Disc Makers Elite2 User manual

Brand: Disc Makers

Model: Elite2

Category: Media duplicators

Type: User manual

Mac User Guide

Includes information about the

operation and use of your

Elite Series duplicator with a Macintosh

computer

This document and related materials are provided

“as is” with no warranties, express or implied,

including but not limited to any implied warranty

or merchantability, ﬁtness for a particular purpose,

non-infringement of intellectual property rights,

or any warranty otherwise arising out of any

proposal, speciﬁcation, or sample. Disc Makers

assumes no responsibility for any errors contained

in this document and has no liabilities or obliga-

tions for any damages arising from or in connec-

tion with the use of this document.

Elite and ElitePRO are trademarks of Disc Makers.

*Other names and brands may be claimed as the

property of others.

Disc Makers®

Customer Service Manager

Hardware and Consumables

1165 Thomas Busch Memorial Highway

Pennsauken, NJ 08110-2310

1-888-800-4041 (Toll-free)

1-856-661-3457 (Fax)

www.discmakers.com

Support information

Each Elite series duplicator includes a variety of

technical support options that are available as

long as you own the equipment.

Many common problems can be resolved quickly

by consulting the Troubleshooting FAQ in this

guide. Try this option ﬁrst if you encounter dif-

ﬁculties.

You can access details about software upgrades,

updated product information, and other helpful

owner information at www.dmelite.com.

For prompt technical support by email, send your

questions to [email protected].

Toll-free technical support can be obtained from

9:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern time Monday through

Friday. Call 1-888-800-4041 for telephone sup-

port on any duplicator-related issues.

For replenishing your supply of recordable discs,

visit www.discmarket.com. Elite series duplica-

tors have been tuned for optimal results with Disc

Makers blank CDs and DVDs, helping ensure

error-free recording and maximum recording

speeds. Samples of CD or DVD media from Disc

Makers are included with your purchase. Keep an

ample supply of blank media and ink cartridges

available so that your duplication system will

always be ready for use.

Registration entitles you to additional beneﬁts,

including prompt notiﬁcation of software and

ﬁrmware upgrades. Register your duplicator by

visiting www.dmelite.com/register.

Contents

Chapter 1: Automating Disc Duplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

System overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Elite2 for Mac requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Disc duplicator capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Powering on the duplicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

To power on the duplicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

To power down the duplicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Chapter 2: Getting the Most from Your Duplicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Tips on media use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Conﬁguration considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Best practices for duplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Software capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Working with masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Format considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Image storage issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Organizing projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Cross-platform operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Chapter 3: Using Discribe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Using Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

To copy a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Duplicating and printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

To duplicate and print from disc to disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Duplicating multiple masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

To create duplicates in stream mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Creating images from disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

To create an image from disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Duplicating discs from images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

To create a disc from an image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Queueing multiple jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

To add jobs to a queue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Chapter 4: Using Discus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Specifying print regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

To adjust print regions in Discus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Creating disc labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

To import user graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

To add text to an image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Adjusting printer settings for best results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

To increase saturation when printing discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Chapter 5: Using Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Testing the robotics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

To test the robotics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Positioning the trays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

To reposition the print tray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

To reposition the drive trays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

To position the disc pick arm for shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Printing a disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

To print a disc label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Cleaning the disc drive and printer trays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

To clean the disc and printer trays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Replacing the printer ﬁlter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

To replace the printer ﬁler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Keeping the duplicator running well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Chapter 6: Troubleshooting FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

System problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Printer problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Autoloader problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Additional problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Elite Series for Mac User Guide

Disc Makers Elite Series for Mac duplicators bring

a broad range of disc publishing capabilities to

your home or business. Engineered to deliver

consistent, reliable performance for many years,

the Elite Series provides automated duplication

and label printing of discs on both Mac and PC

platforms, handling a variety of formats and sizes

of CDs, CD-ROMs and DVDs. The Discribe soft-

ware included with the duplicator streamlines and

simpliﬁes projects and helps automate tasks for a

more productive workﬂow.

