What can I print with a LightScribe disc burner?

In theory, you should be able to print any design to a LightScribe CD or DVD. I’ve seen some awesome examples online and a quick Google image search will give you plenty of inspiration.

Now, I say “in theory” because the two primary weaknesses of LightScribe burners are (1) they are incredibly slow and (2) they are monochromatic. Still, I like them for home use or anyone who produces discs infrequently. Plus, because many new laptops and desktops come with LightScribe enabled burners built-in, the startup costs are really, really low.

There are a few things that can help you create more effective LightScribe designs:

• LightScribe burners etch the disc in concentric circles starting at the center of the disc. So, by creating a design with heavier graphics on the interior and light or no graphics toward the outer edge will allow you to etch your disc more quickly. (Using LightScribe’s “content mode” burns a decorative border around the hub.)
• Crank up the contrast. LightScribe creates gray scale images. The deeper the colors appear in your original image, the darker they will burn on the disc.
• Make use of the preview function. It can take a long time to print your disc. Imagine etching your entire disc on “best” mode only to discover you misspelled something on the cover.
• Try making a negative of your image. This can create a unique and dramatic look for your disc.
• For really deep tonal values, you can burn your image twice! LightScribe software can automatically align the disc to make sure the images line up correctly.

Check out our great prices on LightScribe CD-Rs and LightScribe DVD-Rs. And, if you have plans for that inkjet or thermal disc printer in your future, sign up for our Earn Money to Burn customer reward program earn 2% of all your disc purchases back in the form of EM2B dollars, which can be used toward the purchase of new disc printing equipment or extended warranties.