What DVD Printer are you using?

[Kit Hannah]

Was wondering what DVD printer you were using to print on DVDs, how cost effective it is for you, how fast, etc. Are consumables expensive for your printer?

[Joe Allen Rosenberger]

kit, i use the epson R380. i love this printer but the ink carts. are not cheap and you must buy each one separately. the quality is excellent and the printer is a workhorse.

[Victor Kellar]

We're using the Epson R220 .. printer was about 130 bucks Cdn. You can buy a pack of ink, which is about 80 bucks. Yeh, the ink is expensive but we do a lot of intense printing (both labels on the DVDs and covers for slip cases) and get a fair amount out of each pack

Happy with the color, etc of the printer and very easy to use. Also have to credit Epson phone help as they quickly got me out of an early jam

[Chris Barcellos]

I use Epson 220 to. Great printer. Got about 250 disks out of original supplied ink before I started running out of individual tanks.

[Jeff Emery]

I use a Casio CW-50 for thermal printing on regular DVD's. And I use an Epson 220 for inkjet printable disks.

The Casio is very bland but effective. I use it mainly for labeling disks we produce for funeral homes.

Epson replacement ink cartridges can be quite costly. There are replacement ink cartridges on that E*** auction site which are much, much cheaper and, in my opinion, produce comparable results.

Jeff

[Dave Blackhurst]

Just got the sub $100 HP that prints direct to disk - so far pretty happy with it, seems economical on the ink, will have to see over time, but after reading horror stories on the Epsons thirst for high $ ink... decided to try the HP.

A word of warning (lots of complaints about their software when I researched the printer...), their printing "templates" are very limited - you're better to create a "blank" label template in whatever photo program you prefer ( I actually found my old obsolete discontinued Picture Publisher to be pretty effective!).

It's basically two circles, one outside diameter, one for the inner hub so you can make that part of your template white (won't print) - I've fiddled with a "green screen" type approach so I can fill that with white when I get my template done... propably a silly way to do it, but I was fiddling to see what would work...

Anyhow, take your blank template, insert your pictures/text/graphics and get it the way you wnat the disk to look, more or less. Save that file and then use the HP software to insert that in the "create" CD/DVD template - ignore the "insert text here" - the software will, even though it won't let you delete it... print preview, it should look nice, print, and you've got it.

I don't know that this would be good for high volume jobs, but I already got a job lead just from showing my first test DVD's... they look pretty good! And WAY better than dealing with those dang labels...

I was glad to see HP finally release a printer that would print on DVD/CD - had to get the media online, not a single local store stocked any, but it was cheaper that way anyhow. For under $100 (I paid $80), not a bad printer, and it's way faster than my old HP for basic text. Haven't even tried it's photo functions (other than the DVD print which was just 4 color setup, and looked excellent), but it's worth a look!

DB>)

[Glenn Davidson]

I use the Rimage Auto printer.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont....x=0&image.y=0

[Bob Thieda]

Canon IP4200
I think it was right around $100....inks a little high, but they last a long time. Also uses a paper tray for regular printing, very nice.

Technically, due to copyrights, the US model doesn't print on DVDs, but you can get the tray off ebay for under $20, pop of a plastic cover and reset it to european spec...its easy to do and works great.
I think all the printers in the IP series will do this...
If you run a search for Canon DVD tray on e-bay, you'll find the info.

For software I use Acoustica CD Label Maker...nice little program, free trial....$22 to buy.

Bob T.

[Mike Teutsch]

Guys and Gals,

Don't be stupid by buying ink from your your local store or your printer manufacturer! A gallon of HP ink would cost you $4,500.00 and with gas at $3.00 gallon and you are bitching right !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I use an Epson R200 printer to print DVD's and I buy my ink on ebay for $35.00 for 5 complete sets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Each set does 70 to 100 DVD's.

The cartridges I buy fit the R300 R200 R500 RX620 and cost $34.98 for 5 sets of 6 ink cartridges. You can't tell the ink apart!!!!!!! I tested it!

Try "goldenselling2005." They have a 100% rating with 3 negitives out of 14,608 sales.

Check out this link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/30-ink-Cartridge...QQcmdZViewItem


Come on, it is worth a try, Right! Quit getting ripped off. The printer manufactures would pay you to take their printers if you would buy ink from them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:)

Mike

[Kit Hannah]

I'm thinking about buying one of these - does anybody have any experience with the ALEA stuff?

http://www.cddvdking.com/index.asp?P...OD&ProdID=1146

They claim that the cost per full color disc is .02 cents, where as the rimage, epson, microboards, etc. stuff is in the 20 to 40 cent range per disc... It's automated as well and seems like it would do a good job, but it would be nice to be sure before I drop almost $5k on it...