Elite Series duplicators are designed for ease of

use and trouble-free operation. This user guide,

structured to get you started quickly, is organized

by tasks. Before starting any of the tasks in the

guide, complete the setup procedures in the

Mac Getting Started Guide included with your

shipment. These setup procedures cover the

steps necessary to connect and power-on the

components, prepare the software for initial use,

and ensure that the duplicator is ready for opera-

tion. If you encounter any problems during the

initial setup, refer to the Troubleshooting FAQ

near the end of this guide.

We want you to be fully satisﬁed with your pur-

chase from Disc Makers. If at any time you require

help on issues that are not covered in this guide,

the Mac Getting Started Guide or the

Disc Makers Web site, please contact us by email

at [email protected] or call us at

1-888-800-4041 for toll-free support.

Chapter 1: Automating Disc Duplication

Automating Disc Duplication

SyStem overview

Elite Series duplicators feature all of the hardware

and software tools that you need to publish and

print CDs or DVDs, either from an existing disc

master or an image created from a disc-ready

set of ﬁles. These capabilities let businesses or

individuals experience the beneﬁts of cost-effec-

tive disc duplication to distribute information to

current and prospective customers, staff members

in different locations, trading partners, and other

audiences.

The duplicator design favors ease of use and re-

quires minimal attention during copy operations.

By automating and coordinating the duplication

and printing tasks, you can save time and effort

while achieving polished, professional results.

This User Guide covers the Elite2™ for Mac dupli-

cator. The Elite2 also includes PC software so that

you can install and use it with a computer running

Microsoft Windows* XP.

Note: Do not violate copyright laws by duplicat-

ing materials for which you do not have copyright

ownership. This equipment should only be used

for legal duplication tasks consistent with the

license requirements that apply to the source ma-

terials. Be aware of these requirements to avoid

prosecution under current copyright laws.

Elite2 for Mac requirements

The minimum Mac computer system require-

ments to support operation of the Elite2 duplica-

tor are:

• Macintosh system powered by a 800MHz or

faster PowerPC G5 processor (Note: Discribe

does not currently run with Intel* Core Solo

or Intel Core Duo processor)

• 512MB of RAM

• 40GB hard disk drive, with 7200 rpm spindle

speed and 70 percent space availability

• Mac OS X Version 10.3.7 or higher

• Two available USB 2.0 ports (USB 1.x ports

do not have sufﬁcient throughput to support

duplicator operations; upgrade to a USB

2.0 interface card to provide the required

performance.)

Note: Faster hard drives with 10,000 rpm spindle

speeds deliver better results for demanding dupli-

cator operations. We recommend that for optimal

duplicator throughput a system with a high-per-

formance SATA or SCSI hard drive is used.

The Elite2 also features a built-in disc printer

that coordinates with the duplicator robotics for

automated operation. The disc printer can print

high-quality labels on recordable media that has a

printable surface.

Elite Series for Mac User Guide

DiSc Duplicator capabilitieS

Elite Series duplicators can:

• Produce up to 175 discs from a master or an

image during a single session.

• Automatically perform a series of duplication

operations from a number of different disc

masters placed on the input spindle (this

feature is referred to as stream mode).

• Support all common CD and DVD formats,

including DVD double layer (DL).

• Create and store a virtually unlimited library

of disc labels that can be accessed on

demand and used in combination with any

duplication project to automate printing.

powering on the Duplicator

The main switch on the back of the Elite Series

duplicator cabinet turns on the power supply.

There is also a switch on the left side of the cabi-

net that powers on the duplicator components.

The power switch for the printer is on the front of

the printer cabinet.

To power on the duplicator

1 Ensure that the power cables are properly

connected to the duplication system cabinet

and that the separate printer power cable is

connected.

2 Turn on the power switch at the rear of the

cabinet on.

3 Press the power switch on the printer once. A

green light indicates power.

4 Press the power switch on the left of the cabi-

net once to supply power to the unit.

To power down the duplicator

1 Exit all related applications, including Dis-

cribe.

2 Turn off the power switch on the left side of

the cabinet.

