Best inks for waterproof CDs

[NOTS3W]

I see that several brands of ink are recommended on this forum. Which is closest to the OEM Canon ink? I print on CDs frequently and use waterproof glossy discs. After printing with the Canon ink, I've placed a printed disc under running water with no ill effect on the image. If I scrub the image with my finger, I can get some blurring but it takes effort. The disc and ink are definitely water resistant. Has anyone used aftermarket inks in that application and had similar results? I'm trying to determine which is the best ink for this purpose as well as regular photo and text printing on paper.

Thanks.

Ray

 

[panos]

PM pharmacist. He has tried pigmented inks on his 6600D with success. (I guess that pigmented inks would have a higher water resistance but considering the printable CD surface I am not certain)

 

[dan_uk_1984]

I think the "waterproofness" depends on the reaction of the ink with the coating on the paper/surface. It may just be a case of experimenting with a few cheap carts untill you get the desired result.

Is the coating on the CD smooth or rough like paper? I get better smudge resistance from the smooth ones, even though I thouught it should be the other way round.

Dan

 

[headphonesman]

use waterproof glossy discs. placed a printed disc under running water with no ill effect on the image. If I scrub the image with my finger, I can get some blurring but it takes effort. The disc and ink are definitely water resistant. Has anyone used aftermarket inks in that application and had similar results? I'm trying to determine which is the best ink for this purpose as well as regular photo and text printing on paper.


Ray

I too have some of these glossy waterproof discs, but as they are expensive I have only printed one as a trial. I have just carried out the same test procedure as you with very similar results.
The only extra points I would make is that I accidentaly scratched the wet surface with a fingernail and the the coating was compromised with a scratch which revealed the base surface . I think the same will happen even if dry. I could not affect the print at all rubbing lightly with my fingertip on the wet surface.
I then tried to dry the surface (with a bathroom towel!) , this made the gloss surface slightly tacky initially and the as it dried very slight surface scratches (caused by the fibres in the towel) were apparent in the high gloss surface (not in the print itself).
I had used Hobbycolor inks in my refills that printed this disc on a MP600..
I have carried out extensive tests on the comparison between the Canon Ink and the Hobbycolor ink , (colorwise, not fading tests), the Hobby is very close......on the MP600 i boost the cyan up to + 10 and the magenta -2 to obtain color rendition which is very close to the Canon original. Other Canon printers may need different color corrections using Hobbycolor or other inks

 

[Smile]

Use a few light coats of hair spray - it will make you cd's waterproof.

 

[brendo1988]

Use a few light coats of hair spray - it will make you cd's waterproof.

That or do what I do and use a clear gloss craft spray. Im pretty sure you can even buy ones specifically for dvd's now.

 

[NOTS3W]

I think the "waterproofness" depends on the reaction of the ink with the coating on the paper/surface. It may just be a case of experimenting with a few cheap carts untill you get the desired result.

Is the coating on the CD smooth or rough like paper? I get better smudge resistance from the smooth ones, even though I thouught it should be the other way round.

Dan

I agree that the surface probably has more to do with the waterproof nature than does teh ink, but I'd hate to find out how wrong I am the hard way. LOL

The coating on the discs I use is smooth.

 

[NOTS3W]

I too have some of these glossy waterproof discs, but as they are expensive

I use Taiyo Yudens that cost about $0.75 per disc (single layer DVD) and Moser Baers that cost about $0.64 each. Double layer discs do get a lot more expensive. The TY are supposed to be scratch resistant, but I haven't tested that. I'll take their word for it.

I'll keep in mind the color adjustments once I refill some carts. I was planning to try Hobbycolors anyway.

 

[NOTS3W]

The only problems I can see with the sprays is that it's an additional step and more trouble for a single burn here and there. That, and I imagine there's at least some risk of overspray (at least the mist) getting on the business side of the disc.

I hadn't heard of using hairspray. Won't that dissolve pretty easily if you accidentally drip or spill something on the disc?

 

[jflan]

TY Watershield + Hobbicolors.
TY Watershield Silver just released.