Some approaches to labeling a DVD disc include
- writing directly on disc with permanent ink marker
- creating a paper label (with adhesive backing) and applying the label to disc
- creating a LightScribe label using LightScribe technology and a burner that supports LightScribe burning it to a special LightScribe CD/DVD disc
- creating a print on label and printing it to a special coated CD/DVD using a printer that supports CD/DVD labeling
For the Premiere Elements user, it is the Elements Organizer* that comes with Premiere Elements that has the Create Menu/"CD/DVD Label" option, and use of that option requires the Photoshop Elements Editor workspace. In the Photoshop Elements Editor workspace the feature has only Sizes/Print locally/4.75 x 4.75 inches, Themes/Basic, and Layouts/One Photo, Three Photos, or Two Photos. See Figure 1 in which the Two Photos layout was used.
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| Figure 1. Photoshop Elements Editor CD/DVD Label Creation Workspace With Work Completed And Label Ready For Decision On How To Apply Label To Disc. |
The actual disc labeling is done outside of Elements, and the save format of the label created in Elements will depend on the requirements of the technology being used to apply the label to the disc. In this regard, saving the Photoshop Elements Editor workspace created label was done there using the JPEG format via File Menu/Save for Web**. This same JPEG was the source medium in each of the methods described below.
ISSUE
It was decided to share some of the challenges encountered and results obtained in applying the Photoshop Elements Editor workspace CD/DVD Label Creation to a CD or DVD disc.
METHODS***
Creating LightScribe label using LightScribe technology and a burner that supports LightScribe burning it to a special LightScribe CD/DVD disc
In about 2013, HP (Hewlett-Packard) discontinued LightScribe which it created. Read more about the technology and its status HERE and HERE.
How I got this technology to work for me.
I have two burners that support LightScribe - the LG BH12LS35 and the HP DVD Writer 1270t.
The software that I use for this task comes from the Nero Cover Designer**** Essentials application that came with the HP DVD Writer 1270t. This software would no longer recognize the LG and HP burners as LightScribe. The solution for this issue was to update the LightScribe System Software HERE (See Section there titled Free Software/The LightScribe System Software/Updating Older Versions/Version 1.18.27.10).
See Figure 2 for the Nero Cover Designer "Best" Preview prior to starting the LightScribe process in the HP DVD Writer 1270t. The LightScribe disc used was LightScribe HP CD-R 52X. A scan of the finished LightScribe disc is not shown since the scan was poor due to glares generated by the scan light hitting the inner circle of the disc during the scan process; consequently, Figure 2 shows the Nero Cover Designer "Best" Preview instead of a scanned image of the finished LightScribe disc.
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| Figure 2. Nero Cover Designer "Best" LightScribe Disc Preview Prior To Starting The LightScribe Process In The HP DVD Writer 1270t. |
Creating a print on label and printing it to a special coated CD/DVD using a printer that supports CD/DVD labeling
How I got this technology to work for me.
I have two printers which feature printing CD/DVD label on CD/DVD disc. They are a recently purchased Epson Expression Premium XP-6000 with its "Print CD" application and an older HP Photosmart D7560 with its "HP Photosmart Essential 3.5" application.
For this task, I used the Epson printer with its "Print CD" application. The print on DVD disc was from Verbatim "Printable DVD-R". The Epson's supported formats for the label to be used are Bitmap files (*.BMP), JPEG files (*JPEG), TIFF files (*.TIF), Windows Metafiles (*wmf, .emf), PNG (*.PNG). It notes that, "For TIFF files, only files saved with LZW compression are supported."
Figure 3 is a scan of the DVD print on label result.
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| Figure 3. DVD Disc With Label Printed On With Epson Expression Premium XP-6000 And Its "Print CD" Application. (Scan Of The Finished Labeled Disc Was Used To Demonstrate The Result In This Figure.) |
Creating a paper label (with adhesive backing) and applying the label to disc
How I go this technology to work for me.
Again, the Photoshop Elements Editor workspace created CD/DVD label was the label design source in a workflow which included:
- Nero Cover Designer 2018 software, version 19.1.1011 (free download from Nero obtained from HERE).
- Printer, the Epson Expression Premium XP-6000 with a paper source of Fellowe's Neato CD Label 2 UP (Letter) templates.
- Pealing printed paper label from Neato sheet and pasting the printed paper label on CD or DVD using the tool in the Fellowes Neato CD/DVD Labeling System kit.
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| Figure 4. Neato Sheet With Labels Printed Using (TOP) Epson Expression Premium XP-6000 Printer And (Bottom) HP Photosmart D7560 Printer. View Is Just Before Pealing Label From Sheet And Pasting It To CD Or DVD. |
COMMENTARY*****
There are many more variables to be explored within a method and from method to method before pointing to one method or another as best. My initial impression is that the better way to go is with creating a print on label and printing it to a special coated CD/DVD using a printer that supports CD/DVD labeling. Paper paste on labels appear to excel in visual quality, but have the down side of potential damage to the disc player. The LightScribe tonal effects can have their moments for the right time and place. In this work, the LightScribe preview (set for Best) looked better than LightScribe image on the CD disc.
And, there is the concern about DVD and its related matters becoming obsolete moving forward. But, for now, I continue to use CD/DVD discs and label them to look the best possible.
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*Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements each comes with an Elements Organizer. When both are on the same computer, they share the same Elements Organizer.
**Use of Save or Save As" gave choice of PSE (Photo Project Format) or PDF, PDP (Acrobat PDF). Use of "Export Creations"did offer format choices of JPEG, TIFF, or PDF for a save to hard drive location of choice.
***I am not affiliated in anyway with the products mentioned in this work. The information here is provided for informational (not promotional) purposes only. I am citing what worked or did not work for me.
****There is a free standalone Nero Cover Designer download from the Nero web site, but I cannot get that to work for LightScribe. See HERE under Free Nero Tools/Nero Cover Designer.
*****Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 bit was used.
ATR
