Sharpies on a DVD collection?

October 6, 2016 6:35 PM

Problem: several thousand DVDs in storage boxes and limited room in the movie bookcase. Solution: Vaultz CD wallets, which I've used for my music collection for many years with good results. New problem: how to transfer data onto the DVD discs before sending the original plastic holders into the attic for storage?

I knew that ballpoint pens were verboten on the tops of DVDs, but Sharpies, too? Good thing I started to research this before writing all over the covers.
I am adding title, date of distribution, genre and possibly the main actors. Research states that Sharpie has a CD / DVD safe version, and that writing in the clear inside hub is preferred.
Writing on the full-face label is a mistake and could eventually bleed through.
Adding labels can cause problems.
Anything I'm missing before all those DVD go into the wallets?

posted by TrishaU to Technology (8 answers total)

Doing some cursory searching, it looks like using water-based markers for labeling CDs is the way to go. Just write softly and don't scratch the top of the disc, and you should be fine. And of course if you have irreplaceable data, be sure to back it up on another form of media.

Anecdotally I have discs from early 2000's that have been written on with sharpie several times and still play perfectly, so I dunno. Maybe in five more years they'll stop working.
posted by littlesq at 7:23 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

To be cautious, I would use something like Sakura Identi-Pens and write only in the clear plastic inside hub.
posted by gudrun at 7:31 PM on October 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Don't write all that info on the DVD itself. Just title, genre, and keep the rest of the info in a spreadsheet, so that if you wonder "Who was in this film again? When did it come out?" you can look it up by title. That way you will definitely have space on the safe clear inside bit of the disc, and you will not go crazy writing all those lead actor names in tiny letters.
posted by easternblot at 4:23 AM on October 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'd write on a sticker, then put the sticker on the envelope slot where the DVD goes.
posted by Valancy Rachel at 6:51 AM on October 7, 2016

Several thousand discs? With info easily accessible via Internet? Consider an inkjet printer with a disc attachment.
posted by infinitewindow at 7:34 AM on October 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

There are huge differences between the "tops" (label sides) of replicated (vs burned) DVDs vs CDs. On CDs, the data is literally just below the surface of the printing and a thin layer of lacquer. I't very easy to destroy the digital data on a CD by scratching the label side - and by extension writing on the label side with something that might attack the print, lacquer and subsequently the reflective material that makes the data readable. On DVDs, the digital data is actually in the middle of the disc, protected by approximately-equal thicknesses of polycarbonate on both sides, thus it is extremely difficult to disturb the digital data by writing or scratching the label side. As long as you don't throw off the physical balance (e.g. apply an asymmetric label) you can do a lot to the label side and not affect playability. Use a sharpie if you want; I'd be surprised if a light-touch ballpoint would cause problems (but they will wreak havoc on a CD).

If these are discs you've burned, most of the preceeding is true, however I'm finding that, depending on the quality of disc you've used and the "quality" of the burn (slower is better) they will be unreadable in a decade or so, give-or-take.

Also be sure to not warp them by packing the wallets too tight. DVDs can't take too much "permanent bend" before becoming unplayable. Unless they are individually stacked on a spindle you want them to be upright.
posted by achrise at 8:38 AM on October 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for the answers. These are original DVDs, not copies. We are not interested in backing them up, just using them without unloading 30-plus plastic boxes to find one movie (and trying to keep each series like James Bond or the Marvel Comics movies together.)
I have a title-only list. Now I am wishing I had added the date of distribution since I am repeatedly running up against the same title for two or more movies on international movie database. I am now updating new discs to the list and double-checking my data before taking the final plunge and opening up the boxes.
Then I have the fun of cracking open cases and cataloging a) multiple discs for one movie (blue ray, regular, the making of); b) multiple movies packaged together in one case; c) multiple movies on one disc; d) two-sided discs.
posted by TrishaU at 7:04 PM on October 7, 2016

If you think you might ever want to sell them, be aware that writing on them at all is going to severely affect if not destroy their resale value. Just something to keep in mind.
posted by mygothlaundry at 7:41 PM on October 7, 2016 [1 favorite]