Core77

The Dymo DiscPainter feels like a toy; and by that we don't mean it's chintzy, we mean it's fun. Pop a (white) CD or DVD into the drive, set your photo up with the included software, hit "Print," and watch it spin your image onto the disc through the window.

The diminutive machine has a footprint not much bigger than a DVD case, and the discs come out surprisingly quickly, perhaps a minute or two. It's easy to set up; we were printing about five minutes after popping our tester machine out of the box. The software is simple to use and best of all, lets you see exactly where the photo will end up on your disc's borders. You can also re-scale and tweak your images. Price is sub-$300.

The default print quality is 600 d.p.i., and while the DiscPainter can handle gradients okay, it seems to really pop best with blocks or waves of color (think grafitti or rave flyers) and is also capable of astonishing fine-line detail. Hit the jump to see larger photos of the discs we printed as well as stats on the machine.

Features:

- Patented RadialPrint "spin" technology prints professional quality images directly onto the disc as it spins

- Three print quality modes print up to 1200 DPI

- Fast: Full-color images in about three minutes, 600 DPI images in about one minute

- Nine ink density settings, able to print on matte or glossy CDs or DVDs

- Software comes with dozens of ready-made canvases for easy and creative disc design

- Photo collage tool to create designs using up to 16 photos

- Ability to print images from Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, QuarkXpress, and SureThing

- Single-cartridge ink system that prints about 100 discs per cartridge, including mini-discs

- Mac and PC compatible

Check it out here.