and can also
be used for printing on non-flat objects. I do not know it for a fact,
but it might allow a shorter duty cycle, ototh screen printing as you
suggest is eminent for the layer-thickness involved.
Click to expand...

Flexographic inks are alcohol based, IIRC. Might that damage the
substrate?


--
Regards,
Nicolaas.


.... It is better to be looked over than overlooked.
 
It might be kind of artistic to print on a non-printable disk, then
spin it up and let the lettering spread out. Each one would be a little
different.
Click to expand...

....but is it art? :-)

Also, think "balance". The thought of the potential for damage of an
out-of-balance disk disintegrating whilst rotating at 52x is kinda scary!

--
Regards,
Nicolaas.


.... There's always a lot to be thankful for if you take time to look for
it. For example, right now I am sitting here thinking how nice it is that
wrinkles don't hurt.
 
CWatters said:
I just hope it doesn't come off in your drive.
Click to expand...

Me too. ;-)

But I can't imagine why it would. It's paint, as such it sticks like...um,
paint. I'm betting my DVD drive that it's far less likely to dislodge than
a sticky back label. I even gave a small portion of it a fingernail scratch
test. It's on there good. It's going to be subjected to little or no UV
light, so I don't expect it to experience any significant degredation which
I don't think you can say of a sticky label. Given enough time, the adhesive
on those things is sure to deteriorate if sticky-backed labels on other
things I run across from years gone by are any indication.

If any of this proves to be wrong, I'll let ya'll know.
 
Since posting this I tried matte-white spray paint shot in several mist
coats from about 1 foot above the disc. The column of paint by the time it
hits the disc is a bit larger than the disc and thereby seems to give even
coverage. My guess is it won't affect the balance.
Click to expand...

The mass of the paint is so small...

Haven't you seen the Mythbusters episode in which they spin CDs on a
high-speed drill? You have to reach thousands of RPMs before a normal
(uncracked) disk breaks.
 
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