Home movies and photo collections are treasured memories, and thanks to disc-burning software, it’s possible to safely preserve them for posterity.

So why not make sure the disc onto which you burn your next set of holiday snaps, or that home movie of the kids, looks just as good as its contents?

A marker pen might be adequate for a hasty reminder of the files you’ve backed up from your PC, but is it really good enough for a disc full of photos to send to proud grandparents?

And it regularly happens that a quick note that seemed to explain a disc’s contents at the time makes no sense later on, creating all kinds of chaos.

Over the next few pages, we will show you how to make your discs look slick and professional. It’s not difficult, and need not be expensive. We will also show how you can use dedicated disc writers and printers for even better results.

Making CD labels
The cheapest way to identify CDs is to print a design onto special disc labels, then create and print a jewel case insert in a suitable program. All you need is a printer and a labelling set.

Most of these kits contain some labels, software templates and a special widget for fixing the labels onto discs. The widget is simple to use, but is essential for avoiding air bubbles or unsightly ripples. As the software supplied with the labels is custom made, you can be sure that the labels will print correctly.

The disadvantage with this system is that it is obvious the labels have been manually applied, although less so with transparent labels. It is also essential to get the label on correctly the first time or the CD is often wasted.

Getting the label in the right place is not just about giving the right impression. If the label is not dead on centre, it can cause problems when the disc is spinning in the drive. Apple’s iTunes software can be used to print out CD inserts as well as song and album lists.

This can also include the album art if this has been saved into iTunes. To do this, select the playlist that was used to copy the music CD, click on the File menu and then on Print. Select the top option, marked CD jewel case insert, and choose a theme.

The mosaic options are useful if there are tracks from more than one album in the playlist. Click OK and make any necessary changes to the printer settings, such as increasing the output quality. Click on OK to print the insert.

Click here to find out more about importing information into iTunes.

New age engravings
A recent development for labelling CDs is the ability to use the laser that writes the information onto the disc to etch a design into a special layer on the other side of the CD.

Although it can only create monochrome labels at the moment, the results are quite impressive. There are two kinds of technology used for this form of CD marking – LightScribe and LabelFlash.

The first was developed by HP and is now used on drives from many different manufacturers. LabelFlash is a different technology, found specifically on NEC CD writers. Although similar, the two technologies use different discs, so check before buying.

These discs also cost more than ordinary writeable CDs and DVDs. As both technologies are still quite new, you will probably need to buy and fit a new drive designed to work with LightScribe or LabelFlash.

Thankfully, this is not a difficult job, although it may involve installing a new internal drive.