3 Press the printer power button once to turn

off printer power. The green light goes out.

Optionally, when you have powered down the

system and printer, you can turn off the power

switch on the rear of the cabinet. This shuts down

power to all the components in the cabinet,

except for the printer, which uses its own separate

power input.

Automating Disc Duplication

Elite Series for Mac User Guide

The Elite2 for Mac duplicator includes all of the

hardware and software components to reliably

produce CDs, CD-ROMs, and DVDs in popular

formats for home and business uses.

High-speed disc duplication requires very high

quality media, a high-performance host computer,

fast hard drives, and a well-tuned system. This

chapter offers some suggestions that can help

you achieve consistent results with the Elite2 and

maximize your investment in this product.

tipS on meDia uSe

High-speed duplicators, such as the Elite Series

models, work best with very high quality media

that supports optimal recording speeds (we

recommend Disc Makers Ultra media). Although

these duplicators can record on earlier genera-

tion media with lower recording speeds, the best

results are obtained by using current generation

disc media, which allows the disc recorders to

operate at their maximum performance levels.

For the best duplication results, load the input

spindle with a single type of recordable media.

Mixing recordable discs of two or more types for

a single project (such as 8x and 16x rated blank

DVDs) may cause duplication problems.

configuration conSiDerationS

Successful disc recording requires a signiﬁcant

amount of system resources and typically you

should not run other applications at the same

time Discribe is duplicating discs. To ensure that

the disc recording process proceeds without

interruption, keep these system conﬁguration tips

in mind:

Shut down any background applications—such

as virus protection programs or system monitor-

ing programs—before starting a duplication job.

We do recommend, however, that you scan the

source ﬁles in your duplication project for viruses,

malware, or worms using a utility such as McAfee*

Virex* for Macintosh or Norton* AntiVirus* for

Macintosh before burning ﬁles to disc to avoid

passing infected ﬁles to customers or clients.

Mac OS X uses dynamic memory, allocation both

for system memory and virtual memory, so

Discribe is able to create required buffers as

needed without your oversight. You should,

however, avoid running any processor-intensive

applications while the disc duplicator is running.

To minimize the chance that any interruptions

will occur during recording (that could result in

rejected, improperly recorded discs), do not use

the Mac that is hosting the duplication for other

activities while a duplication job is underway.

beSt practiceS for Duplication

Follow these practices to achieve the best results

with your duplicator:

• Always use clean, scratch-free masters and

blanks to ensure successful duplication.

• Don’t mix media of different recording

speeds in the same job. Never mix CD and

DVD media in a single project.

• When burning audio discs, the optimal

recording speed for quality results is 16x.

• Don’t run other applications—either in

the foreground or the background—when

performing a duplication job.

• Operate your duplicator on a stable surface

away from sources of shock and vibration.

• Keep the duplicator surfaces, particularly

the trays and spindles, clean and free of

contaminants. Remove dust or debris

regularly, particularly before beginning a

large disc run.

• Do not operate your duplicator in direct

sunlight or in a room with very bright lights.

Intense lighting may affect the optical

sensors that are necessary for operation.

• Always load discs on the input spindle with

the label side up and shiny (recordable) side

down.

Chapter 2: Getting the Most from Your Duplicator

Getting the Most From Your Duplicator

Software capabilitieS

Discribe from Charismac Engineering, Inc., the

Mac-compatible software bundled with the Elite2,

unlocks the potential of your Elite Series duplica-

tor with a broad range of capabilities. Discribe

provides access to disc duplication, printing,

workﬂow shortcuts, diagnostics, queued opera-

tions, and several valuable utilities.

By default, Discribe installs to the Applications

folder of your Mac OS X system, but for conve-

nience you may want to drag the Discribe Ap-

plication icon to the Dock for easier access from

the desktop.

When you start Discribe, the Quick Start win-

dow appears, allowing you to perform a number

of basic duplication operations. If you would

rather open to the main Discribe window, which

provides access to a greater range of options,

select the Preferences option from the Discribe

OS X menu and deselect the Show Quick Start

checkbox.

