Taiyo Yuden WaterShield Media Test
We've been getting a lot of questions lately on the new water resistant blank media, in particular the Taiyo Yuden WaterShield discs. I thought I'd test these discs out myself.
I tested a Taiyo Yuden WaterShield CD-R against a Ritek inkjet printable cd-r. Printing was done using the Microboards PF2 CD DVD printer.
Print quality: Taiyo Yuden WaterShield CD-R Vs. Ritek Inkjet White CD-R
I printed the some some samples on both the Taiyo Yuden WaterShield discs and the Ritek Inkjet White CD-R discs. You cannot really tell a big difference in print quality by looking at images. Inspecting the discs side by side, you can see that the Taiyo Yuden WaterShield discs have a glossy surface that makes colors more vibrant. Although I have to say, the print quality is pretty good on the Ritek discs also. There is not a "huge" difference in the print quality.
Smear & water resistant?
Next, I tested the durability of the two discs. First, I wet my finger and rubbed both discs. I feel this is the most common example of how inkjet printed cds or dvds smear. You have an ice cold beverage and your fingers get a little wet, you handle your discs and it smears. Here is a side by side comparison of both discs after being handled with damp fingers:
The Ritek Inkjet CD-R smeared quite easily. No smearing at all on the Taiyo Yuden Water Shield disc.
Next, I just left the Taiyo Yuden Water Shield disc in the sink, completely under water, for about 30 seconds. After taking the Taiyo Yuden disc out of the water, I took some paper towels to dry off the disc. Here is an image
Again, no smearing whatsoever on the Taiyo Yuden WaterShield disc. I did notice scratch marks all over the disc after the second test. I believe these marks where made when using the paper towels to try the wet disc off. The scratch marks are only visible when you look at the disc closely in the light.
I hope this little test helps answer some questions about the new Taiyo Yuden WaterShield discs. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me at skim@burnsmart.com.
