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Reviewed by UK Guest, 18th Dec 2006. |
| Review Summary: Excellent little CD / DVD printer! |
Overall Score: 4/5
 
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Review: I've read many great and not-so-great reviews for this HP Photosmart D5160 printer and flipped back and forth between the D5160 and the Epson CD printer models. I am so glad I bought it!
Right out of the box, I printed almost 30 DVD's, each one printing perfectly with no problems, no scratches, etc. I have read where people said it scratched their disks, but I can only imagine that they did not handle or insert the disk into the holder correctly.
For the 30 disks I've printed, it has only used one quarter of the ink cartridge! That's great!
Yes, the design software that comes with it for disk printing is minimal, but you can use Photoshop or any other image creation software to design your label. Use the following settings below and you'll see how easy it is!
A tip: design your DVD labels so that you only use a band across it in full color, with one or two color printing above and below for information. You'll use A LOT less ink.
Make your document the following size (could be square, I suppose):
952 pixels wide (4.76") x 972 (4.86") high @ 200 dpi
After you've created the image, save it to the Desktop or someplace you can find it.
Open up the HP Photosmart Studio application. Find the image from the Library window on the left (Mac?). Click on it in the main window to select. Then click on CREATE in the top row of icons.
In the Create window, under TEMPLATES choose Print on CD/DVD (5 inch / 120mm). Then select the first disk design with the large hole and nothing else on it. In the window to the right, you'll see your image behind the rectangular text boxes (HP's great design program! Ha!). Ignore the boxes, they won't print unless you type something in them.
Then choose PRINT and that's it!
Tips: Keep the disk caddie tray in it's plastic sleeve to keep it clean. Always blow any dust out of it before you put a disk in to keep it clean. Use the little thumb hole in the caddie to lift your disk out when done. Give it time to dry.
Note: Sometimes after putting in the disk caddie tray, you'll need to press the PRINT button on the printer if the tray doesn't load automatically after inserting it to the ARROW MARKS (you'll feel a slight stop).
Bottom Line: Once you have your label image created, you'll be able to print wonderful disks with little or no hassles if you use care to do the steps correctly. I love my new little printer ($90 most places).
BONUS: It prints laser-sharp text and prints on plain paper, too! |
Ratings
| Value For Money: |
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4 |
| Review Score: |
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4 |
| Recommended? | |
Yes |
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Computer Hardware