The next chapter, Using Discribe, provides a more

detailed description of the program and includes

procedures for using the Discribe with the Elite2.

You can also refer to the Discribe 5 for OSX Man-

ual from CharisMac for information on the many

features of the program. This manual is provided

as an Adobe Acrobat* ﬁle on the installation disc.

Another bundled application, Discus from Magic

Mouse Software, provides all of the tools you

need to create top-notch graphics for printing on

disc surfaces. A hybrid disc featuring both Mac

and Windows versions of Discus is included in the

Elite2 installation package. Using Discus, you can

create a library of disc graphics and then refer-

ence individual images as needed from within

Discribe as you deﬁne duplication and print jobs.

An Adobe Acrobat version of the Discus User

Manual is also included on the installation CD-

ROM.

To gain the maximum value from your Elite2 dupl-

cator, we recommend that you spend some time

familiarizing yourself with Discribe and Discus.

Both programs feature simple, intuitive interfaces

and complementary capabilities, so that they

work together very effectively. The documenta-

tion included in this User Guide does not fully

cover all of the features of these programs, but

highlights those features that are most com-

monly used with the Elite2. Refer to the more

comprehensive user manuals from CharisMac and

Magic Mouse Software for full descriptions of the

applications.

working with maSterS

A master is a disc that you use as the basis for

duplication. In a typical duplication job, Discribe

takes the ﬁrst disc—the master—from the input

spindle, moves it to a DVD-RW drive, creates an

image from it, and uses that image for the dupli-

cation process. Always use a clean, high quality

master, free from scratches and dust, to obtain

the best results during duplication.

format conSiDerationS

Elite Series duplicators support the majority of

standard CD and DVD formats, ranging from

basic audio CDs to DVD-Video and DVD-ROM

formats. The standard Elite Series duplicators use

conventional 120mm discs for jobs. Special kits

are available from Disc Makers to accommodate

different disc sizes, such as the business-card size

discs.

Note: DVDs that have been produced using

encrypted copy protection schemes cannot be

duplicated. Do not attempt to copy commercial

discs with Elite Series duplicators.

Elite Series for Mac User Guide

image Storage iSSueS

Full disc images, particularly of DVDs, occupy a

substantial amount of storage space, which can

accumulate rapidly if you habitually store disc im-

ages of the hard disk of the computer hosting the

Elite2. You may want to store commonly needed

disc images on the host computer used with the

Elite2, but be conscious of the storage consump-

tion.

Because the duplicator can quickly create an im-

age for a job from a master disc, the time saved

by storing images on the hard drive is often neg-

ligible. We recommend that you keep a minimal

number of stored images on the drive and load

new images from a master as required when per-

forming duplication jobs.

organizing projectS

The details of each duplication operation that you

perform can be stored under a speciﬁc job name.

You can retrieve saved jobs and use the prior

speciﬁcations—such as the type of duplication

and the print label to use—to start a new job. Dis-

cribe provides an option on the File menu to al-

low you to Open Job, so that all previous settings

and ﬁle lists can be quickly accessed and used.

As you complete a duplication job—that uses val-

ues that you may want to access again—use the

Save As option on the File menu in Discribe to

choose a name and destination for the stored ﬁle.

Similarly, using Discus, the label printing program

that works with Discribe, you can create and store

labels for reuse—either using graphics provided

in Discus or your own imported graphics.

As you create labels for discs, store those labels

in Discus before quitting the program. You can

then open the Old Projects tab to view previously

created labels and open them for immediate use

or to modify for a new project.

croSS-platform operation

Many businesses and even some home users

have a mix of Macintosh and PC computers. You

can use the Elite2 duplicator on either platform

or switch back and forth as required for individual

projects. Simply install the appropriate software

on your Macintosh and the required software

for Windows on the respective host computers.

Switching from platform to platform is as simple

as powering down the duplicator and then plug-

ging the USB cable into the Mac or the PC, as

necessary.

You can also share label designs across platforms

by copying the graphics ﬁles created in Discus

from one computer to another. The graphics ﬁle

formats supported by Discus are readable on

both Macs and PCs.

