Summary:
This unit is impressive. There’s a lot of bang for not
a lot of bucks here. The print looks very nice and is simple to create.
It’s a winner. It rates a Sweet, but full color would have made it a
Hot!
Target Users:
Anyone who needs to tidy up their disc labels (who doesn’t?) but
especially DVD creators who have precious few options if they don’t use
sticky labels
What It Costs You:
$139.95 MSRP
What’s Cool:
What isn’t cool about this? It’s small, light, cute and powerful. I love it!
What’s Missing:
Not much is missing, but if this were four-color, it would be killer.
And while the $20 ribbon cost might seem expensive, the per-disc cost
is reasonable.
RATINGS: Products are rated for features, performance, ease of use and overall value on a scale from LAME, OK, SOLID, SWEET to HOT.
Specs
Print Method, thermal transfer; Resolution, 200 dpi; Ribbons, one black
included (optional red, blue and green); Speed, about 26 seconds per
print area; Power, 110/220VAC, 14.4 watts; Dimensions, 9.25-inches W x
2.78-inches H x 7.48-inches D (235mmW x 70mmH x 184mmD); Weight, 2.2
lbs. (1kg)
Anyone who has attended one of my DVD classes or seminars knows that
when someone asks about using "sticky labels" on their DVDs, I throw up
my hands and run from the room shouting " No Labels, No Labels!" So what can DVD creators use instead of sticky labels? A Sharpie? No? Well, what then?
Primera, maker of the Bravo CD/DVD Duplicator, has brought us an inexpensive, elegant solution: the Signature Z1 CD/DVD printer.
Not an Ink Jet
The Signature Z1 is not an ink jet printer, fighting long drying times,
critical media choices and "spin art" when the discs don’t dry.
Instead, it uses a thermal transfer ribbon cartridge, creating
instantly usable printing that is completely dry as soon as it’s
printed. The supplied CD/DVD printing software, "PrimeraPrint," offers
simple layout tools and the ability to mix text and graphics in the
same print run—and the thing is cute, too!
The Signature Z1 prints in one color at a time. You install a one-color
ribbon, and that’s what you print—black, red, blue or green. This may
seem weird, but the single-color printing is actually very functional.
The printer and its software are easy to learn, and you’ll be printing
your DVDs as soon as you get it unpacked. Ribbons cost around $20, but
at the nominal rate the printer uses them up, your actual cost per disc
will be about 10 cents per print area, meaning 10-40 cents total. Not
bad for beautiful discs.
The Basics
The Signature Z1 is tiny, measuring about 9-inches wide x 7.5-inches
deep. It’s incredibly light, too, weighing just 2.2 pounds. (Tuck it in
your "road warrior" bag and use it while traveling.) Commissioning the
Signature Z1 is simple—just unpack it, install the software, connect
the power adapter (which thankfully has a cable and not a "wall wart"
transformer) and plug it into a USB 1.1 or 2.0 port on your PC via the
supplied standard USB cable.
Designing and Printing
Creating the disc graphics couldn’t be simpler—launch the PrimeraPrint
software and design your disc label using the onboard tools. Text is
easy to add and graphics images are simple to import, resize and align.
Just click in a quadrant and type away. (It can even do curved type!)
Handy icons along the left side indicate the available software
functions. The icon at top left is for replacing a ribbon, and the one
at top right initiates a print job.
This unit is impressive. There’s a lot of bang for not a lot of bucks
here. The print looks nice and is simple to create. It’s a winner.
Comments (1) for "Primera Signature Z1 CD/DVD Printer"
1.
The Printer Works Great. However the stated 200 print areas per ribbon is a lie.
The most I've ever gotten was 140. A Big Difference!
Posted by Grapost on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 @ 09:23 PM
