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DVD Labels

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I know this topic has been discussed within various threads, but i was hoping to bring it together somewhat. I found that i am now having trouble playing my dvds that i put labels on. I used memorex glossy labels. i was wondering if others have had success with other brands or types of labels.

glossy or matte? choose your own adventure.
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Do not use labels! They will ruin your disc eventually, sometimes very quickly.

Get yourself a printer that prints on cds & dvds. Pick up some hub printable DVD-Rs. Join a website like www.hirescovers.com and get some labels or make our own labels in photoshop.

Use krylon #1305 UV resistant coating to seal the ink on the disc.

Finally enjoy your dvds for many years to come.

Let me make it perfectly clear: DO NOT USE FREAKING STICK ON LABELS!
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Originally posted by: weapon
Do not use labels! They will ruin your disc eventually, sometimes very quickly.

Get yourself a printer that prints on cds & dvds. Pick up some hub printable DVD-Rs. Join a website like www.hirescovers.com and get some labels or make our own labels in photoshop.

Use krylon #1305 UV resistant coating to seal the ink on the disc.

Finally enjoy your dvds for many years to come.

Let me make it perfectly clear: DO NOT USE FREAKING STICK ON LABELS!


yeah, but stick on labels are $16...
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Originally posted by: weapon Join a website like www.hirescovers.com
Thanks for highlighting that website weapon. I hadn't come across that one before. Some nice stuff in there.

where have i been all this time ?
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possible you lightscribe, but then you need that kinds of drive
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I've had mixed results with stick-on labels (as we are currently discussing in another thread). If I had to do it over again, I think I might have gone with the printable ones, but I don't see a huge problem with stick on labels as it is.

Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here, this is the war room!

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I too had problems in the past with stick on labels. Particularly with discs that I played very frequently. I never damaged a player, but my computer would have problems reading the discs after a while.

I recently purchased an Epson R200 printer ($65 on clearance) and a CIS ink kit. It was more money than I wanted to spend, for sure, but it beats stick on labels any day as well as the "sharpie" method. I'm in the process of printing labels for my entire SW DVD preservation & fan edits collection, as well as my 36-disc MST3K collection. I'm about 1/3 of the way done with printing them all, and I've barely even used 1/10 of the 4oz. ink bottles I got with my CIS kit. It was a lot of cash up front, but in the long run I'm saving a lot of money over using regular ink cartridges, or stick on labels for that matter.

I haven't tried using any coating spray though, as my dorm room isn't the most ideal place to be spraying chemicals everywhere. I've also heard that sprays can get onto the data side of the disc and damage it if you're not careful. How true is this?

My Projects:
[Holiday Special Hybrid DVD v2]
[X0 Project]
[Backstroke of the West DVD]
[ROTS Theatrical DVD]

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Well, a while back I posted a sort of tutorial with pictures of the results of spraying discs. I can't seem to find it anymore. Anyway, it is possible to get the spray on the data side if you use too much spray. However, I think common sense would kick in with most people before it reached that point. You're not looking to pool the spray on the disc, just several light passes to give thin, light, and even coverage. I always spray my discs on top of non-glossy newspaper (outside for ventilation, too). It absorbs some of the overspray. I've probably sprayed 500 discs and never had a problem. They look SO much better.

You can go about your business. Move along, move along.

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/4962/nowplayingbannermasterzc2.jpg
The Story of Star Wars
The Adventures Of Luke Skywalker

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Zion, I'm about to do the same - where are you getting your disc art from?
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Originally posted by: scalesojustice


yeah, but stick on labels are $16...


Actually they cost way more if the dvd fails. Which it will and did.

Why ask this question when you are obviously planning to continue to use the stick-on labels? Are you waiting for some one to reassure you that your disc failure problem is an isolated case? It is not. It is a well known fact that stick-on labels ruin discs and I also know this from experience.

Hub printable media cost about $0.40 a disc at most. Here is a deal for .27 each disc Taiyo Yuden 4x injet hub printable 100 pack

Taiyo Yuden are considered the best media you can buy.

Printer cost under $100 with rebate. Epson or canon(with eprom hack)

So for a total cost of about $.50 a disc, you get very professional looking DVD and they will last.

Your initial costs will be more but in the long run it is worth it, trust me. I was in your same position a couple of years ago until someone set me straight. Now I can't believe I ever used stick-on labels.


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Originally posted by: THX
Zion, I'm about to do the same - where are you getting your disc art from?