Getting the Most From Your Duplicator

Elite Series for Mac User Guide

uSing Quick Start

When you launch Discribe, the Quick Start win-

dow appears. Using drag and drop techniques,

you can use Quick Start to perform three different

operations:

• Create a data CD

• Create an audio CD

• Copy a CD or DVD

You can click one of the three buttons to start a

speciﬁc operation, as described in the following

procedure. Or, alternatively, you can drag ﬁles or

folders to the window and Discribe will automati-

cally launch the Build A Mac HFS option, letting

you quickly produce a Mac-compatible disc.

To copy a CD or DVD

1 Launch Discribe from the Applications folder

or the appropriate location on your Mac.

2 Insert a CD or DVD to be copied into the disc

drive of your computer.

3 Click the button labeled Copy a CD/DVD.

The window that appears displays the op-

tions for the copy operation.

4 Select the Source drive for the copy opera-

tion.

5 Click the Burn button to proceed to the

Robot Write window.

6 Select the number of discs to write. For a

simple test of the copy operation, select 1

disc. The other options in this window will be

described in a later section. For now, you can

simply accept the standard default options.

Chapter 3: Using Discribe

Using Discribe

8 Click Start to begin the copy operation.

Discribe loads blank media from the input

spindle and inserts a disc in one of the

available drives. Discribe then indicates the

progress as the ﬁles are written to disc.

9 When the write operation is complete, Dis-

cribe unloads the disc copy from the drive

and drops it onto the output spindle.

Once you complete the copy operation, you can

give the job a name, using Save Job on the File

menu, and open it later if you want to recall the

details of the operation and use the same set-

tings.

Duplicating anD printing

Elite Series duplicators integrate the recording

and printing of discs so that you can establish a

continuous workﬂow. One of the simplest duplica-

tion tasks is to make one or more disc copies

from an existing master. and print an image on

each disc surface. This procedure provides a

useful means to check each aspect of the system

and ensure that all components are aligned and

working properly.

To duplicate and print from disc to

disc

1 Launch Discribe and click the Copy CD/DVD

button. The CD/DVD copy options appear in

the main window.

2 Insert the disc that will be the master in one

of the Elite Series DVD+RW drives. Place one

or more blank discs in the input spindle.

3 Select the drive that contains the master from

the Source options in the main window.

4 Click the Burn button. The Robot Write win-

dow appears.

5 To include disc printing as part of the job, se-

lect the Print Image on Discs checkbox. This

enables the buttons that control printing.

Note: To print to a disc, you must ﬁrst have a

suitable graphic image, scaled to the disc format.

If you don’t already have a disc image available,

refer to the next chapter about Discus for instruc-

tions on how to create one.

6 Select a graphic image to print as the disc

label. Discribe and the disc printer driver ac-

cept many common graphics ﬁle formats for

this purpose.

7 Click the Page Setup button. In the Page

Setup window, under the Page Attributes,

ensure that the disc printer is selected as the

Format for option and the paper size is set to

Disc.

8 Click OK to conﬁrm your selections.

Elite Series for Mac User Guide

9 Click the Print Settings button and conﬁrm

that the disc printer is selected for the print

job.

10 Complete the rest of the settings in the Ro-

bot Write window. These settings are deﬁned

as follows:

• Print on disc before recording: schedules the

printing of the disc before the write opera-

tion to the disc.

• Record on disc before printing: schedules

disc recording ﬁrst, followed by the printing

of the disc.

• Number of discs to write: Lets you select the

total number of discs to produce, up to the

maximum handled by the Elite2 (175 discs).

• Stop job if more than N write(s) fail: Deter-

mines the maximum number of failed write

operations allowed (as speciﬁed by N) before

the job is terminated.

• Clear robot before writing: Removes all medi-

ia from the printer and the disc drives before

beginning the job.

• Test Write: Performs a test operation, without

recording any ﬁles to disc, to conﬁrm that all

settings are appropriate.

• Write: Enables recording to disc without pre-

testing of the settings and system.

• Write Speed: Lets you determine the speed

of the write operation. If you are using older

media, set the write speed to match the

media rating.

