Another alternative to labeling CD's (apart from the pen) is to invest in a lightscribe drive. These drives have the ability to not only wright dvd-rw, cd-rw etc etc but with a light scribe disk you can turn it over and burn the name to the disk and even add your own art work or photo as well. The only down side to this is that disks can be expensive, and it can take a long time to burn the name and art work to the back of the cd.
Posted by: jason at July 8, 2008 9:00 AM
I purchase media that has the printable surface. My printer (Epson) can print directly onto the CD to make a nice, professional label for my clients. If it is just for my personal use, I use the Sharpie and figure the printable surface adds a little extra protection.
Posted by: Matthew Brock at July 8, 2008 9:39 AM
Leo
I'm a professional communicator, and I'd like to offer you some unsolicited advice. Firstly, I do appreciate receiving the information from you. You also write quite well. However...you always give a caveat in your answers..it might do this, or the answer iw yes and no...waffling all over the place. Most puter users realize there are few absolutes, but there must be another way for you to give responses. Give the 90% answer, and then add the warning.
I enjoy your column, and please don't cancel me for sending you this. Believe me, my intention is positive.
Posted by: JB at July 8, 2008 9:50 AM
Gasp! Leo, the word for write as in writing on a CD is "Write" not Wright! I enjoy your column otherwise!
Posted by: Don Craft at July 8, 2008 11:10 AM
What is up with you guys? Are you all so lacking in something to do that you have to pick his words apart? Leo I think you do a great job in giving out information. I wondered about putting labels on too, for the reasons that you gave.
Posted by: Diana at July 8, 2008 11:27 AM
Putting a label on a CD might hurt but not as much as correcting a person's speech while they are trying to help you!!! I do what Leo does and I set up the scenario BEFORE I give the advice. That way - I figure - the person receiving it won't be befuddled by my 'skipping around' 'nuf said GOOD GOING LEO! for shame, you people. LOL
Posted by: Barbara J. Wovas at July 8, 2008 12:20 PM
I have an HP computer, XP Media Center Edition 2005 that has a built in LightScribe DVD+Writer/CD-Writer. I burn the CD then turn it over and burn the label. You can download free label templates at LightScribe.com. The labels look great and it is worth the 25 - 30 minutes time to burn the label.
Posted by: Jerry Schnetz at July 8, 2008 12:33 PM
But "Diana", they are RIGHT (wright?) to "pick his words apart" -- proper spelling and word usage makes a BIG DIFFERENCE in how one is perceived! What on Earth good does it do Leo to have excellent answers, if no one will read them because they erroneously believe, on the basis of his misspellings, that he is a low-grade moron unworth of our attention? Good spelling, grammar, and word-usage speaks to one's level of education; it tells us something of the correspondent's reliability in what he is saying.
In a high-tech area, such a voicing computer advice, this is all the more important. I have actually TURNED AWAY from computer websites offering some badly-needed computer program or other, because the site had numerous misspellings. Because then you wonder: "Is the programming code misspelled, too? Is it, in fact, SAFE?" Hey, remember programming in BASIC? Remember "?SYNTAX ERROR"? Computers are very unforgiving of spelling mistakes. When it comes to programming, spelling mistakes can be EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. Who dares install a program written by a poor speller?
And quite apart from all that, misspellings give an impression of slapdash haste and inattention -- just as if we weren't worth the time or the effort for the correspondent to write carefully.
Just how far would YOU trust someone's computer advice who consistently spelled badly?
So, sorry "Diana", but YES, it DOES make a difference.
Posted by: Glenn P. at July 8, 2008 12:38 PM
Sharpie (imagine the appropriate copyright image here) does in fact make a line of indelible markers specifically for labelling CD and DVD media. I was pleasantly surprised when I found them recently at an Office Depot (ok, name dropping again).
I'm not sure what magic pixel dust is added or removed that makes this ink formula different than the regular Sharpies, but I bought them anyways.
Craig
Posted by: craigcu at July 8, 2008 1:02 PM
I have been hand printing info on disks for years. Sometimes quite a lot. I have used the Sharpie 'Fine point' (so-called, but it gets rather blunted over time), Sharpie 'Ultra Fine point' (works well, but big caveat: it is harder pen tip material, so MUST write gently). I have also used several brands of specific CD markers: Sharpie 'CD Marker' and Bic 'Mark-It CD-DVD Marker'. All have worked OK with no observed ill-effects.
Just note the caveat about being extra careful with markers that have a harder tip. The downside I have noticed that special CD markers sometimes dry out faster, especially from less well-known brands (some which also write less visibly).
