Now I'm not stupid enough to go around labeling my discs with a ballpoint pen, but do certain permanent markers have some chemical in the ink or something that can do damage to DVDs (or CDs for that matter)? Also, I have seen people say here that Taiyo Yuden is pretty much the best brand of discs you can buy, but I have noticed that there are several label-side finishes available for TY discs (Silver Thermal Lacquer, White Thermal Hub Printable, etc) and if certain markers CAN damage discs, is there a certain finish available on TY discs that is more resistant to that damage than others?
Yes,sharpie is the way to go,but i think that you can't just use any kind of marker to label your disc as some markers which are not specially designated for CD/DVD labeling may contain a higher rate of chemical which can cause damage to your disc.
I use special CD/DVD markers(assorted colours)on my TY Verbs,sure they do not look so great as ink printable or lightscribe discs but that's fine for me because my discs are marked on the surface anyway,so the sharpie is the only way to label them.
But one thing that should never be done is to stick labels on your discs,as this will more likely damage your discs over time,making them unplayable,also i've heard that sticking label on a disc makes the disc not to spin in an optimal way in whatever drive it is.
HAHA after doing some google-ing of my own I have come up with this information:
-On CDs, the data layer is on the top of the disc, and is only protected by a thin layer of whatever the manufacturer feels like putting there. Depending on what this protective layer is made of, some markers (including Sharpie) may bleed through it and damage the data. Be sure to only use special markers with water-based ink on CD-Rs
-On DVDs, the data layer is in the middle of the disc, protected by equally thick layers of polycarbonate on the top and bottom. Sharpies should be just fine to use on them.
-If you really want to be safe, only mark on the clear area near the center of the disc, where no data is stored.
-If you really REALLY want to be safe, dont mark on the disc at all; put it in a case and write the contents of the disc on the case.
