Getting one of those robotic CD duplicators like the Primera Bravo II is perfect. It cost under $2,000 and prints on the CD as well.

Compatibility with CDs is usually not a problem. It's when you get to Duplicating DVDs that it becomes an issue.

GO to http://www.discmakers.com and check out the duplicators there or http://www.tapeandmedia.com. I buy inkjet CDs and DVDs from them real cheap. I'm not sure where you can get them though.

Thank you for your replay

Another question.

Is there a big quality difference between thermal and Ink-jet printers? Is it possible to do cd layouts with tranpsarency effects like the most of the commercial cds just with Ink-jet printers?

Thanks again

We do a lot of small run CD duplication. We use a Primera Signature Pro inkjet printer and find it to be very good. The problem today is that a lot of clients want very solid backgrounds in very intense colors and they want their CDs to look like the professionally produced CDs that are printed using silk screening. We can come very closed but not perfect. The inkjet still looks somewhat transparent compared to a silk screened CD. The Thermal transfere printers have the same problem only worse.

We looked into doing limited run silk screen printing but found that the equipment is expensive (even used), that it is very messy and that you need a fully equipped darkroom to do the photographic process so it is currently out of the question for us.

We also looked into the all in one printer/copier (Bravo comes to mind) and found that they are good but their thoughput is based on doing all the copying at 52 or 48X which we did not want to do so we opted for the usual "cd tower duplicator" (where we can controll the burn speed) and the Primera Printer and have found them to be a very good investment.

Hope this helps.

HI Thomas

Thank you for help, guys.

@ Thomas
Do you guys print on silver surface Cd´s as well?
A lot of Cds looks like they have a silver-original background with stuff printed just on it.
Anyway, I dont even think people here are so demanding ;)
How long does it take to burn 200 CDS with the towers?And how many of you are sitting in front of ? ;) lol
Isnt possible to slow down the burning process on those high tech
combi duplicators?

Thank you for help

Wojtek

drakem wrote: HI Thomas

Thank you for help, guys.

@ Thomas
Do you guys print on silver surface Cd´s as well?
A lot of Cds looks like they have a silver-original background with stuff printed just on it.
Anyway, I dont even think people here are so demanding ;)
How long does it take to burn 200 CDS with the towers?And how many of you are sitting in front of ? ;) lol
Isnt possible to slow down the burning process on those high tech
combi duplicators?

Thank you for help

Wojtek

Yes we print on both silver and white CDs (Taiyo Udens) The silver looks very good when you are just printing titles or minimalist graphics. For full color we use the white backgrounds.

As to the length of time to burn 200 cds. It depends on the length of the CD and the speed we choose. We can do five at a time so normally 200 CDs would mean 40 5 CD cycles. The biggest time waster is taking the burned CDs out and putting the blank ones in but we have become fairly adept at doing it. We also offer insert printing on our Xerox 8400 solid ink printer and shrink wrapping (and yes we have a heat tunnel and sealer on premises)

It is possible to slow down the burning process on our towers (all Plextor CD burners) and I believe it is possible with the all in one printer/burners but the thoughput figures are based on 52 or 48X.

Best of luck in your new endvour.

Cost for getting into CD printing and duplication here in the states was as follows

CD Printer $1400 New

CD duplicator tower $1000 (we built our own) New

Heat Shrink Tunnel $250 Used

Heat sealer $100.00 Used

Xerox printer 8400 DP $2000 New

Adobe Photoshop CS $200 Upgrade

Office computer/Printer host $600.00 New

Your prices may vary.

Hope this helps

Best of luck on your new offering.