With Rimage's Perfect Image CD Printer, something as apparently simple as labeling a CD-Recordable disc is no longer such a hassle of pitfalls, obstacles, long-term decisions, and--more often than not--downright wrong choices.

Surprisingly, labeling discs is hardly a simple process but often one that raises many questions: Will the label damage the disc? How good will it look? How quickly can it be done? Can it be done in-house? How permanent are the results? How much will it cost? Not everyone has the same reasons for labeling discs or criteria for judging results. Some just want to identify disc contents, while others need serial numbers for tracking or security purposes, and still others want to make their discs look good but lack the time and dollars for conventional silkscreening for small runs.

There are, of course, many different ways to label a disc, which range from using a felt-tip pen and stick-on label to fancier inkjet, dry offset, and silkscreen printing systems. Rimage Corporation of Minneapolis, Minnesota has pioneered a solution that adapts thermal transfer technology for CD-R labeling. A long-established method for other printing applications, Rimage has made it commercially available to CD-R users with its Perfect Image CD Printer.

PERFECT IMAGE IN ITS OWN IMAGE: SIZE, SHAPE, AND SPECS

The $3995 Perfect Image CD Printer offers excellent quality monochrome 300x300dpi results on a wide range of disc surfaces and provides the speed and flexibility that service bureaus and others engaged in serious CD-Recordable production should welcome. The unit comes complete with everything needed to get up and running quickly, including a power cord, parallel cable, one black ribbon with supply and take-up rollers, label software and printer drivers for Windows 3.x, 95, and NT, manuals, a coupon for a free ribbon, and five CD "slugs"--unusable discs--for test printing.

The only currently available versions of the printer driver and label software are for PC-compatible systems. Operating requirements are at least a 486 processor, 8MB RAM, MS-DOS 6.x, and Windows 3.1 or later.

SOME ADVANTAGES: WIDE-RANGING APPLICABILITY AND ENDURING RESULTS

An important advantage the Rimage Perfect Image CD Printer has over inkjet units is that it does not require specially coated CD-R discs to accept the ink from the printing process. Inkjet printers, on the other hand, require special "printable" CD-R discs that have a hydroscopic coating to accept the ink sprayed from the print head. Though most media manufacturers offer printable discs, they are more expensive than traditional media and may not be as readily available.

Unlike inkjet, the Perfect Image's thermal transfer process works well with lacquer (shiny surface), matte (durability coated), and silkscreened discs, but not "printable" discs because of their porous surface and larger surface area. Though the flat, shiny surface of a lacquer disc provides the most crisp and consistent results, it is advisable to use matte media or those with abrasion-resistant surfaces, such as Mitsui Toatsu's Data Shield Surface or Eastman Kodak's Infoguard Protection System, which provide the best balance between image quality and data safety. Using matte media thus not only ensures additional protection during the printing process but provides added defense from regular handling.

Another disc that yields excellent results is TDK Electronics' white-surface media, which was originally designed to accept peel-off sticky labels. The white background provides excellent print contrast without color shifting and takes best advantage of the color ribbons. The white coating also gives the desirable added protection from wear and tear.

An additional advantage of the thermal transfer process used by the Rimage printer is an enduring result. Unlike the water-based inks used in inkjet printers which can smudge or bleed, the ink used in the thermal transfer is more permanent, which makes it a good choice for discs handled frequently and used long-term. Only a conscious effort with a fingernail or hard instrument can scratch the ink impression away.

THE PRINTING PROCESS

Some types of disc surfaces require more or less ink and heat than do others, so to achieve the best results, the printer driver can adjust the amount of time the disc spends under the print head and the number of printing passes. For example, discs with matte-protective coatings require more time under the print head and two passes to transfer enough ink for proper coverage. Originally, Rimage had two distinct ribbon types for lacquer and matte discs, which rendered frequent switching of media types very inconvenient. Recently, however, Rimage has adopted a new formulation which offers a universal ribbon capable of printing on both surfaces.

Though the printer is monochrome, Rimage sells several different colored ribbons, such as black (for $60), and red, green, and blue (for $75 each). Efficient intelligent ribbon consumption is designed to allow only as much ribbon as is needed to print the text or graphics on each disc. As a result, ribbons will typically perform 2,000 single-pass or 1,000 double-pass print jobs for a maximum cost of an extremely frugal 7.5 cents per disc for printing.

Though by no means silkscreen quality, the Perfect Image's 300x300dpi output is still very good. In testing the printer with lacquer, matte, and white surface discs, the results were excellent, with legible text as small as eight-point with reasonably defined edges, well-saturated solid areas, clean logos and line art, and attractive halftones. Depending upon the uniform flatness of the disc, it is also possible to maximize space and print almost edge to edge. New users should be warned, however, that they are almost certain to waste a handful of discs in determining the settings for achieving optimum results with each brand and type of media. Be cautioned as well that the printer makes considerable mechanical noise and generates significant vibration when in operation, which may make the unit unsuitable for quiet office environments.

Bearing in mind that the Perfect Image's printing process employs considerable heat and mechanical pressure that could potentially damage discs, there are a few factors to take into account. Most importantly, printing should be attempted only on discs with clean surfaces, since grit can be pressed into the top of the disc and either scar it or cause delamination when the obstruction is pulled across the surface by the print head. Fingerprints and debris also undermine the ink transfer, so it is best to work with fresh media, ideally taken before or just after recording.

