A Guide to Thermal Inkjet Printers for CDs and DVDs

You can tell instantly what is on a CD or DVD just by looking at it when you use a thermal printer. Whether labeling a disc of personal videos or putting your brand on a batch on a music CDs you just created, these printers use heat to apply any image you want onto the face of a disc.

How long does the process take?

It depends on the printer that you choose. Some products are designed for high volume and can place a design on a CD or DVD in a few seconds. Printers for personal use may take up to a few minutes to complete the process. In addition, just like a paper printer, thermal printers take more time to print an intricate design or photograph than a simple image or text.

What types of designs can they print?

The control you have over the type of image you can create will vary depending on what model of thermal printer you choose. Some printers are designed to print images with an extremely high degree of accuracy. You can usually create whatever text you want in a variety of fonts combined with other artistic elements. Higher-end machines enable you to incorporate a photograph or other detailed artwork onto the label of your music discs and films.

Thermal printers also vary in the precision of color they apply. Be sure to check the color capability of the model you choose as well as the maximum resolution. Some printers have you install multiple types of ink cartridges, which give you more color options as well as truer-to-life image quality.

What does a thermal printer look like?

Thermal printers vary in size. However, they are typically fairly compact. In most cases, they are around the size of an ordinary computer. They also have a shape that is similar to a desktop computer. In addition, there are different color options that you can choose from.

What types of thermal printers are there?

There are two main types of this kind of printer available. The first type is the traditional thermal printer, and the other kind is a photo realistic retransfer printer. Photo realistic retransfer printers are designed to create highly detailed images, and the color output would be similar to what you see on your computer screen. Think about what kind of image you want to be able to print when making your decision.

Can these be connected to a computer?

It can be easy to connect either type of device to a computer, and the devices are designed to be compatible with many different types of operating systems. This often allows you to use graphic design software programs to create the imagery and/or label for your CD. Here are some operating systems that are compatible with the products:

  • Windows
  • Macintosh
  • Linux