These days many inkjet printers have the ability to print to CDs or DVDs. There might seem to be a small market for a device that makes this its sole capability.
Well, perhaps there is - but Curly is here to tell you that the Dymo DiscPainter is a particularly fine device. Taking up little more desk space than a large paperback book, the fact that it is a dedicated device actually encourages its use.
Many inkjet printers can print to CDs or DVDs, but you need to be pretty keen to make use of the facility. It often means changing the tray and making various other adjustments to the printer. Quite honestly, after trying it once it was just too much hassle. It also took a while for the printer to do a single disc, which then took ages to dry. And the ink hangs in your fur for days...
The Dymo makes the whole process as easy as dropping the disc into the device and selecting "Print" from the Dymo DiscPainter software. The software is a cut down version of Discus by Magic Mouse. Discus has a rather quirky interface, but there is no question that it produces very fine output, once you get the hang of it. It comes with a lot of background designs, but you can use pictures from other software or your own photos as you like. It has a selection of very nice little symbols that help give a professional touch to your output. The full version also lets you do things such as create jewel and DVD case inserts - with templates for a wide variety of different papers. Installing the DiscPainter version of the software also installs the drivers for the printer, so you'll need to do this even if you have the full version of Discus to ensure that it can see the printer.
The DiscPainter takes a dedicated ink cartridge (just the one). They provide one with the DiscPainter, as well as a USB cable and a little power brick. You also get three blank printable discs - which give a lovely glossy finish. The ink cartridge fits into the back of the unit. The CD or DVD goes in the front and is then drawn back to print. You can see the disc spin and it moves forward as the ink is laid down from the centre outwards. It is actually quite captivating to watch! You don't get long to watch though as even at high quality it takes just one minute to get your finished disc.
The Discus software has various print settings that you can vary according to the disc type - these cover the amount of ink put down (ink density), the limits of printing (inner and outer diameters) and a print quality setting.
Now, you might be tempted to think that the "draft" or "normal" quality settings might need to be used, but unless you are in an incredible hurry to get your disc out you don't need to. As noted above, the high quality setting is so quick that it really is worth using. The difference in output from the normal setting is subtle, but worth the extra few seconds.
Discus recommend using Taiyo Yuden's WaterShield discs - which give a beautifully glossy finish. Be sure to tune the inner and outer print settings (Curly found it best taking 1mm off the default outer setting and adding 1mm to the default inner setting) to avoid ink being put on to the non-printable parts of the disc as it can then smudge and destroy your work (it drys instantly on the printable areas though). If you prefer a matte finish then they also recommend Imation's Aquaguard discs. Curly has only tried the Taiyo Yuden ones since he likes a glossy finish.
The ink cartridge life will vary according to the coverage of your discs - so it depends on the design as well as the ink density. Essentially, printing on glossy or silver/coloured discs finishes will use more ink. As with a normal inkjet printer, it is best used regularly or the ink nozzles can block. You can run a cleaning routine through the included drivers - which also show the levels of ink remaining.
The Discus software is compatible with Mac OS X 10.3 through to 10.5. On the Windows side, it will work in both XP and Vista, so you should be able to get up and running without a problem. You don't need to stick to Discus though - you can print from a number of other programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign or indeed using QuarkXpress.
Dymo compare the DiscPainter favourably with both inkjets and LightScribe drives. This might strike you as hyperbole - but once you've seen a disc from the DiscPainter, you'll probably agree with them. While it may not be the machine for printing hundreds of discs in the one sitting, for home or small office use it is just the ticket.
The DiscPainter is a lot of fun, and the quality of the printing it produces is startling - especially on the WaterShield discs. It may be an expensive luxury, but it is a very nice one! The device cost Curly GBP245.10 and cartridge refills are GBP29.55.