Suggestions for labelling Saturn backups

Post by **Gamerforlife** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:51 pm

I just made my first working backups ever today(Sexy Parodius and Radiant Silvergun)using the great guides posted on the site by Racketboy(with a little improvisation)and I want to label the discs somehow so it's easier to tell all these CD-Rs apart. I've heard some say that it's not good to simply write on them with markers. So what's a good suggestion?

Post by **lordofduct** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:03 pm

not good to write on them with markers? Why is that bad? That's all I do.

I used to print labels for my backups, but because I usually don't keep them very long I stopped doing it.

There are also light-scribe disks you could use, really neat idea, but you need a light-scribe burner.

Post by **claudio** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:08 pm

i use special cd-r markers by crayola.

regular markers have chemicals that will rot the cd-r much quicker.

Post by **fastbilly1** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:47 pm

Bootleg sharpies from the dollar store - 10 for a dollar and they work just as well, for this purpose. CD-Rs are dirt cheap nowadays so I just buy them in bulk and when/if a burn stops working I will just make another from the iso backup.

Granted I am also the guy who is trying to deepfry white fudge oreos, so maybe you shouldnt take your advice from me.

Post by **diehllane** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 12:15 am

for CD-Rs, I like the Vinyls. They're high quality and have labels on them for you to write on with virtually any marker. They also look sweet. A good bit of my Sega CD collection is on vinyls.

Post by **Amon** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:38 am

I heard certain sharpies can eat away at the plasic and the cd but that doesnt stop me from writing on them with them. I have some sticker labels but those usually throw off the cd. I know sharpie brand or whatever sells a specific cd label marker.

Post by **Adderall** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:03 am

as mentioned before, chemicals from the sharpie can eat away at the disc over time... also, the glue in labels can do the same thing. but we're talking years here. light scribe is a good solution because it's burning stuff *off* of the disc. I use a thermal printer. some people label individual DVD style cases that they put the discs in and leave the discs unmarked.

I guess the questions to ask are:
how long do you want to have the cd?
do you have a backup of the data somewhere else?
how important is the data to you (like did you have a hard time getting it)?

if it's just for playing games i would sharpie them and not worry about it. You'll be moving the disc around a lot and it could even get scratched! On the other hand, I made 2 copies of FF7 - FFX, one copy for playing and the other "just in case". I didn't mark that copy and I keep it in a separate spot.

Post by **Perseid** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 7:59 pm

I use a sharpie as well. I've heard all the bad stories about what they can do but I've never had it happen myself, nor do I personally know anyone who has. So I'm not sure how big if a deal it really is. Stickers are a far worse idea because the weight of the label will throw the disc off balance just enough to be an issue when it's spinning at hundreds of RPM.

claudio: What are those Crayola markers called? I might look into that.

Post by **Gamerforlife** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:48 pm

Good suggestions from everyone. Thanks.

I actually just had this idea of using a cd binder. Maybe I can label the plastic holding the cds, or slip in a small piece of paper in front of the disc or something. Just a thought

Oh, and yes, these are just back ups for the purpose of playing. I plan on keeping my originals in their cases on the shelf. Granted the longevity of the back ups is not THAT important to me, but I would rather increase their longevity if possible so as not to constantly have to buy new CD-Rs. That's why I was wondering about the effects of markers, sharpies, etc on the discs.