I like this printer too, but wow, you have to admit that you have to jump through hoops to get above average results with it. To me it’s just too expensive and too much of a hassle.

BTW, the macro image that I submitted was printed on one of the included CDs… so it is one of DYMO’s recommended brands )

Here’s hoping that they can solve these issues with a new model soon.

Sorry this got a bit Long but I just love this printer,

I have a few of these, and I discovered this last year where I played with this for over an hour at the PDN Photo EXPO in NYC on 10-18-2007. I first did a double take on this item because it Prints the image as it SPINS! The CD/DVD as it would do as it plays tracking Inside-> Out. The Image is Unbelievable that it lays down on any InkJet Printable CD or DVD White, Clear, Matte, Gloss, and it will use any make of printable CD/DVD, so you’re not locked into any special brand of printable disc. I did find out that you will have better results with the CD or DVD brands they recommend on their site when it comes to getting rid of the banding you are seeing. I was the first person to get one of these following last years Photo Expo in NYC Oct 18, 2007 (I Can’t Wait for this years at the end of October, Got my Special Press Gold Pass this year.) OOPS sorry, I really love that show next to a MacWorld

My first one got was released prior to the official release date, so when i called the company about Ink lay down problems, they were quite surprised that I had this at all, and were caught off guard with a list of concerns I had at that time. The Head of Support, VP, and Senior Development Staff all got on a conference call with me to go over my list of concerns. Now that’s what I call SUPPORT, they were terrific in helping me through the issues I was having with some banding. They did some testing with me on the phone, and went and just replaced my whole unit with a new one at no charge to me at all. they also covered the shipping back to them as you would expect, but not always get. After a lot of messing around with the new unit, it turned out that all the problems were related to a bad ink cartridge – figures! This was so new, and the maker of this new type of ink cartridge was making this for just the DiscPainter exclusively. You can find the Dymo #11 – 3 Color Cartridge (CMY) online if you do some digging for $31.95 under part number 1738252.

Julie, the streaking you are seeing is related to the Cartridge. You should try several cycles of the Head cleaning options. I start with Light, then Medimum, and then Deep Cleaning option all in a row. Then do a Print test for the heads, don’t be put off if there is major streaks in the print pattern as this is normal I found. You will make yourself nuts trying to get it to look like a solid as if it was a linear printer. Just make sure you have a color output of C, M, Y, Blocks out on the CD or DVD. Make sure you have a few CD’s sitting around to do a Print head check on each time you need to do this, you can use the same CD over and over for a Print Head Test because 1 CD will Track from the center out to the edge with each test – So you get 5 Tests per Disc, and its better to be a printable cheap CD verse a Printable DVD, RIGHT? ( That’s Smart! ), Another Item I found is if the printer sits for several weeks at a time between prints you will have a problem with the nozzles all clogging up, then having you do all the things you’re told never to do like wiping the heads with alcohol, drawing ink through the head with a little mouth vacuum Yuck!

If you do compare it to an Epson printer ( I have a couple, and the R200 has the Disc Tray options ) And it does do a rather nice job over all, and about the same if not a little better in the Print Quality over the DiscPainter. BUT!!! You will almost always have to play the game of crazy MM and CM XY, 0.0 adjustments to get it to line up on just one Disc in a Tray. It never fails that you get the little thin moon crescent white of the label poking out at the center HUB or outer ring, and or both. This is a Complete Impossibility on the Dymo DiscPainter, because you pick the starting point ( CENTER ) See that was Easy! Then you Pick the outer Disc Size of 118mm, and then Print – Drop the Disc in, and watch the Magic!

I’s be happy to show some of my Disc Prints if anyone would like to see a full macro of the Print Area up close, I’d be happy to post them somewhere. As far as the color output goes. I went a took some time to print a test target on several Gloss CD’s, and read them into my Color Calibration software to set up some color curves. I know this is just Nuts! but after a lot of curve tweaking, I pulled this off, and the colors look stellar! This was a bit hard to pull off because the ink for this is just 3 colors, so not having the “REAL” Black did present a little bit of a challenge. An Important note too, I’m laying down 90% color on each Disc at the Best, High, Gloss setting on each. I’ve been getting over 166 CD/DVD’s from one Ink Cartridge. This is well above the estimate of 100 as published. I just need to figure out how to refill the ink cartridge, and soon. Or find a Compatible Cartridge that’s less then the $32.00 to $40.00 or so price now.

If you do some of the math on the end cost you might find it a little bit of a turn off, but by the second Ink Cartridge you will see a dramatic cost reduction per Disc. I have Disc’s that rival 4 color process, and thermal printing on CD and DVD’s from this unit verse paying 4 to 12 dollars a disc to have a professional flexo printer do a small press run.

Scott