A Look At CD Packaging Technology

An industry that is going through the roof involving CDs, DVDs, Mini DVDs and the likes has to rely on marketing, packaging and presentation for continuing at the top, in today’s competitive business world. The current CD Printing technologies need to be acknowledged for keeping so many businesses alive and growing.

CD Printing can be done by one of four methods - thermal transfer printing, inkjet printing, screen printing and offset litho printing.

Thermal transfer technology employs printers having horizontal array. For the purpose, wax ribbons need to be dissolved to use as ink.

Modified inkjet printers are used by many CD & DVD printing service companies. These are known to produce impressive and sharp color printing. Digital technology is employed in this method.

Packaging of discs involves multiple processes that could include anything from CD printing, labeling and encasing in a box. The jewel boxes can hold single and multiple discs. There was a time when the printed matters accompanying a disc could be in form of box size foldable paper and or affixed on one side of the disc – the non-data side. Those used to be labels printed separately utilizing technologies like offset printing, silkscreen printing, thermal technologies etc.

They used to make a loss when the labels failed to be placed on the disc with precision. Many of such discs would be trashed by the manufacturer’s quality department. Some would still make it to the customers. While playing such discs, the heat would peel it off, and probably damage the player.

Enter the monochromatic thermal printing technology combined with inkjet printers. This improved the conditions greatly wherein the discs got the matters printed sans the paper part. The limitation here was that thermal printing is good only for forming the basic text and graphics in monotone including black. This technology has become a preferred choice for those wanting to start the business on a shoestring budget. Here the speed is very good for creating labels while using low-cost ink cartridges. The ink used here is indelible. It produces photographs with a resolution of approximately 300 to 600 dots per inch, giving realistic images. With good maintenance measures, such printers are capable of printing up to 120 discs per hour. The costs are minimal. The labels dry immediately - in as little as 7 seconds; impressions do not fade, are waterproof and is able to withstand extreme weathers.

Other printers are equipped to deal with multi-colour cartridges; these produce lot more lively image labels.

For bulk printing needs, one can choose from variety of automated printers. These printers provide all the features of older printer together with features that save time and human supervision. Some of the innovative features include quick expose, reductions and enlargements.

One of the more recent solutions lies in HP’s LightScribe that offers Direct Disc labeling technology. This is the answer to professional quality disc printing and disc labeling.

This has been a rage and the technology has caught up sooner than expected. This is available globally with dealers dealing with HP products. Nearly all optical disc drives manufacturers have incorporated the LightScribe technology into their products such as Moser Baer, Nero, CMC Magnetics Corp, Mitsubishi, Cyber Link Corp and many more. The key features of this technology are enumerated here:

It increases labeling speed incredibly

These are compatible with faster media with an existing LightScribe-enabled drive

An even combination of creativity and embedded convenience

Silkscreen quality

Grants at-hand freedom for combining complex text designs and graphics

The procedure involves burning the data side just as any other disc. Next the same laser that was used for burning the data is used to burn a label in a precise and gleaming manner after flipping the disc over.

What you get is a precisely-controlled light energy delivered by the laser that prints following a circular writing system. The printing is done by incorporating a visible chemical change in the dye coating.

What you do not need here is – you got it – a printer! This means no adhesive labeling and no markers.