Stickers and MDs

[kino170878]

Does anybody here have experience of applying stickers to minidiscs? What methods do you use? Were you successfully able to use the reverse of the disc as well?

I am asking these questions with a view of creating a huge number of MDs including artwork, track info, and so on. I may also need to re-apply stickers if the contents of the MDs change.

I will be applying stickers to the discs themselves and not their cases, at least initially.

Any help or ideas appreciated.

Edited August 12, 2009 by kino170878

[Loque]

Not something I have ever tried, but it would be kinda useful I have to admit. I can't really think of any obvious problems if you slap a sticker on the side, how to print out something on a template though I have no idea. Must be possible though, try getting some kind of Japanese software or something?

[A440]

All my minidiscs have come with stickers in the package--how else would you tell them apart?

There's a depressed area below the slider, which looks like where Sony wants you to put the sticker, and I have had no trouble slapping stickers elsewhere on the case. I'd be careful about both front and back, though--that is gummy stuff that holds the sticker on, and I doubt you'd want that in the transport mechanism.

[KJ_Palmer]

I've found Avery computer labels (cut down to size) are very good as replacement MD labels, and of course you can print out your own images, track listings etc which can be very attractive. Or use a pencil (sharpie?) and rub out when the tracks change.

Edited August 13, 2009 by Barock

[Avrin]

Check this out: ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/PUB/DNA/NMD/MDLP.ZIP.

[Kain_]

Do MD labels use a special paste to be compliant with the heat of the unit when it play a disc ? The labels I bought are described for other purpose and I'm worring about broken my units with them (sounds silly but I would like keep my units and deck alive !)

[culp4684]

Ever check this out from the other board?

[Kain_]

Ever check this out from the other board?

I did check this thread and sent an private message to TBR so that he could tell me if the labels he use were suporting high temperatures. He answered me that he didn't know that labels could have this property. That's why I'm asking the question here.

[KJ_Palmer]

The Avery laser labels can certainly withstand high temperatures - I suppose they have to as they go through office laser printers, which can get pretty hot. They seem to have more adhesion than most 'official' MD labels, eg. TDK and Sony's, which seem to peel off more readily than the Averys.

[Kain_]

The Avery laser labels can certainly withstand high temperatures - I suppose they have to as they go through office laser printers, which can get pretty hot

That's exactly what I told myself. The labels I bought are only inkjet compliant ! Better not take the risk I guess ?!?

[KJ_Palmer]

You might be all right with the inkjet labels too. I used to use them and they were fine. Since the, er, office went over to laser printers though, I've been using the laser address labels and they do seem a lot stickier...

Edited August 14, 2009 by Barock

[culp4684]

I did check this thread and sent an private message to TBR so that he could tell me if the labels he use were suporting high temperatures. He answered me that he didn't know that labels could have this property. That's why I'm asking the question here.

I'd also PM Pug. He's making those extremely gorgeous labels that cover the whole one side (including the shutter). If any have had issues with coming off due to heat, those would...

[Kain_]

You might be all right with the inkjet labels too. I used to use them and they were fine. Since the, er, office went over to laser printers though, I've been using the laser address labels and they do seem a lot stickier...

Well inkjet or not, my main fear is that the gum run out of the label and break my units mecanism. Do you think that this could happen am I just a paranoïd ?

Edited August 14, 2009 by Kain_

[Avrin]

Even original SONY stickers tend to peel off sometimes. That's why I am not using any, except for first generation Hi-MD discs, which look really stupid without them. Luckily, those are quite reliable.

And damage to the unit is more than possible. It all depends on where the label actually ends up after peeling off. When I used to repair electronics some fifteen years ago, a frequent problem with video cassette recorders was loose stickers chewed up inside the mechanism. This required removing them and thoroughly cleaning the mechanism (which can be a pain in the a## with some sticky compounds). But a loose sticker getting attached to the rotating head drum could actually damage the tiny recording/playback heads, since they are very fragile.

With minidisc units it is even more dangerous, since they contain a lot of fragile parts. A nasty sticker can easily damage the magnetic overwrite head, get chewed up between rotating parts, possibly damaging them, or stick to the laser lens, dirtying and/or damaging it.

