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Help printing on CDs with an Epson
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Curm76
Newbie
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28. December 2005 @ 21:48 |
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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
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rooster33
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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29. December 2005 @ 05:26 |
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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.
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Curm76
Newbie
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1. January 2006 @ 09:52 |
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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
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woodbane
Newbie
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1. January 2006 @ 13:15 |
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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.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 1. January 2006 @ 13:15
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Curm76
Newbie
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1. January 2006 @ 19:54 |
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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
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woodbane
Newbie
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2. January 2006 @ 13:30 |
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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!
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Curm76
Newbie
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2. January 2006 @ 20:04 |
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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
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 2. January 2006 @ 20:08
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Sportty
Newbie
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2. January 2006 @ 20:29 |
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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.....
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Curm76
Newbie
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2. January 2006 @ 20:33 |
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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?
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woodbane
Newbie
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3. January 2006 @ 04:21 |
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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.
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Curm76
Newbie
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14. January 2006 @ 21:00 |
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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
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Curm76
Newbie
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14. January 2006 @ 21:03 |
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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
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Curm76
Newbie
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14. January 2006 @ 21:24 |
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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
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woodbane
Newbie
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15. January 2006 @ 06:34 |
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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!
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Curm76
Newbie
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15. January 2006 @ 18:58 |
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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
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 15. January 2006 @ 18:59
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woodbane
Newbie
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16. January 2006 @ 05:58 |
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Hey Curm! I'm in Vermont mate, so I know exactly what you are talking about with the weather!!
My trial period for Acoustica ran out and I ended up using the Epson program. My main moan was that it was not printing centered on my discs and no amount of fiddling with the realignment option would correct it.
Anyway, I had to reformat my computer a couple of weeks ago so I tried it again once I reloaded it and now it wroks perfectly! All I have to do is change the inner diameter for the different discs I use, it gets it spot on every time! Every cloud has a silver lining I guess. Let me know how that Patricia Nomack spray works out, I'd be interested to see. I may also be even to get it as I have a large Walmart near me.
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Curm76
Newbie
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16. January 2006 @ 20:06 |
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Hey woodbane,
Do you make inserts for your DVD jewel cases to go along with your printed discs for the full professional look?
Just wondering, if so, what paper you use for inserts? I think I mentioned this in an earlier post.
Anyway, I have the Epson R800 and up to this point, have been using the Epson Premium Semigloss Photo paper for my inserts, but this is getting rather expensive: about $15.00 for 20 sheets.
Do you know of any more general purpose paper that has somewhat of a gloss finish that might be cheaper? I'd go generic, just as long as I know that the print will look good on the paper, I've had a lot of bad luck with terrible image quality with non-Epson (Fuji, Kodak) paper up to this point.
Thanks!
Justin
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woodbane
Newbie
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17. January 2006 @ 03:34 |
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Hi Justin,
No, unfortunately I don't make DVD inserts. I keep all my backups in a 'drum' that holds 100 DVD's. The jewel cases would take up too much space. Sorry I can't be of much assistance when it comes to the quality of photo paper.
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Curm76
Newbie
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18. January 2006 @ 20:45 |
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Hey Woodbane,
I tried the Nimocks spray, and it seemed to work OK. I have been putting the disc on paper and standing over it, holding the can about 2 feet above the disc and spraying down onto the disc.
I'm getting a speckled effect on the discs. It seems to give a nice coating but on dark areas of the disc (rich, darker colors) it looks almost like I took a tiny permanent marker and made tiny little dots over the surface of the disc, some dots being darker than others. It's kind of hard to describe. Is that the "orangepeel" effect you were talking about?
I'm really having some trouble getting it just right, then again, I'm not sure what "just right" is supposed to look like. Is the disc supposed to have somewhat of a textured, glossy effect after spraying? I want to get an effective coating but I also don't want it to look like crap. Thanks man!
Justin
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woodbane
Newbie
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19. January 2006 @ 14:33 |
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Try another coat and go a bit slower while doing the spraying. When it's all dried you should have a smooth finish. It is a bit of trial and eror until you get it just right.
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Curm76
Newbie
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21. January 2006 @ 07:30 |
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Woodbane,
Thanks for all your help. I think I got it as good as it can get. If I hold it at an angle under the light I can see kind of an orange peel effect - individual dots especially in dark areas, but under normal conditions or looking at the disc straight-on, it's not very noticeable. The surface however is not bumpy or saturated, and is smooth to the touch after it has dried, and shiny.
I sprayed straight down on the disc from a height of 1-2 feet starting off the edge of the disc and going straight across relatively slowly. It seemed to cover the entire disc with one pass. I waited 15 minutes for it to dry and did another coat.
Seems good to me. If you get a chance to get the Patricia Nimock's spary, check it out. It still has harmful vapors like the Krylon, but it has a flowery smell, they must've added something to make it smell less horrible. ;-)
Thanks!
Justin
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