# Best type of marker to write on optical media? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-type-of-marker-to-write-on-optical-media/419933 "2007-09-21T00:44:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-type-of-marker-to-write-on-optical-media/419933/21 "2007-09-23T17:39:00Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] I think the commercial ones are pressed with the polycarbinate layer first, then the reflective layer (which would be deposited on the back side of the data-reading area), then the protective layer, then a label or label layer. [/quote] This is exactly right. [QUOTE=Musicat] But blanks for burning could be made differently – I don’t know, but this could affect the thickness or composition of some layers. [/QUOTE] From what I can tell, the construction is similar, except that instead of pressing a pattern of pits into the polycarbonate disk, a dye layer us deposited. The remaining steps are identical to pressed CDs. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-type-of-marker-to-write-on-optical-media/419933/22 "2007-09-23T17:46:45Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] But your post mentioned the construction of DVDs as different. [/QUOTE] Right. And if you look at the edge of a DVD (magnification helps here), you can see the data layer sandwiched in the middle of the disk. It’s actually two polycarbonate disks cemented together with the pressed data/dye layer (or layers, in the case of dual-layer DVDs) and the deposited aluminum reflective layer between them. ---
**Author:** ![papaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@papaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papaw)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-type-of-marker-to-write-on-optical-media/419933/23 "2007-09-23T18:28:11Z")
Lightscribe fades pretty quickly, though. ---
**Author:** ![Daylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/45deac/32.png) [@Daylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2007, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-type-of-marker-to-write-on-optical-media/419933/24 "2007-09-24T07:19:05Z")
Could be scare tactics to sell higher priced pens, true. But it’s worth the extra $$ to me for the peace of mind. I’d rather eliminate the risk when it comes to my image backups. Imagine calling a couple who’s bridals you shot saying “umm, the disk is unreadable, sorry…” - had to do that once - now THAT’S a hard phonecall to make. [QUOTE=Q.E.D.] I find that very difficult to believe. The solvents used in standard Sharpie markers are all highly volatile (see the Sharpie marker [MSDS](http://www.sharpie.com/img/compel/1q-GX-nv0DGRX5jtoz3LT1QylJ4LVmOr/SharpieUF.pdf)). I can see CDs possibly being affected, since the optical layer is only protected by a thin lacquer coating on the label side, but DVDs have the optical layer sandwiched between two half-thickness polycarbonate discs. No way is the residue from a sharpie going to eat through that enough to cause any damage, even if what you say is true. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2007, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-type-of-marker-to-write-on-optical-media/419933/25 "2007-09-24T08:44:17Z")
[QUOTE=Daylon] Could be scare tactics to sell higher priced pens, true. But it’s worth the extra $$ to me for the peace of mind. I’d rather eliminate the risk when it comes to my image backups. Imagine calling a couple who’s bridals you shot saying “umm, the disk is unreadable, sorry…” - had to do that once - now THAT’S a hard phonecall to make. [/QUOTE] Sort of like Pascal’s Wager, eh? 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-type-of-marker-to-write-on-optical-media/419933.md?page=1)