LightScribe was a system that printed a label on a writable CD or DVD in the
drive. Compatible drives worked with companion software to "burn" a visible
image onto disks with special ink on the label side. The motto of LightScribe
was "Burn, Flip, Burn" as the disk was inserted label side down to write on the
label.
A LightScribe disk labeled
with the Wikipedia logo
Closeup of the hub of a
LightScribe disk
Although disks came with several colors for the label side, the printing
could only be shades of gray. Labeling a LightScribe disk was a relatively slow
process, but it could be accelerated if the image were made lighter. The label
could be printed twice or more to produce a darker image. The disks also had to
be protected from heat, high humidity, and bright light.
LightScribe disks and drives can still be found as "new, old stock" inventory
but haven't been manufactured since 2013.