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Another alternative to labeling CD's (apart from the pen) is to invest in a lightscribe drive. These drives have the ability to not only wright dvd-rw, cd-rw etc etc but with a light scribe disk you can turn it over and burn the name to the disk and even add your own art work or photo as well. The only down side to this is that disks can be expensive, and it can take a long time to burn the name and art work to the back of the cd.
Posted by: jason at July 8, 2008 9:00 AMI purchase media that has the printable surface. My printer (Epson) can print directly onto the CD to make a nice, professional label for my clients. If it is just for my personal use, I use the Sharpie and figure the printable surface adds a little extra protection.
Posted by: Matthew Brock at July 8, 2008 9:39 AMLeo
Posted by: JB at July 8, 2008 9:50 AMI'm a professional communicator, and I'd like to offer you some unsolicited advice. Firstly, I do appreciate receiving the information from you. You also write quite well. However...you always give a caveat in your answers..it might do this, or the answer iw yes and no...waffling all over the place. Most puter users realize there are few absolutes, but there must be another way for you to give responses. Give the 90% answer, and then add the warning.
I enjoy your column, and please don't cancel me for sending you this. Believe me, my intention is positive.
Gasp! Leo, the word for write as in writing on a CD is "Write" not Wright! I enjoy your column otherwise!
Posted by: Don Craft at July 8, 2008 11:10 AMWhat is up with you guys? Are you all so lacking in something to do that you have to pick his words apart? Leo I think you do a great job in giving out information. I wondered about putting labels on too, for the reasons that you gave.
Posted by: Diana at July 8, 2008 11:27 AMPutting a label on a CD might hurt but not as much as correcting a person's speech while they are trying to help you!!! I do what Leo does and I set up the scenario BEFORE I give the advice. That way - I figure - the person receiving it won't be befuddled by my 'skipping around' 'nuf said GOOD GOING LEO! for shame, you people. LOL
Posted by: Barbara J. Wovas at July 8, 2008 12:20 PMI have an HP computer, XP Media Center Edition 2005 that has a built in LightScribe DVD+Writer/CD-Writer. I burn the CD then turn it over and burn the label. You can download free label templates at LightScribe.com. The labels look great and it is worth the 25 - 30 minutes time to burn the label.
Posted by: Jerry Schnetz at July 8, 2008 12:33 PMBut "Diana", they are RIGHT (wright?) to "pick his words apart" -- proper spelling and word usage makes a BIG DIFFERENCE in how one is perceived! What on Earth good does it do Leo to have excellent answers, if no one will read them because they erroneously believe, on the basis of his misspellings, that he is a low-grade moron unworth of our attention? Good spelling, grammar, and word-usage speaks to one's level of education; it tells us something of the correspondent's reliability in what he is saying.
In a high-tech area, such a voicing computer advice, this is all the more important. I have actually TURNED AWAY from computer websites offering some badly-needed computer program or other, because the site had numerous misspellings. Because then you wonder: "Is the programming code misspelled, too? Is it, in fact, SAFE?" Hey, remember programming in BASIC? Remember "?SYNTAX ERROR"? Computers are very unforgiving of spelling mistakes. When it comes to programming, spelling mistakes can be EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. Who dares install a program written by a poor speller?
And quite apart from all that, misspellings give an impression of slapdash haste and inattention -- just as if we weren't worth the time or the effort for the correspondent to write carefully.
Just how far would YOU trust someone's computer advice who consistently spelled badly?
So, sorry "Diana", but YES, it DOES make a difference.
Posted by: Glenn P. at July 8, 2008 12:38 PMSharpie (imagine the appropriate copyright image here) does in fact make a line of indelible markers specifically for labelling CD and DVD media. I was pleasantly surprised when I found them recently at an Office Depot (ok, name dropping again).
I'm not sure what magic pixel dust is added or removed that makes this ink formula different than the regular Sharpies, but I bought them anyways.
Craig
Posted by: craigcu at July 8, 2008 1:02 PMI have been hand printing info on disks for years. Sometimes quite a lot. I have used the Sharpie 'Fine point' (so-called, but it gets rather blunted over time), Sharpie 'Ultra Fine point' (works well, but big caveat: it is harder pen tip material, so MUST write gently). I have also used several brands of specific CD markers: Sharpie 'CD Marker' and Bic 'Mark-It CD-DVD Marker'. All have worked OK with no observed ill-effects.
Posted by: Bruce Young at July 8, 2008 3:36 PMJust note the caveat about being extra careful with markers that have a harder tip. The downside I have noticed that special CD markers sometimes dry out faster, especially from less well-known brands (some which also write less visibly).
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