Masking Tape Acceptable as DVD Label?

I often put masking tape on the non-recordable side of personal-use
discs I've burned, and use a ball-point to mark the masking tape with a
description of the disc contents. Is this acceptable, or might it be
harmful in some way to either the disc or a player? Thanks.

nucolso@yahoo.com

<> wrote

> I often put masking tape on the non-recordable side of personal-use
> discs I've burned, and use a ball-point to mark the masking tape with a
> description of the disc contents. Is this acceptable, or might it be
> harmful in some way to either the disc or a player?

It is not acceptable. Use the special CD/DVD marker pens sold for the
purpose to write directly on the disk.

John Howells

"John Howells" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> <> wrote
>
>> I often put masking tape on the non-recordable side of personal-use
>> discs I've burned, and use a ball-point to mark the masking tape with a
>> description of the disc contents. Is this acceptable, or might it be
>> harmful in some way to either the disc or a player?
>
> It is not acceptable. Use the special CD/DVD marker pens sold for the
> purpose to write directly on the disk.

Good Lord. Masking tape will destory whatever disc it's stuck to..why would
anyone do that?

John Howells wrote:
> <> wrote
>
>
>>I often put masking tape on the non-recordable side of personal-use
>>discs I've burned, and use a ball-point to mark the masking tape with a
>>description of the disc contents. Is this acceptable, or might it be
>>harmful in some way to either the disc or a player?
>
>
> It is not acceptable. Use the special CD/DVD marker pens sold for the
> purpose to write directly on the disk.
>
> John Howells
>
>

Not to sound ignorant, but why a special marker pen? Can't you just use
a sharpie? I've used a sharpie on my CDs for ages and haven't had any
problems.

On Wed, 28 Dec 2005 22:23:58 GMT, "Large Farva" <> Gave
us:

>
>"John Howells" <> wrote in message
>news:...
>>
>> <> wrote
>>
>>> I often put masking tape on the non-recordable side of personal-use
>>> discs I've burned, and use a ball-point to mark the masking tape with a
>>> description of the disc contents. Is this acceptable, or might it be
>>> harmful in some way to either the disc or a player?
>>
>> It is not acceptable. Use the special CD/DVD marker pens sold for the
>> purpose to write directly on the disk.
>
>Good Lord. Masking tape will destory whatever disc it's stuck to..why would
>anyone do that?

It has nothing to do with the destruction of the disc (unless one
tries to remove it).

What it does do is throw off the balance of the disc so bad that it
will eventually damage the drive mechanism of the player.

The read/write surface of the disc is a flat plastic read through
cover for the polymer layer that gets impinged upon (read burned) by
the write laser. The problem with damaging the top side of a burnable
disc is that the polymer layer is just below the surface of the top
side, and can get very easily screwed up by ball point pens, tape, a
fingernail, or any other thing that can transfer surface pressure form
whatever implement through to the polymer write layer, causing damage
and or data loss.

Almost ANY SOFT TIP "magic marker" type device is safe for them.
Perhaps the most generic type discs out there with a mere silk screen
overlay on the top side is the most susceptible.

A printed (read printable) disc does not get thrown off balance
enough by the jet printer ink weight to be problematic for the drive
mechanism.

On Wed, 28 Dec 2005 22:59:19 -0500, Nelly <> Gave
us:

>John Howells wrote:
>> <> wrote
>>
>>
>>>I often put masking tape on the non-recordable side of personal-use
>>>discs I've burned, and use a ball-point to mark the masking tape with a
>>>description of the disc contents. Is this acceptable, or might it be
>>>harmful in some way to either the disc or a player?
>>
>>
>> It is not acceptable. Use the special CD/DVD marker pens sold for the
>> purpose to write directly on the disk.
>>
>> John Howells
>>
>>
>
>Not to sound ignorant, but why a special marker pen? Can't you just use
>a sharpie? I've used a sharpie on my CDs for ages and haven't had any
>problems.

It isn't a problem.

On Wed, 28 Dec 2005 21:52:21 -0000, "John Howells"
<> wrote:

>Use the special CD/DVD marker pens sold for the
>purpose to write directly on the disk.

Or stop by an office supply store and get the Sharpie Permanent
Marker. I prefer the Ultra Fine Point.

You can remove the ink from certain kinds of DVDs, like silver
lacquer, with acetone, but be careful because it will dissolve the
plastic if overused. You can get acetone by the gallon at paint
stores.



--

Merry Christmas!

http://www.illwillpress.com/xmas.html

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 13:54:55 GMT, (Bob) Gave us:

>On Wed, 28 Dec 2005 21:52:21 -0000, "John Howells"
><> wrote:
>
>>Use the special CD/DVD marker pens sold for the
>>purpose to write directly on the disk.
>
>Or stop by an office supply store and get the Sharpie Permanent
>Marker. I prefer the Ultra Fine Point.
>
>You can remove the ink from certain kinds of DVDs, like silver
>lacquer, with acetone, but be careful because it will dissolve the
>plastic if overused.

You are a friggin idiot for that one (don't take it too hard). Is
that a troll? (you're kidding right?) One should NOT use a SOLVENT
that attacks plastic in any way shape or form. That is the WORST
advice I have ever seen!

> You can get acetone by the gallon at paint
>stores.

You can buy it by the pint at the home store of your choice, but you
STILL should NOT use it on an optical disc, let alone a recordable
version, which has the polymer layer only a few thousandths of an inch
below the TOP surface!

DUDE, technical advice is something you should stay away from.
At least in this arena.

Must be those Mexican grass clippings getting in your lungs. :-]

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 17:15:17 GMT, Roy L. Fuchs
<> wrote:

> You are a friggin idiot for that one (don't take it too hard). Is
>that a troll? (you're kidding right?) One should NOT use a SOLVENT
>that attacks plastic in any way shape or form. That is the WORST
>advice I have ever seen!

I have done it on RW discs successfully.

>> You can get acetone by the gallon at paint
>>stores.

> You can buy it by the pint at the home store of your choice, but you
>STILL should NOT use it on an optical disc, let alone a recordable
>version, which has the polymer layer only a few thousandths of an inch
>below the TOP surface!

I would like to see a bonafide reference to back up that claim.

> DUDE, technical advice is something you should stay away from.
>At least in this arena.

Are you sure that it is not you who needs to do some homework on thsi
issue.

> Must be those Mexican grass clippings getting in your lungs. :-]

You are overreacting.

If what you say is true, then printing on a DVD disc would ruin it.

But we know that is not true.

--

Merry Christmas!

http://www.illwillpress.com/xmas.html

Roy L. Fuchs () wrote in alt.video.dvd:
> On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 13:54:55 GMT, (Bob) Gave us:
> >You can remove the ink from certain kinds of DVDs, like silver
> >lacquer, with acetone, but be careful because it will dissolve the
> >plastic if overused.
>
> You are a friggin idiot for that one (don't take it too hard). Is
> that a troll? (you're kidding right?) One should NOT use a SOLVENT
> that attacks plastic in any way shape or form. That is the WORST
> advice I have ever seen!

Indeed, especially when rubbing alcohol will remove the ink from a Sharpie
with no effect on the plastic at all. Based on other posts, I suspect that
"Bob" might be a little loopy from sniffing all that acetone.

--
Jeff Rife |
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