Summary: very nice!

Comment: I tried these discs on 3 different printers... the best one out of the 3 was the Epson PhotoR380. The print quality was flawless (no visible cracks, ink pits, layering, etc.) and the drying time was about half that of other printers (ink). Once dry, you can handle these discs (label side) more liberally than with matte finished discs. Keep in mind, though, they are water resistant... NOT water proof!

cons: outer print edge (about 0.5mm) is non-printable which really isn't that bad... printing all the way to the edge is very bad on your burner anyway as it allows for excess ink to fly off inside drive and start building up (yes, even if the ink is dry). The gloss finish is very prone to scratching especially after being slightly damp. Of course any glossy finish of any product is prone to this.

Just don't handle these discs and differently than you do with non glossies and you'll have something that looks very nice for a very long time!

Summary: Watershield not so great

Comment: I recently bought these discs as I had tried discs that had no waterproofing and found that if they ever get wet that the ink gets wet again and smudges. Having bought these Taiyo Yuden discs I figured that they would be great since they don't smudge. However I found that they have some flaws when being printed on, such as spots that look like cracks under the disc surface, they don't accept ink on the edges, and most importantly you should NEVER touch the printed area on the disc anyway. The way they are shielded I discovered that they smudge, and if they get wet you will get a residue, and if you try to wipe anything off, even with something gentle like a tissue or maybe a cloth the waterproofing scratches, in short leaving you with a printed side that seems to be more delicate than the side that holds data. After all what do you prefer, a disc that can't get wet, or a disc that can't really even be touched without permanently looking bad. Therefore I cannot say that I am pleased with the feature on these discs offering waterproofing. However so far I have had no issues burning on them. so they get 4 stars. Just know what you are buying first.

Summary: Absolutely top of the line in every respect

Comment: Taiyo Yuden has the reputation of being a premiere blank disc manufacturer, and it is well deserved. I've never had one of their discs fail to burn.

But the exciting thing about this particular disc is the glossy Watershield surface. Simply put, if you start with a quality, high-resolution image and print with a high-resolution consumer printer [I use an Epson R260], you will be amazed at the image that you'll see on the disc. It looks in every way completely professional. Plus, they give you maximum print area... onto the hub. And a big bonus is that, while some manufacturers recommend that you let the ink dry for 24-hours before handling or playing their discs, these dry super fast. Given that temperature, humidity and ink type will affect drying times, I won't promise a specific time frame. However, living in coastal California with moderate temps and humidity, I've handled these discs after an hour or so and they were ready to go.

The only downside to Taiyo Yuden discs is that they come at somewhat of a premium price. So, I don't use them for every application. But when I want to impress someone or when I want to give them the very best that is available to me, I ALWAYS burn to Taiyo Yuden Watershield.