The Problems of Ink Jet Printing on CD’s and DVD’s

Dischromatics Limited who are accredited to Quality Standard ISO 9001:2008, Reveals some Printing malpractices that are taking place in the UK

Many companies who provide CD & DVD Duplication and Printing are now effectively ‘CHEATING’ their customers! They are unfortunately only completing part of the printing process with regards to the ink-jet printing process.

When ink-jet printing is applied to standard CD’s or DVD’s whereby ink is sprayed directly onto the disc surface, it is essential that afterwards, the printed disc is coated with a protective UV curable lacquer, or it is liable to be unstable from moisture deposits, scratching or smudging.

It is almost impossible to complete this process manually and therefore a bespoke Lacquer Coating machine is essential. This additional application naturally increases the unit cost considerably due not only to the specialised machine and cost of coating materials but also the extra labour input required.

Because of the ‘extra’ costs incurred by the lacquer coating being properly and professionally applied in a controlled environment, with Health & Safety rules in place to safeguard the operator due to the fumes involved, some companies are ignoring their responsibility by completely eliminating the lacquering application, which in some ways is the most important part of the printing processes. Their customers will receive a sub-standard product which is not fit for purpose.

A simple test to prove or disprove whether a company is complying with the proper methods, is simply to either run your finger nail over the surface which will easily remove the ink or use a damp finger to rub the printed surface which will smudge without effort.

The reason companies are doing this of course is to remain competitive and increase margins. Clearly they are in strong competition with other companies for the same business. However, most customers or end users are not aware of the differences available on the market and therefore place their business with companies who say they can do the work cheaper and at the same quality as any other company which of course is totally down to ‘shady’ practices.

One such company that provides top quality products and is able to print using the ink-jet process is Dischromatics Limited a long established company in the media duplication and printing business. They were established in 1989 and have a long and successful track record in CD, DVD & Blu-ray Replication as well as CD & DVD Duplication.

Dischromatics do not use standard ink-jet discs, they use specially pre-coated CD’s & DVD’s from Taiyo Yuden which are waterproof so that after completion of the printing the ink reacts with the coating sealing the print to a finish which prevents scratching and smudging and any damage from moisture. Taiyo Yuden is the leader in the field of this type of technology.

The added benefit of using these discs is the total elimination of the lacquering stage which further eliminates the necessity to extract any dangerous fumes or exposure to staff as there aren’t any using these Waterproof or Watershield discs as they are called.

This falls perfectly into line with Dischromatics Environmental Management Standard practices as they are also

ISO 14001:2004 accredited.

For further information, please call 01495 243222 or e-mail: [email protected] or go to:

http://www.dischromatics.co.uk/cd-duplication/cd-duplication2/

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