Casio CW-K85 CD/DVD Thermal Printer

"easy set-up,wide choice of printable selections -cons;cannot get link established between computer &printer,checking with manufacturer on this,but even at that-works great as stand-alone unit-Dan"

"The quality of the product is good, but an ink cartridge only last for about 40 copies...that is with only 2 lines per copy. I have gone through 4 ink cartridges[...]now having a difficult time locating new cartridges."

"The packaging isn't the only negative, but it's a start. The printer comes in heat sealed plastic. That's the stuff that's just plain nasty for the planet, and usually requires super-human strength, or an act of God to open.



I thought I was going to need the jaws of life to get it out! After breaking 2 pairs of scissors and cutting myself a few times for good measure, I was finally able to pry it out ... only to be disappointed even further.



They tell you in the manual that "some units" ship with the DC adapter and others come with AA batteries. I guess I got the wrong unit because mine came with batteries. You may want to check into which one includes the adapter before purchasing (investigate machetes while you're at it ... they may be useful to open the sucker! =).



On to the unit itself - IT DOES NOT WORK WITH WINDOWS 7, 64 BIT! The drivers it shipped with are only for xp, but they have them for win 7 on line. Unfortunately, they don't do 64 bit. Sooo ... I am stuck with a unit that I can't run with my system.



Meanwhile, the manual operation (standalone/no computer) is quite frustrating. I find the user manual complicated. I work in multimedia development professionally and have a decent level of experience with system building and setting up/using a variety of peripherals, so I don't think I'm the only one who may find it hard to use this unit as a stand alone. Hard, but not impossible. Just not what I was hoping for when I purchased it. Fortunately, I also bought a new pack of CD markers. I suppose it's back to handwriting on the disks."

"This machine has its place. For the most part it will do as it is advertised. The only rub that I can spot is, that in the part (b) printing mode, for whatever the reason the print quality is not as crisp as the part (a) printing mode. But, it does the job and I think if used in context of the products features it will be a welcomed addition."

"I can now take my pre-releases to the radio stations looking like it was done by a professional. I can lable my CD with legible prints, something I can never do properly with a marker. I can take it anywhere I need to because it is light and protable."

"Before I got this Casio printer, I read the reviews that complained about how it was complicated to use, but I purchased it because the other choices are much more expensive. I do short runs of videos for schools, athletic teams and performances- 10 to 20 dvds at a time. Paying for a good dvd printer is not an option for me right now.



My expectations were fairly low after reading how it is not user friendly.



I use a MAC so I did not set it up with the computer, I only used it with the internal settings and with battery power. My printer came with batteries not an AC adapter.



My first impression after I managed to get it out of that horrible plastic package was that it was so cute, very lightweight and compact. I followed the manual to lay out the type and it went well. I saved a layout and made discs that had the same title but different info in the second line and it went smoothly. I have used the preset frames and changed the typeface. The typefaces are mostly unattractive but very readable.



It sure beats my handwriting. It is a bit dated with the graphics, the frames are kind of stodgy and cliche. The typefaces are boring. The printing process is a kind of pressure that sticks the tape on to the disc to make the letters and graphics. I have only used the black tape. It makes me laugh every time it prints with that funny sound.



But I love it for what it does. It makes clean type and fits a lot of info into a couple of lines. You DO need to read the manual and take a little time to get used to it. But it has made me feel a whole lot more comfortable giving discs to clients. I have disc labels that stick on and they look great but are not good for longevity or playing in laptops. The Casio printer is the best thing I have found to brigde between marker and expensive printers.



I purchased a second tape that I have not had to use yet. I would recommend this to those who need clean titling, nothing fancy, for presonal or light commercial use."

"Adds a Professional look to your CD's and DVD's.Produces a High Quality Lettering Image directly on the disc. The printer can work with or without a computer.The printer setup is quick and easy without a computer. Connecting to a computer with the included USB Cable increases the number of fonts and designs available.The printer is small and can be used anywhere with the included battery power.I have purchased from J&R with confidence for many years. [...] I have also not found a lower price anywhere for this product than at J&R."

"This printer works well, I have printed about 45 discs so far on the same ink cartridge with no problems. It is easy to use if you can use the software. The software does not support Win7 64 bit."

"Right out of the box it was easy to install the software and use the printer without a computer to make a great looking disk.



For the cost I expected possible lesser quality printing, but at the normal (hot high) quality setting the quality impressed me and my client.



I was in a hurry so used the unit without a computer, chose the top and bottom of disk layout, the basic sans font, and printed. KEEP THE SIDE YOU WANT TO PRINT FACING AWAY FROM YOU - THE DIRECTIONS ARE A BIT UNCLEAR ABOUT THIS IN THEIR WORDING - THUS MY ONLY 4 STARS RATHER THAN 5 STARS.



Can't wait to customize more fancy layouts. Most impressive is how solid and shart the printing was, and how easy to align in straight lines."

"Works good. The ribbon seem to be a bit small for large volumes. This is the only thing that could have been improved. Very easy to use and the fact that you can store you labels make it quick to produce the same label days later."