[Mike Teutsch]

Originally Posted by Kit Hannah

I'm thinking about buying one of these - does anybody have any experience with the ALEA stuff?

http://www.cddvdking.com/index.asp?P...OD&ProdID=1146

They claim that the cost per full color disc is .02 cents, where as the rimage, epson, microboards, etc. stuff is in the 20 to 40 cent range per disc... It's automated as well and seems like it would do a good job, but it would be nice to be sure before I drop almost $5k on it...

Near as my calulator goes that is after the first 224,750 disks at .02 as that is what the machine costs add in.

At that price, have a commercial DVD manufacturer print your order!!!!

Mike

[Tim OBrien]

I've been using an Epson R200 for nearly 2 years now with absolutely ZERO problems.

I use 3rd-party ink cartridges ($16/set) and Taiyo-Yuden (35cents ea) or Phillips (25cents ea) inkjet-printable DVDs from www.supermediastore.com

[Mike Teutsch]

Originally Posted by Tim OBrien

I've been using an Epson R200 for nearly 2 years now with absolutely ZERO problems.

I use 3rd-party ink cartridges ($16/set) and Taiyo-Yuden (35cents ea) or Phillips (25cents ea) inkjet-printable DVDs from www.supermediastore.com

The only issues I have heard of with the Epson's is in feeding the DVD's or the so called "Epson Push/Pull!" If you do have these problems, check this thread!!!!!!

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=86500

The printers are practically free and the ink is cheap.

Mike

[Kit Hannah]

Originally Posted by Mike Teutsch

Near as my calulator goes that is after the first 224,750 disks at .02 as that is what the machine costs add in.

At that price, have a commercial DVD manufacturer print your order!!!!

Mike

hrmm...I think your math is WAY off... you must have a bad calculator....

Lets assume that your Epson R-Series Printer costs $100 and $.60 per disc print (full coverage, 100 Discs @ $60 for ink).

The Alea systems printer costs $4500 and $.02 per disc print.

If you printed 10,000 discs on each this is what it would cost you:


Epson: $100 + $6000 (.60 x 10,000) = $6100
Alea: $4500 + $200 (.02 x 10,000) = $4700

Hrmmm..... The Alea will do 10,000 prints in about a week, only reloading every 3-4 hours. The Epson would take months with somebody constantly changing discs.

The Epsons print nicely (we have a few of them), but are not cost effective for larger runs.

It is not usually cost effective to do lower quantity disc runs with duplicators. We do a ton of projects that are in the 100 - 600 disc range and need a solution for ourselves - plus we don't want to wait an extra 2 weeks to have the discs.

[Mike Teutsch]

Originally Posted by Kit Hannah

hrmm...I think your math is WAY off... you must have a bad calculator....

Lets assume that your Epson R-Series Printer costs $100 and $.60 per disc print (full coverage, 100 Discs @ $60 for ink).

The Alea systems printer costs $4500 and $.02 per disc print.

If you printed 10,000 discs on each this is what it would cost you:


Epson: $100 + $6000 (.60 x 10,000) = $6100
Alea: $4500 + $200 (.02 x 10,000) = $4700

Hrmmm..... The Alea will do 10,000 prints in about a week, only reloading every 3-4 hours. The Epson would take months with somebody constantly changing discs.

The Epsons print nicely (we have a few of them), but are not cost effective for larger runs.

It is not usually cost effective to do lower quantity disc runs with duplicators. We do a ton of projects that are in the 100 - 600 disc range and need a solution for ourselves - plus we don't want to wait an extra 2 weeks to have the discs.

You previously listed the per disk cost of the Epson style printers at 20 to 40 cents per disk and now you jump them to 60 cents for your last explanation! Why not just make it 1.00/disk. My experiance is more like .06 per disk with a printer that cost me $60.00.

So at .06 Vs .02 your printer would save you .04/disk, or your savings would not start until you had printed aprox. 112,375 disks. Not counting your labor of course!

If you actually do thousands, "tons," of projects at 100 to 600 disks per project, then maybe that printer would save you a bunch. So go for it!!

If you are talking to the rest of us regular users here, you might want to explain your circumstances before you ask what we use to print DVD's? I doubt many, if any, of us here will do 100,000 dvd's in our lifetimes. And, those that do will use a pro house to do them.

So start from the beginning and restate your question with the caveat of hundreds of thousand of disks thrown in. I know my answer would be differant!

I officially withdraw my suggestion of using the Epson style printer! How about the rest of you?

:)

Mike