Originally posted by: mingus2112

Originally posted by: MoveAlong
I've had my R200 for over a year now and have printed literally hundreds of discs and covers with it. It is awesome! Works great with generic ink, too. To get the disc colors to pop, I seal the discs with Krylon #1305 gloss acrylic spray.

you just spray it on? i'd be worried about that in my dvd player. it works ok though? anybody else "seal" their discs?

-James

I know, it sounds wierd but it works great. I found the idea somewhere online. Printable media has a matte surface. Colors tend to not "pop" enough with just the printed matte disc. With a thin coating of gloss acrylic, colors are much more vibrant. Plus the printed disc surface is now waterproof and UV protected (I don't plan on keeping my discs under water in the sun, but it's comforting nonetheless). This definitely makes the disc look more "professional", and isn't that what most of us are after with these preservation projects?

Here are my steps for anyone interested:

Obvious disclaimer: these methods work well for me. ymmv. practice makes perfect.

1) In a well ventilated area (like outside sheltered from any wind), using a piece of cardboard as a base, place one to two discs (maximum) on a section of non glossy newspaper.

2) Using Krylon #1305 or #1303, spray the disc(s) evenly holding the can 10-12 inches away with an even side to side motion. This will take some practice to perfect. It's arts and crafts time at this point. The goal is to get enough coverage but not so much that the spray "pools" around the edge of the disc. The non glossy newspaper will absorb some of the spray, but it's easy to go overboard and put too much on.

3) Using the cardboard base to move the discs, gently slide the newspaper and discs off the cardboard to a drying area. Let dry 24 hours. Once the acrylic coating has cured, you'll have a thin, rock hard glossy surface to your disc. If you have a hard time getting the discs off the newspaper, you used too much spray and it worked its way under the disc. If you do it right your printed surface will be sealed and the recordable side will be untouched.

I have never had any problem in any dvd player with this method, and I have shipped literally hundreds of dvd's all over the world that were made like this. I prefer Ridata G05 hub to hub full surface printable media, FWIW.

Hope this helps...