• Verify After Writing: When selected, Discribe

checks the integrity of the recording follow-

ing the write operation. This option adds

some time to the overall job, but ensures

precise recording results.

• Ignore Read Errors: Instructs Discribe to ig-

nore any read errors that are detected when

copying ﬁles from a master, ﬁles, or folders.

• Using BURN-Proof/JustLink: These technolo-

gies ensure that if the disc drive’s write buffer

drops below a certain threshold, the write is

temporarily suspended and then resumed at

the same point, preventing buffer under-run

errors that can ruin disc recording. Normally,

this option should be selected.

• Cache Disc to File Before Writing: When

making a copy of an existing disc, you can

copy the disc contents to a ﬁle before start-

ing the write operation. This ensures better

performance and more consistent results.

• Cache Entire Disc to RAM Before Writing:

For maximum performance during recording,

select this option, which creates a cached

version of the disc copy to system memory

before starting the job. This option should

only be used on systems that have large

amounts of memory.

11 Click the Start button to begin the job.

Discribe loads blank media into the disc

recorder, writes to the disc, loads the disc

into the printer, and prints the image that

you speciﬁed. When the operation is done,

Discribe unloads the disc from the printer

and deposits it on the output spindle.

Note: If you encounter any problems during the

recording or printing, refer to the Troubleshooting

FAQ near the end of this guide.

Using Discribe

Duplicating multiple maSterS

A feature of Discribe referred to as Stream lets

you perform a series of disc to disc copies from

multiple masters. To duplicate multiple masters

using Stream, interleave the masters with the

number of blank discs (underneath each master)

that you want to duplicate. Discribe will automati-

cally work through the stack, select each new

master, and perform as many copies of it as there

are blank discs until it detects the next master.

Note: You cannot mix CD and DVD masters in this

type of operation; all master discs (and corre-

sponding blanks) must be either CDs or DVDs.

To create duplicates in stream mode

1 Load the input spindle with a combination of

blank discs and masters. Underneath each

master you should place the number of cop-

ies of that master that you want recorded.

For example, if you want 8 copies of a par-

ticular master, place 8 blank discs in the input

spindle and place the master on top of them.

2 For the next master to be duplicated, place

the appropriate number of blank discs on

top of the previous master. Then, place the

second master on the top of the blank discs.

3 Continue in this manner until you have

loaded the input spindle with the combina-

tion of masters and blanks needed for the

operation. You can load as many masters and

blanks as required up to the 175 disc capac-

ity of the input spindle.

4 Remove any discs present in the drive trays.

5 From the Discribe main window, select the

Stream option. The Stream window appears.

6 To print an image on the discs, select the

Print Images on Discs checkbox. If you want

to print a different image for each master,

you can create a print image list, which will

be used sequentially to select images for

masters. In other words, the ﬁrst image ﬁle

in the print images list will apply to the ﬁrst

master in the stack; the second image will

apply to the second master in the stack, and

so on.

Elite Series for Mac User Guide

7 Make sure that the Page Settings and Print

Settings are appropriate for the job. Click OK

to conﬁrm the print images and options.

8 Click the Burn button to start the job. Dis-

cribe proceeds to copy each master as it is

encountered in the stack and then produce

a number of copies based on the number

of blanks beneath the master. Each disc is

printed with the selected image and then

deposited onto the output spindle.

creating imageS from DiSc

Any non-copy-protected CD or DVD can be used

to generate an image ﬁle. Image ﬁles represent

a byte-by-byte replica of the contents of a disc.

These images can be written directly to record-

able discs from the hard drive faster than if you

attempted to make a copy from one disc drive

to another. This is a good technique to use if you

frequently produce discs from the same master.

To create an image from disc

1 Place the disc that you want to use for the

image in the disc drive.

2 Open the main Discribe window and select

the format that you want to use for the im-

age from the options in the drop-down list

box.

3 Drag the icon for the disc from the Mac desk-

top to the Discribe window. Discribe displays

the size of the ﬁle contents.

