How do thermal disc printers work?

A: There are a couple of different ways that thermal disc printers work, both of which involve the use of a fixed print head and a polyester ribbon coated with ink:

1. As a disc and the print ribbon are forced under the print head, tiny pixels are heated and cooled to melt the ink off of the polyester film.
2. Thermal retransfer printers use the same basic steps but, instead of printing directly to the disc, the image is printed on the underside of a retransfer ribbon. The retransfer ribbon is then fused with the disc. This method will help cover any irregularities that may be on the disc surface and provides additional UV protection to your disc art.

Polyline has just added Rimage thermal printers and publishers to our disc publishing product line. We're still working on the marketing materials, but feel free to call us at 1-877-807-8095 to ask about the Rimage line.

Is It Possible for a Disc to Fall of Its Hub During Shipping?

Q: I just bought a new DVD in its original packaging and, when I opened the box, the disc was loose. It’s an older movie. Is it possible it wasn’t really “new” as advertised? Or is it possible for the discs to fall off their hubs during shipping?

A: It’s absolutely possible for discs to pop off their hubs and move around during shipping. In our business, we call these “floaters.”