Medea Direct PressIt CD Labelling Kit for Mac OSX - CD/DVD label kit (PLLK01003)

Ok ladies gents after long time no review I’m writing again as my exams are over. Ok so today I am reviewing the pressit lite CD labelling kit.

What’s in the box?
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OK I’m not going to bore you with packaging details as you can see the picture but the box is appealing and basically just illustrates what you can do with the kit.

In the box you get:

Expressit ...
...and jewel case inserts

Pressit label applicator

The CDrom and labels obviously need no description other than the labels and inserts are white and the CDrom was a lovely shade of orange. The applicator can vary in colour but mine was blue. It is fairly small, has the front surface area of a CD with a little lump sticking out of the top and a spring in the middle.

OK now its time for the serious testing ... more

Ok ladies gents after long time no review I’m writing again as my exams are over. Ok so today I am reviewing the pressit lite CD labelling kit.

What’s in the box?
--------------------------

OK I’m not going to bore you with packaging details as you can see the picture but the box is appealing and basically just illustrates what you can do with the kit.

In the box you get:

Expressit design software CDrom

Pack of CD labels and jewel case inserts

Pressit label applicator

The CDrom and labels obviously need no description other than the labels and inserts are white and the CDrom was a lovely shade of orange. The applicator can vary in colour but mine was blue. It is fairly small, has the front surface area of a CD with a little lump sticking out of the top and a spring in the middle.

OK now its time for the serious testing and analysis!

How easy is it to make a label?
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To put it simply, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. All you do is put the label paper (provided) in your printer in place of the blank A4 paper. You then install the Expressit software. It is extremely easy to install. As soon as you put the CD into the drive step by step installation instructions are given and installation is completed in a matter of minutes (and your PC only needs Windows 95 and 16mb of RAM so pretty much all computers are covered). You then open the software. A template of two CD covers comes up on screen (set out same as the paper). You then simply drag and drop or use file and open to select your desired image that you want to use on the CD cover. Now the parts of the image that will be printed are displayed in the circular template of the screen and sometimes resizing the image to print what you want can be a pain as pictures can come out wonky and disfigured or incomplete if not the right shape. However I have come up with a solution to this problem which I will discuss later. Creating simple, personal Cd labels without other images, however, is a piece of cake. As soon as you have the image (or background) in place you can use the text tool to add writing or simply print. As soon as you click the print button your printer will do the rest.

Now what I hear you ask?
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Well you simply peel off the label form the paper which is usually easy but at times can be a little bit tricky and place is face down onto the applicator which can be difficult but with practice it becomes second nature. You then get your CD and place is face down (A stopper keeps the CD above the label) on the applicator and when you are ready simply push the button. The CD is then lowered onto the sticky side of the label and all bubbles and creases are avoided.

Quality of product
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OK, well I used a cheap £30 Epson ink jet printer and to my astonishment results were excellent, so you don’t need an expensive printer to get great results. There were no creases or folds on the label and its difficult to tell its home made! The label lays smooth across the disc and it stays on tight and perfectly covers the disc. The applicator ensured my labels hit dead centre and no joke ladies gents, you hit the centre every single time (if only Tim could do the same with his serve…). Obviously if you use glossy labels then the finish is even more professional but the matted ones that come with the kit do a tremendous job themselves. The coloured labels you can buy tend to be only good for adding text onto and pictures from an inkjet printer can often not show up clearly on them so I recommend buying glossy labels or white matted ones. I was left extremely happy with a disc that looked like it had been made by a professional company and the same result is given using laser printers.

Price
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The price online I think was about 8 quid now (not the 12.99 stated by ciao) but I bought mine a while ago at a computer fair for a tenner. This certainly won’t break the bank balance and I feel its good value for money.

Pros and cons
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The pros:

Great finished product every time

Cheap to buy kit

Replacement labels are cheap (about £3 for 50)

Can be used over and over again

Don’t need expensive printer to obtain great results

Simple and quick to use

Trustworthy company

Software easily installed

The cons:

Sticky labels can be a bit tricky

The software makes a tough job of adding your own pictures when they are not a specific shape or size. My solution to this however was to download the free software cover XP and this is fantastic as it moulds your image to the shape allowing for easy printed labels.

How does it compare to the other kit and kits by other companies?
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Other companies make similar products and in my opinion this one is the best due to its simplicity and quality of results. The lite package differs slightly from the full one as the lite has a smaller applicator and you don’t get as many labels but that’s about it. This is a quality product by a trustworthy company. The original and the best in my opinion.

Conclusion
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The pros clearly outweigh the cons. The price is good value for money and won’t hurt your pockets. If you want to label CDs this is fantastic for the everyday person as its simple to use and quick. The results are perfect every time and you don’t need to buy an expensive printer. Combined with the cover XP software mentioned, this is an excellent product with almost no faults and is certainly one of my best buys!

Rishi (I’m baaaaaaaaak!!!)

 

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