Sharpies on CDRs? pros/cons?

I've heard "definitive" opinions on both sides of the issue, some say it will eventaully bleed thru and others say it's perfectly fine.

I know the alternative is to write on the inside ring, but that's no fun. I like to see what I'm grabbing out of the case.

There are also the CDR special pens, but are those just a ripoff if a Sharpie is just as good, if not better?

Anybody have opinions/bad experiences with writing anywhere on the label? I mean they often have lines there to write on now.

If you mean writing on the actual front of the CD with a Sharpie. I do it all the time.

Been doing it for almost 4 years and the old ones are still holding up, its just that somebody commented on them this weekend and made me think twice.

say "toodles" to your data at some point.

It's best to use acid-free pens, the "CD pens" being a guaranteed example of this.

Are we talking millennia for the acid to wear thru the foil label and/or the plastic? Something akin to a "half-life" or am I looking to lose all of my CDRs in the next few years?

From:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65104

Interesting paragraph:

We decided to talk immediately to Sanford (company that makes Sharpies). They agreed there was a potential problem, and suggested we contact Amodex - a company that manufactures cleaning products. Sanford recommends Amodex highly for cleaning Sanford's products. We sent them two test CDs. One was recently Sharpie'd, the other had been marked up many years ago. Here is what they told us: Because the resin used in CD manufacturing is so soft and porous, none of their cleaning products can get Sharpie ink off the the cd entirely. Though the surface may be clean in appearance, some of the components of the ink have penetrated and been absorbed by the inner layers of the disc. Heat makes the situation much worse...

and a recommendation:

...A Dixon product, the "RediSharp Plus! Permanent Non-Toxic" marker, is widely regarded as "safe" and is inexpensive...

I have an extensive collection of live, non-commercial (I won't use the "B" word) concert CDs that are, for obvious reasons, irreplaceable. I guess I know what I'll be doing for the next few months. I don't want to take any chances.

Considering that they sell them for pennies a piece, I do not expect too much from them. I have read that your backed up data and pictures may age and lose data. (This is irrespective of writing on them.)

Alternatives? I don't know. I use print film.

.CD-R's may fail after about 10 years or even less. And thats if they're in great condition. Not very reliable..

http://www.digitaldolphin.netfirms.com/

Lots of good information there as far as CD/R /RW quality.

..and they all work fine SO far. The only problem I have is that they scratch so damn easily.