Why are Disc Colors different?

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Why the color of CD is different from other discs?

The colors of a disc are usually determined by the dye layer (recording layer) and the reflection layer:
There are three dyes: one is Cyanine, blue color, made by Taiyo Yuden; another is Phthalocyanine, transparent with a slight shade of yellow, made by Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals; and the other is Azo, blue color , made by Mitsubishi

The colors of reflection layer are usually gold or silver. Therefore:

Dye Color + Reflective Layer => Final Color
Cyanine + Gold => Green
Cyanine+ Silver => Ocean blue
Phthalocyanine + Gold => Gold
Phthalocyanine+ Silver => Platinum
Azo + Silver => Blue

Adjustments in the ratios of dyes used can also cause the shades of color to vary.

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Defining CD-R and CD-RW? What is the difference?

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What is the CD-R?

CD-R is a short form of “CD-Recordable”, meaning recordable CD. In the past, users could only read the data on a CD-ROM. If users wanted to record data onto a CD, they had to ask assistance from a factory and do so in large quantities. With CD-R however, individuals can save data on a CD and produce a format that is exactly the same as that of a standard CD-ROM. But once made, the recorded sections of a CD cannot be recorded over, and due to different materials used, the colors of CD-R vary between gold, blue and green, unlike the silver of a standard CD-ROM .

What is the CD-RW?

CD-RW is short form for “CD- Rewritable”, in other words, a rewritable CD. The special feature of CD-RW is that the recorded sections can be cleared and reused for re-recording. Of course, users cannot rewrite the CD-RW to an infinite number of times. Typically, each CD-RW can be rewritten about 1,000 times.

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Beware! Discs Can Die an Early Death!

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As it turns out, the DVDs and CDs that we all know and love are a lot more fragile than you may have thought. You all know that scratches or abrasions caused by poor handling can send a disc to the graveyard but did you know that the top or “labelled” side is much more delicate than the bottom side? Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know this because most others don’t know it either. Scratches on the bottom side have to be considerably deeper to reach the aluminum layer than on the top side. Heavy writing with a ball point pen can damage the information layer.

Poorly manufactured discs can suffer an early death due to “disc rot”. This happens when the lacquer is applied in such a manner as to allow the aluminum layer to oxidize.

And manufacturers of blank media have a habit of constantly tinkering with the way they make their product. You could go to your supplier today and purchase a spindle of blank media, then return to the same store a month later and buy the same brand and wind up with something totally different.

To keep your discs alive and happy, here are a few do-s and do-nots to go along with the obvious ones that you no doubt know about:

  • Never flex or bend a disc (Specially made thin flex discs are an exception.)
  • Use only a felt-tipped marker for writing on discs.
  • Store them upright and in their cases.
  • Do not store them where there are extremes in temperatures. Your car is probably the worst place you can store a disc. It has a temperature range of 100 degrees from low to high, depending on where you live.