The Steel Guitar Forum

Can someone suggest a free program for making CD labels? My wife needs to make some for work.

thanks, Ron

Be careful with paper labels as many standalone CD/DVD players warn not to use them (same way with car in-dash CD players). Paper labels are basically a thing of the past. It is prudent to either just use a Sharpie or get an Epson printer that will print directly on ink-jet printable CD's and DVD's.

But, if you do a google search I'm sure you will come up with something that will print on them.

I use the labels and jewel case inserts from Memorex.
If you buy the labels. the software comes along free.
They sure have worked good for me.

Even though the commercially available types of stick on CD labels are very thin paper, they nonetheless have mass. Modern CD players can rotate at speeds up to 55x, which is several thousand RPM. If a stick on label is mounted even slightly off center, the centrifugal force generated by the label's misalignment can cause the disk to wobble, or warp, leading to it's destruction, usually inside the CD player.

Also, CD labels that stick on are known to attack the reflective material used on CDs, leading to them becoming unreadable after a period ranging from 6 months to a year or two. That is why you should either write onto the top of the CD with a Sharpie brand pen, or use a printer that prints special thermal ink directly onto the CD.

The label could come off, as others have said, but I haven't personally seen or heard of that happening. I have used memorex in the past. Recently I used CD stomp, from Office Max or Office Depot, for around $25 you get labels, program, and the stomper that lines up the labels and helps you press them on center. Worked very well for me. JP

I used to use stick-on labels a few years ago and they eventually destroyed the CDs, rendering them unplayable after a year. It may have been the particular brand, or the glue they used, but the effect was devastating.

I read in a trade paper, that General Motors will void the warranty on their autos CD player, if you use CD's that have paper labels.
The auto's stereo system, enclosed in the dash as they are, builds up a lot of heat, which is hard to dissipate. This heat build-up softens the glue on the label, as well as allowing it to expand, and due to the close clearances, can possibly lead to the CD dragging, and building more heat, till it seizes. Also this expansion, and heat build up, and distortion, and the very high speeds, sometimes jams the CD, and the unit has to be removed from the dash to remove the CD.
A friend had a pick-up truck, that would not play but about 15 or 20 minutes, before seizing..due to this action happening.
FWIW....
RP...'come on in'...

Rob is right about GM (and I know Ford). A friend with a Chevy conversion van with a factory in-dash CD player had a problem, caused by a paper label on a CD and when he took it in they would not honor the warranty as they found the remains of the paper label inside and it cost him around $400 for a new factory radio/CD player combo.

For a couple of years, I had problems getting labels 'dead center', even when using a 'stomper'. I was more aggrevated than pleased most of the time.

So, I solved it by getting a direct-to-CD printing printer. Right now, I have an Epson R580. It's definitely not a high-volume printer (about 3 mins/CD), but it solved my label problem. The minor added cost of inkjet-printable CDs is cheaper than the monetary cost and aggrevation of the sticky kind.

Oh yes, I almost forgot, the printer was about $135 or so...and it does great color photos, too!

Epson ink-jet printers that will print on CD/DVD's are now under $100. You can even get an all in one Epson that prints on CD/DVD's for under $100 if you catch them on sale.

Carl, if you want to put up a link, just changing the color won't do it.

You can either post the link, e.g. www.gulfcoaststeelguitar.com

or If you wanted something like "Click Here" as the hyper link the format is

Click Here

You can use my day job:
http://enu.print.avery.com/SelectSku

Select the "Media Labels and Inserts" category.