Edited August 15, 2009 by Avrin

[Kain_]

I'd also PM Pug. He's making those extremely gorgeous labels that cover the whole one side (including the shutter). If any have had issues with coming off due to heat, those would...

good idea : I just PMed him few minutes ago. A sent a message to Mike Rofone and Batphink as well. Still waiting for the answer of the latest

With minidisc units it is even more dangerous, since they contain a lot of fragile parts. A nasty sticker can easily damage the magnetic overwrite head, get chewed up between rotating parts, possibly damaging them, or stick to the laser lens, dirtying and/or damaging it.

That's precisely what I want to avoid. I pay a lot to get my MD-133 and want to keep it in good condition.

[Avrin]

I pay a lot to get my MD-133 and want to keep it in good condition.

With decks, you actually have even less control over what happens to stickers. When you put a disc into a portable, or remove it, you can always see both stickers. If one peels off, you can immediately take appropriate measures and get rid of it before anything horrible happens. But you never see what is happening inside a deck - same as with video cassette recorders. The smaller the sticker, the higher the chance of potential problems. Problems with VCRs were frequently caused by those small stickers with digits or letters on them. Although bigger ones sometimes also peel off, blocking the loading mechanism.

He's making those extremely gorgeous labels that cover the whole one side (including the shutter).

What a great way to destroy the overwrite head. The sticker doesn't even need to peel off completely - just the front edge will do.

And heat is not the main cause of stickers peeling off. Time is. Some compounds that hold really great initially, tend to get nasty with time, turning into viscous guck.

Edited August 16, 2009 by Avrin

[KJ_Palmer]

These are all natural and real concerns, of course, though I have to say that in 10+ years of MD deck and portable use, none of the stickers have ever peeled away in the unit, or caused damage. There may have been some reported cases of sticker damage, I think. I'd never use the all-over sticker approach, though. Keep it simple - just a spine and track label, and leave it like that.

[Kain_]

I'd never use the all-over sticker approach, though.

Neither do I.

I have to say that in 10+ years of MD deck and portable use, none of the stickers have ever peeled away in the unit, or caused damage

Which brand are you using to label your discs ?

Keep it simple - just a spine and track label, and leave it like that.

I keep telling my self that if Sony and others have left a space to stick a label on the front disc, it has to (and can) be used ... no ?

[sfbp]

These are all natural and real concerns, of course, though I have to say that in 10+ years of MD deck and portable use, none of the stickers have ever peeled away in the unit, or caused damage. There may have been some reported cases of sticker damage, I think. I'd never use the all-over sticker approach, though. Keep it simple - just a spine and track label, and leave it like that.

I just commented in another thread that it seems likely the major reason I had to repair an N505's ribbon cable was that there was guck on the shelf that supports the overwrite arm, as it travels back and forwards (left to right). Looking at it from POV of position and composition (sorry I didn't think to take photos) suggests to my inexperienced eye that the only way something like that could have got there was from a sticky label curling off the MD and then sticking to something else.

[KJ_Palmer]

Which brand are you using to label your discs ?

TDK and Sony mostly. But only once per disc usually. But I don't re-use discs or labels, ie. once an MD is made that's it, it's finished and I move on to the next one. I might hazard a guess that when a label has come unstuck for some people, this might be due to applying a label on a less than 'perfect' surface, maybe slightly greasy or had a previous labels removed, or the label itself hasn't been fresh. Obviously label unsticking does happen, just not for me (yet)...

Edited August 16, 2009 by Barock

[Kain_]

TDK and Sony mostly. But only once per disc usually.

Ok, thanks for the nfo.

But I don't re-use discs or labels, ie. once an MD is made that's it, it's finished and I move on to the next one. I might hazard a guess that when a label has come unstuck for some people, this might be due to applying a label on a less than 'perfect' surface, maybe slightly greasy or had a previous labels removed, or the label itself hasn't been fresh. Obviously label unsticking does happen, just not for me (yet)...

I was thinking about cleaning the surface of my discs with alcohol before sticking my labels so that they wouldn't peeled

[john ferguson]

Hi There...for MD labels ...try...

www.pressit.com

good luck.