No More Sharpies ?

TaranT · Post by **TaranT** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:34 am

For years I've been using Sharpies to label CDRs and DVDs. But it might not have been or be a good thing to do:

The item which concerns me was your advocacy that we use Sharpie™ markers to label our CD-Rs. There is a modest amount of anecdotal evidence that the use of solvent-based ink markers (Sharpies use an alcohol-based ink), particularly on CD-R/RWs without a protective coating and CD-R/RWs kept in a warm to hot environment can lead to long-term penetration of the ink to the data layer with resulting damage to the data....

In further researching the issue, I discovered that the standards organization for CD-R/RW media also advises that people use markers with permanent, water-based inks. They got their information going way back from Taiyo Yuden, one of the early manufacturers (and still a premier manufacturer) of CD-R/RW media.

Complete article here.

downwithpants · Post by **downwithpants** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 2:17 am

keep em in a fridge?

AMVfreak · Post by **AMVfreak** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 5:32 pm

I heard from several people and articles before that using certain markers, pens, labeling etc. can mess up the data on CDs.

I still use sharpies to this day though -__-

Zero · Post by **Zero** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:04 pm

*Shrugs* My burner runs very hot and it's ever had a problem with seeping ink.

-Zero

Org Profile · Post by **LantisEscudo** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:26 pm

I think it's a load of dung.

I've got CDs that have been thrown into nearly every kind of CD/DVD drive, hot, warm, and cold, for nearly six years that I labeled with a Sharpie right after burning and have never had a problem with seeping ink. This includes some of the really old ones that were so thin they were translucent even before they were burned.

I've had more problems from CD binders/wallets scratching the back reflective surface from my older CD-Rs than anything else.

I'll stay with the pack of Sharpies I've got, rather than hunting for special "CD Markers" I'll have to pay extra for (plus shipping because no retailers carry them in the rural town I live in) and offer no extra benefit.