Writing on the backs of CDs and DVDs: Dangerous?

Question

Maybe it's completely a superstition, but I was told when I was younger to never ever write on the back of burnable media. Does this have any basis in fact? I was told that it weakened the discs which would cause them to break.

Answer 1

You can damage data by writing on CDs in one of two ways:

1. Scratching - as @francis mentioned, if you use a hard-tip pen or pencil you may scratch the material and create enough damage that the reading laser won't be able to "see" certain sectors
2. Ink seepage - if you use a fountain pen, or a type of marker that leaves a great deal of ink behind, it might seep to the other side, and again destroy readable areas.

My suggestion is: just use a sharpie, or pens dedicated to writing on burnable media. And don't press too hard :)

Answer 2

Well yeah if you carve a inscription into them with a ballpoint pen, it might have issues. Soft tips like sharpies should be fine however.

Answer 3

Using a sharpie or similar is fine. However, if you use a pencil, ballpoint pen, or other hard-tipped pen, you won't be able to write on it AND you risk losing data.

Answer 4

none whatsoever. writing on cds with felt tip, permanant markers is an accepted way of labelling them. Just don't use a ballpoint, but this is cause it'd damage the data layer.

Chances of a cd breaking in a cd drive takes are slim since it takes a fair bit