4 To specify a volume name for the image you

are creating, click the Data button. In the

window that appears, double-click the name

of the disc shown at the top of the window

and enter a name in the dialog box that

appears. Click OK to conﬁrm the name and

return to the main Discribe window.

5 From the Utilities menu, select the Write

Physical Image option. Choose a destination

for the image ﬁle. Click Save to create the

disc image. Discribe saves the image to the

designated location.

6 When complete, the image can be accessed

using the Disc Copy Image option from the

formats in the main window pop-up menu.

Note: Discribe can also produce an image from

a combination of the contents of a CD-ROM or

DVD and any other individual ﬁles that you add

to the disc contents list—up to the capacity of the

chosen media. You can also produce an image ﬁle

from any ﬁles or folders on the Macintosh. Just

select the appropriate format for the image and

drag the ﬁles and folders to the window. Use the

same technique just described to save the image

ﬁle to a location on your Macintosh.

Duplicating DiScS from imageS

You can start a duplication job from any valid disc

image that has been pre-stored on your system.

To create a disc from an image

1 From the main Discribe window, choose Disc

Copy Image from the pop-up format menu.

Discribe displays the Choose a File dialog

box.

2 Select the appropriate image ﬁle and click

the Choose button. Discribe displays the

details of your selection in the main window.

Using Discribe

3 Click the Burn button to continue. Discribe

displays the Robot Write options. Select the

number of discs to write and the Max Write

Speed for the operation. Make any other

necessary changes to the settings in this

window. Ensure that you have a sufﬁcient

number of blank discs in the input spindle

and click Start to begin the write operation.

4 Discribe proceeds to copy the contents of

the image ﬁle to the designated number

of discs, unloading each completed disc to

the output spindle. If you have speciﬁed a

Print Image for the discs, printing will also be

included in this process.

5 If you intend to perform the same duplication

job in the future, you can use the Save Job

As option on the Discribe File menu to select

a name and destination for the job. This is

also useful if you regularly queue jobs—you

can create a queue with any saved jobs and

carry out a series of duplication operations in

sequence, as described in the next proce-

dure.

Queueing multiple jobS

You can load any number of saved job descrip-

tions to a queue so that each job will be included

in a production run, up to the capacity of the

available media. This can be done for either jobs

that you have previously saved or jobs that you

have just deﬁned as you prepare to start duplica-

tion.

To add jobs to a queue

1 From the main Discribe window, open a

previously saved job or deﬁne a new job in

an appropriate format.

2 Click Queue Job and, if you have just deﬁned

a new project, supply a name for the job.

Discribe displays the Job Details window.

3 Select Print Image on Discs, if appropriate,

and choose the image to use for printing.

Ensure that the Page Setup and Print Set-

tings options are appropriate.

4 Indicate the Number of discs to write and

check the remainder of the settings for the

Selected Job. Click OK to add the job to

the queue. Discribe displays the Job Queue

Window, where you can modify any settings

as required.

5 Repeat this process to add any additional

jobs to the queue.

6 Before starting the queue, make sure that

the Stop queue setting is appropriate. This

number determines the disc failure threshold

before the job will be halted.

7 Click Start Jobs to begin processing all of the

jobs in the queue.

Note: To obtain a software update for Discribe,

contact Disc Makers for information about new

releases and details about obtaining the update.

Elite Series for Mac User Guide

Discus makes it easy to use your own graphics

for disc labels or to choose from a wide selec-

tion of existing images, fonts, and design options

to create striking graphics for your discs. The

Discus program can be run directly from Discribe

through the Print Discs option under the Utilities

menu.

By default, Discus is pre-conﬁgured to operate

with the Disc Makers Autograph VII printer and

it includes a template that matches these Disc

Printer characteristics. If you are using a different

printer with your Elite Series duplicator, refer to

the instructions provided with that printer.

Once the Disc Printer driver has been made ac-

tive through the Print & Fax selections under your

Mac Systems Preferences, you can select it and

print discs either directly through Discus (running

independently) or by accessing Discus through

Discribe.

The status of the Disc Printer can be determined

by following this sequence:

• Select System Preferences from the Apple

Menu.

