How do you hand your photos to your clients? Do you have a pre-printed stock of your logo medias, or do you just burn your files on blank Office depot medias and scribble the contents with a Magic Marker?
Well I admit I used to do that in the past... Before I started printing my own disks I used to deliver my work on generic medias, either branded or blank labeled. Very unprofessional, but that was in early days when CD printers were not around yet. For large batches I would have ordered pre-printed medias with my logo on them but that was somewhat limiting as to what could be done with the design. What if I wanted to put on a photo of the couple got married? Or a portrait from the latest corporate photo-shoot? Or even just a logo of the convention I shot? I wanted to be able to custom design my disks and I didn't want to spend a fortune on that.
It's then when I discovered the Epson series of R2xx printers. My first one was Epson R220, which I still use occasionally at home, and the other one, that I use at my studio all the time is the newer R270, nowadays replaced by the successor R280. These printers are compact, silent, and to my experience also very reliable. I print my Cd's and DVD's with whatever design I choose (I like to include a photo as a background, low opacity) and I also use the same graphics for the disk cover/booklet. What I like about the Epson R2xx series is that for the minimal price, I get a CD-DVD printer, and a high quality photo printer both in the same compact device.
The printer makes use of 6 separate ink cartridges for greater color performance, and although I love the terrific ink Epson has to offer, I decided to use a continuous ink system (CIS) to significantly reduce printing costs and avoid the need to replace my cartridges too frequently. I got it on ebay for about $40, each one of the 6 tanks filled with 100ml ink. Some of these systems come pre-filled while others are empty and require a seperate purchase of ink refill so if you want to buy one for your printer check the description and the price and see what's the best bargain. I must say, when I placed the order for the first CIS for my R220 I was skeptic, I was afraid that it wouldn't work as promised or that it would leak and ruin my printer, but my fears were proven false ; The three systems I bought (two for me, one for a friend) are still functional and were proven worthwhile from the moment I bought them. Keep in mind though that some of the cheaper replacement inks tend to fade when exposed to sunlight, as opposed to the original high quality (yet expensive) Epson ink. However, In my studio's corridor I've hanged dozens of my photos, printed with inexpensive ink on high quality photo paper, and so far (over a year) the fluorescent lights and open air caused no fading. So to my experience when you keep them indoor (or inside a CD-DVD box for that matter) your prints will not fade easily.
Bottom line, I've never delivered scribbled disks ever since I entered the printer to my studio. Nowadays, printable medias are so cheap, and the printer costs merely $60 after rebate, so I believe every Pro should upgrade the way they hand their work to their clients, and boost up the impression and prestige. Think about it, you use thousands of bucks equipment, put your time and effort and come up with the winner photos for your client. Now, do these photos deserve the appropriate presenting-kit or don't they?
