Tips for Buying an Epson CD/DVD Printer
Your home movies and favorite songs deserve a fitting label. Instead of using a permanent marker or a sticker to mark your discs, print directly on them with an Epson printer thats designed for use with CDs and DVDs.
What materials can these devices print on?Epson CD and DVD printers can print right on the surface of a disc, and no label is required. These units are not just for printing on DVDs, however. You can also use these versatile computer accessories to apply text or images to a variety of printable materials, such as standard paper. This includes photo paper, and the unit may have a special tray to accommodate this material.
What ink is used in an Epson CD printer?Most Epson printers use inkjet ink for printing on paper or other media. Instead of a basic two-cartridge setup, many use as many as five or six cartridges. This allows you to replace the cartridges one at a time as a color runs out. In an Epson printer that takes five cartridges, the lineup of ink shades includes magenta, cyan, yellow, black, and a special black for photo printing.
What features should you look for in a replacement printer?Epson makes a variety of CD/DVD printers. Considering your printing needs can help you determine which features your Epson device should have:
- Wireless capabilities: With a wireless device, you do not have to use a cable to hook up your computer each time that you want to print something. You may also be able to print from a phone or tablet.
- Dedicated disc trays: Some CD printers have a special slot in which to place this media. It slides into the unit before printing and slides out again after the image has been applied.
- Paper tray size: Devices with larger paper trays can hold more sheets so you dont have to refill them as often.
- Dots per inch: Dots per inch (dpi) is a measure of image resolution. The higher the dpi is, the crisper and clearer your printed materials will be.
- Borderless printing: With a device that can reach all the way to edge of the paper, you can print full-size photos. This allows you to replicate the look of lab-printed photographs.
- SD slot: Some printers accept memory cards so you can print photos directly from the card to your medium of choice.
- Computer compatibility: A compatible computer operating system is a must so that the computer will work with the units proprietary software and drivers. These allow you to install the device, design printable images, and send documents to the Epson printer.
- Two-sided printing: Some models are able to print on both sides of the paper automatically.