• Click the Print & Fax icon from the Hardware

options. The available printers are shown

under the Printing selection.

• From the list of available printers, double-

click Disc Printer. The Disc Printer status and

currently queued jobs are shown.

• You can start and stop jobs using the controls

in this window and check it whenever you

need to determine the status of the printer.

Specifying print regionS

Printable disc media from different sources may

have print regions—in other words, the area that

the printable surface covers may extend different

distances from the hub (inner diameter) and from

the outer edge of the disc (outer diameter).

To ensure that the disc printer only prints an

image on the printable surface (and not bare plas-

tic), use the controls available in Discus before

printing to specify the settings.

To adjust print regions in Discus

1 Start the Discus program and select the Print

tab. The screen that appears should show

the default Disc Printer template selected.

2 Place the cursor over control knob on the

top slide bar, which adjusts the distance that

printing will extend toward the outer edge

of the disc. A pop-up box shows the current

print region measurements. The default is

118 mm. Set the slide bar adjustment to 117

mm, as shown in the ﬁgure, to set the outer

limits of printing (this corresponds to typical

disc media from Disc Makers).

3 Place the cursor over the control knob on the

lower slider bar. The pop-up box shows the

measurements. The default is 42 mm. You

can check your recordable media print sur-

face dimensions by measuring from the open

area of the hub to where the print surface

begins. Set this adjustment to correspond

with the media that you’re using.

Chapter 4: Using Discus

Using Discus

4 Open the printer tray by pressing the lower

button on the printer cabinet and place a

blank disc in the tray.

5 Click the Test Print button. Discus prints a

disc with a series of concentric circles printed

on the outer edge and the inner edge of

the disc surface. You can use these circles

to determine whether further adjustments

are needed to properly specify the printable

region and center the print area. Use the

arrow keys below the slider bars, if necessary,

to make small adjustments to center the print

image. The concentric circles on the test

print disc will indicate whether the center

point needs to be shifted in any direction.

In most cases, very small changes of one or

two tenths of a millimeter will be sufﬁcient to

center the print area.

6 Continue to modify the slider bar settings

and arrow control centering until your Test

Print produces a disc with the inner circle

marking the edge of the printable area and

the farthest outer circle showing the outer

rim of the printable area. All circles should be

centered on the disc.

creating DiSc labelS

Discus includes a collection of high-quality

graphic images that you can use as backgrounds

for disc printing. You can also add your own im-

ages—photographs or bitmap images—to create

disc labels. As with other Discus labels, these cus-

tom creations can be stored in a library as image

ﬁles for later use.

Discus can import all standard bitmapped graph-

ics, including BMP, GIF, JPEG, and PCT, and the

program makes it easy to scale images of varying

size to the disc area. This allows you to use press-

quality versions of your corporate logo, product

packaging shots, high-resolution photographs,

and so on, to achieve very smooth and consistent

images when printing to disc.

To import user graphics

1 From the Discus application window, select

the Photo tab. The window that appears

shows an image area on the right with the

disc region to be printed outlined in dotted

red circles.

2 Click the New button to select an image for

the background. You can browse through all

the local or networked folders to locate one

or more photographs to use for the back-

ground. Click Open to conﬁrm the selec-

tions. Discus displays your selected images

in the image browser at the bottom of the

screen, as well as in the image editing area

at the right.

3 Once you have selected an image, Discus

displays the control sliders to modify the

image size, orientation, contrast, sharpness,

and other properties of the selected graphic.

Adjust these settings until you have the im-

age positioned and processed the way that

you want it.

4 You can create a composite image by import-

ing two or more graphics and then position-

ing them to occupy different areas on the

disc surface. The eye symbol on the image

browser selections determines whether or

not an image is displayed. You can also

shufﬂe the relative order of images shown

Page is loading ...

Disc Makers Elite2 User manual

Brand: Disc Makers

Model: Elite2

Category: Media duplicators

Type: User manual

Download PDF

report

Disc Makers Elite2 User manual

Disc Makers Elite2 User manual

Related papers

Other documents