Hardware problem: MBI Glossy Watershield printing problem

Hello.. I am having a difficult time printing on MBI glossy watershield CDRs and I wonder if anyone else has had the same problem.

Although the colors come out perfectly, when you hold the printed CDR up to the light at the right angle, you can see perfectly straight vertical strips that are slightly less glossy than the rest of the CDR face. The strips are in the direction that the tray moves in the printer. I have previously printed on standard non glossy, non watershield CDRs with no problem.

The printer is an HP 5280 and I use Photoshop software. I have yet to try any TY watershield glossy so at this point I don't know if it's a printer problem, a medium problem or a compatibility issue. Any help would be appreciated.

You weren't getting any answers in the Newbie forum, so I moved your thread to the printing forum.

I'm not sure about the media, since "Watershield" is a TY media.

Those are roller marks on the disc, created by the printer's guide rollers. The HP printers have been reported to do this before. The glossy type discs tend to be a little thicker than normal, and the surface is softer.

Thanks Dan.. I stand corrected on the term "watershield".. these are made by Moser Baer and actually use the name "waterproof glossy".. https://www.blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=1324

Yes, I have since discovered that these are indeed roller marks.. however I wonder if the TY discs would fare any better.. ?? Otherwise I won't be using these glossy things anymore..

The TY are probably just as thick or thicker. The printer is likely doing the same thing to other discs, but you only notice it on the glossy. Try Verbatim gloss, it's not very glossy but is a big improvement over the flat finishes.

Or, an alternative would be to get a printer that doesn't do this.

I also wonder if after drying for a day or so, the marks are as pronounced.

Thanks.. I will try the Verbatims.. Yes the roller marks are just as pronounced after a couple of days..

I read somewhere on this site about the idea of building up the outsides of the CD tray so the rollers wouldn't make contact with the CD face.. or at least there would be less pressure.. I tried this, and it did help a bit around the edges, however the roller marks in the middle of the CD were no better.

The small rollers inside the HP 5280 that cause the marks are mounted in pairs and seems to be spring loaded against a bar above them.. It is the pressure between the main roller below and these small rollers that draw the tray in and out of the printer. I temporarily (and carefully) removed the rollers that were causing the problem, however the tray would not feed into the printer.. So I put them back in.

I have been in contact with HP and all they seem able to do is suggest printer diagnostic utilities, etc.. of course nothing is wrong. I suppose they don't like to admit it is a design problem with the printer.

Anyway.. thanks for the help.. I am resigned to using flat printables until I get around to buying another printer..

FWIW, the Epson and Canon printers do not have rollers in contact with the disc itself. They grab the tray by it's edges and the paper feed rollers are spread apart when the tray is inserted. There are cases where the feed rollers still contact the thicker discs, but usually not.

the main problem with putting anything on top of the tray to spread the rollers is that the print head could crash into it. Apart from the fact that there shouldn't be any rollers in contact with the disc, it seems that the HP rollers have too much pressure behind them, which is intended to serve the paper feed function. It's a case of the printer being designed for paper and discs being an afterthought.

Well put Dan.. I notice from some other posts that you use an Epson R280 for CDR printing.. how do you find it with glossy, waterproofs?

My R280 died after about 9 months from a clogged head. I use nothing but the Canon IP4500 now. However they both do very well with any discs.

We've used the TY Watershield discs with Epson printers with the same results you're getting, although the effect varies on the style of print - solid fills show the issue more than non fills with mixed colors.

I have had the same results with Watershields and the R280. I use my Canon for Watershields.

Just an update.. I picked up an Epson R280 cheap on Ebay.. basically just for printing discs.. After printing on the MB waterproof glossies, I noticed some very fine, thin marks diagonally across the face of the CD.. however they were really hard to see.. even when printing in one dark, solid color... so I'm quite happy with it... no roller marks. Although the print quality on the HP was just as good, when printing on the MB glossies, it looked as though someone had driven a tractor over them when they came out..

Live and learn..

Can someone tell me if the DVD-R 16X MBI WATERPROOF GLOSSY WHITE INKJET HUBs are any good? If I were to compare these to Taiyo Yuden, which would you prefer? Could it print the whole 118mm or 117mm (like Taiyo). Last of all, are these compatible with most dvd players?