To ensure that the printing process does not damage discs, the Perfect Image was tested with six 74-minute CD-R discs, consisting of two each of Eastman Kodak, TDK Electronics, and Mitsubishi/Verbatim discs. The discs were recorded, then tested for all relevant criteria such as BLER, jitter, effect length deviation, and uncorrectable errors using Audio Development's commercial-grade CD CATS SA3 Advanced test equipment. The discs were then printed using the Perfect Image and retested to see if the printing process had damaged them in any way. Test results showed no changes in the quality of the recorded data. To corroborate these results further, several of the major media manufacturers were straw-polled, and they report no problems with discs labeled from a properly set up printer. Thus it is reasonably safe to say that users need not be concerned that the Perfect Image CD Printer will harm their discs or critical data.

Quite simply, for the type of labeling applications for which it was intended, the Perfect Image appears to do an excellent job.

UNIMPRESSIVE SOFTWARE MARS PERFECT IMAGE

Regrettably, the most disappointing aspect of the Perfect Image package is its mediocre software. Included are printer drivers for Windows 3.x and 95, as well as a proprietary labeling application. The application's software editor presents the user with the familiar overhead view of a blank disc surface for labeling. A tool bar puts very basic graphic tools at the user's disposal, among them, filled or unfilled rectangles, circles, ellipses, arcs, and lines. Rimage did not intend for the editor to be used for sophisticated drawing tasks, so more complex artwork must be imported from more powerful dedicated illustration or imaging applications in BMP, TIFF, or PCX formats.

Text can easily be added to labels in a straight line with rotations possible in 90 degree increments, as well as on a definable arc. TrueType fonts are supported, so the text remains smooth when specifying any type, style, or size. Bar coding is also available (UPC A, I 2 of 5, Code 39 and 128, and Codabar). Some useful features include the ability to add incremented serial numbers and import information from a database and merge data into text and bar codes. For example, client lists can be imported to create custom personalized discs. A programmable mode available by command line in Windows also makes it possible to use previously designed labels and set them up for more flexible batch printing independent of the label editor.

However, for all its thoughtful features, the software has far more against it than in its favor. The biggest surprise comes to Windows 3.x users. Though the package includes a proper driver, its performance is very poor. Lacking the double-print feature makes it difficult to work with matte-surface discs, and it does not yield WYSIWYG results. In fact, what is actually printed can end up as much as an inch away from how items are placed on screen. Fortunately, the Windows 95 driver does not share any of these problems, and furthermore offers double-print capability, which makes it realistically the only credible way to use the printer.

The label software itself takes some getting used to, as it breaks most of the interface and use conventions of standard drawing software. For example, there is no undo function, text can only be edited through a dialog box after being inputted, and graphics can only be resized by eye, so it is next to impossible to maintain an image's correct aspect ratio.

Rimage readily admits that it is not a software company, but for such an expensive and capable device as the Perfect Image, users expect more than just quick-and-dirty application software. Relief appears to be in sight, however, as a modified version of Corel Draw is expected as a future replacement for currently bundled software.

INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS

Revelation Products Corporation of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, a major Rimage distributor for the Perfect Image, integrates the printer into their K&S CDJ-M200 CD-ROM jukebox. This jukebox works with a combination of four readers and writers, has a 50 to 200-disc capacity per unit, and can chain together up to eight units. This configuration provides a system that is accessible on a network for recording, labeling, and reading discs as necessary.

Another system is the Rimage Perfect Image Producers RPI-1 (announced in May 1996 and expected for third quarter availability), which combines disc recording, handling, and surface printing capabilities into a single, automated system intended for one-off, multiple duplication of one or more discs, data distribution, archiving, or as an alternative for short-run replication.

The RPI-1 consists of Rimage's Automation Station, Automation Protocol, and a specially configured PC-compatible computer. The Automation Station houses a single 4X CD recorder, transport robotics, and Perfect Image surface printer in a single unit. The Automation Protocol offers a standardized protocol that automates CD-R publishing applications. Future models in the Perfect Image Producer line are said to feature a capacity for multiple recorders.

Already available from Rimage is the higher-end Perfect Image CD-R Automated Publishing System (APS). The APS consists of proprietary control software and an in-line Perfect Image connected through a docking station to an Eastman Kodak PCD Writer 600 hex speed CD recorder and a Kodak Disc Transporter with 75-disc capacity. This system automates--attended or unattended--publishing of unique CDs or handles large-quantity CD recording and printing. Rimage also supplies Kodak with its in-line printer component of the APS solution for internal integration into its product line and markets it through some of Kodak's business units.

THE BOTTOM LINE: PRINTING MASTERY NEITHER MYSTERY NOR MIRAGE

Compared with other printing solutions such as inkjet, the Perfect Image offers faster printing speeds with no drying time, lower media and per-unit printing costs, and great label durability without smudging or fading. However, by no means is it for everyone. Its high capital cost, noisy operation, need for friendlier software, and lack of true color capability make it a specialized product for those whose needs closely match what it offers and who can justify the expense. Serious users such as service bureaus, corporate and government offices creating CD-Rs for software distribution, COLD and imaging, computer-based training, archiving, and other critical applications should find the Perfect Image a not-quite-perfect but welcome and valuable tool nonetheless.

[Author's Note: I wish to thank the Eastman Kodak Company, TDK Electronics Corporation, and Enterprise Corporation International for providing the various products and services used during my review of Rimage's Perfect Image CD Printer.]

Hugh Bennett, BA, MLIS, is a CD-ROM Professional contributing editor and President of Forget Me Not Information Systems Inc., a company that offers CD-ROM recording, mass reproduction, and consulting services as well as CD-R hardware and software sales. He is also associate editor of the monthly newsletter, NewMedia Canada.