While the quality of recordable CD and DVD media becomes more and more a big issue it also becomes clear that labbeling a disc decreases the quality of a disc and even decreases the compatability of the disc. Some users even report dramatic differences between a disc with a label and the same disc without a label. Also error reports from testing software such as Kprobe shows the phenomenon. When a label is improperly attached the media will be outbalanced and will result in bad read or even exploding discs in high speed CD/DVD readers.
It is also pretty clear that CD and DVDs to which a label has been applied detoriate faster, a reason for this could be the glue that is used between the label and the disc. Also when the glue is not properly put on the media there is a possibility that the label will start to get off which can potentially also unbalance the disc, certainly at high speeds.
When you want to label your discs and want to prevent problems then it all starts with purchasing good quality media, you can find tips in our Media Forum. Then make sure you use a very good quality labeling set and make sure the label is properly glued to the disc. If you no longer trust labels then there are other options as well.
Some companies sell special pencils to write on media and there are printers that print directly on the media. We expect that the small amount of ink will not do much harm. The best way however to keep your discs safe is to not to label or write on them but to keep them in a seperate jewelcase in a dust free, sunlight free cabinet where also the temperature doesn't change a lot. You can freshen up the looks of the jewelcase by using e.g. Nero Coverdesigner.
Source: Club CD Freaks