Well, I initially started out trying to track down all the "official" labels for each set. But I soon realized that not all sets had labels, and not all labels included the set name. The latter is crucial for someone like me who isn't going to be printing any covers. I'm keeping all my DVDs in a 300-disc zip wallet, and I need to be able to flip through, locate the set I'm looking for, and then locate the title. So I came up with my own labels:

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/1858/anhlabelzion9uv.jpghttp://img158.imageshack.us/img158/511/esblabelzion9jq.jpghttp://img529.imageshack.us/img529/759/rotjlabelzion3hu.jpg

With these templates, all I do is change the name and add the appropriate logos to the bottom (PCM, Letterbox, etc.). I don't have to guess which set is which, and I can quickly find what I'm looking for.

My Projects:
[Holiday Special Hybrid DVD v2]
[X0 Project]
[Backstroke of the West DVD]
[ROTS Theatrical DVD]

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Yes, I'm also at the stage of disc art only - I've just got too many discs to have covers and cases for all of them. I was planning to use exactly the same system as you are using - already made my templates (using the same posters you chose!), the only difference being I don't include the movie's title logo. What I didn't have planned is the optional format logos, which is a great idea. Did you scan yours or are they downloadable somewhere?
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I found them in various places. Some I found on Google image search, while others have just been on my computer for so long I can't remember where I got them. The channel diagram I created myself with simple vector shapes. I'm thinking of adding DVD9/DVD5 logos as well as PAL/NTSC logos so I know which versions I have. (ADM & Citizen have released different versions of their DVDs, among others.)

My Projects:
[Holiday Special Hybrid DVD v2]
[X0 Project]
[Backstroke of the West DVD]
[ROTS Theatrical DVD]

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Originally posted by: weapon
Originally posted by: scalesojustice


yeah, but stick on labels are $16...


Actually they cost way more if the dvd fails. Which it will and did.

Why ask this question when you are obviously planning to continue to use the stick-on labels? Are you waiting for some one to reassure you that your disc failure problem is an isolated case? It is not. It is a well known fact that stick-on labels ruin discs and I also know this from experience.

Hub printable media cost about $0.40 a disc at most. Here is a deal for .27 each disc Taiyo Yuden 4x injet hub printable 100 pack

Taiyo Yuden are considered the best media you can buy.

Printer cost under $100 with rebate. Epson or canon(with eprom hack)

So for a total cost of about $.50 a disc, you get very professional looking DVD and they will last.

Your initial costs will be more but in the long run it is worth it, trust me. I was in your same position a couple of years ago until someone set me straight. Now I can't believe I ever used stick-on labels.



Thanks for the suggestions, i actually was just making a slight joke about the $16 thing. the other thing is that when i made my brother's set i put sticky labels on his and he has watched all his dvds and said they work fine with no problems. Yet, i had major complications.

i'm in the market for a new printer anyway, and if printable ones are this in this price range, than who am i to pass up the opportunity. though may i request that i can pm or email you when i am in a position to do so, i am not aware of this "eprom hack," but thanks for the help thus far.
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Zion,would you ever consider making your templates available,that idea of yours is a pretty good one,i like it.
thanks
DJ
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that would be fantastic,i really like your idea,same label just different logos for what ever release,very nice idea,put me down for it when its ready.
thanks Zion
DJ
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Originally posted by: MoveAlong
Well, a while back I posted a sort of tutorial with pictures of the results of spraying discs. I can't seem to find it anymore. Anyway, it is possible to get the spray on the data side if you use too much spray. However, I think common sense would kick in with most people before it reached that point. You're not looking to pool the spray on the disc, just several light passes to give thin, light, and even coverage. I always spray my discs on top of non-glossy newspaper (outside for ventilation, too). It absorbs some of the overspray. I've probably sprayed 500 discs and never had a problem. They look SO much better.

Here is the thread for that excellent tutorial.
where have i been all this time ?
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The only step I haven't completed is making a tray. I've been having some difficulties with that
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I bought a tray. It makes the process a lot easier.
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The latter is crucial for someone like me who isn't going to be printing any covers. I'm keeping all my DVDs in a 300-disc zip wallet, and I need to be able to flip through, locate the set I'm looking for, and then locate the title. So I came up with my own labels


Does keeping dvds in a wallet as opposed to cases more likely to cause damage to the discs (ie warping)? I am probably making this up but I thought that I heard this somewhere.