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The Signature Z1 CD/DVD Printer ($139.95 direct) from Primera Technology is the sort of product that most people can find useful. The only question is whether they can justify the price. As the name suggests, the Z1 prints on CDs and DVDs. If you create many discs, whether they're filled with photos, music, or data backups, the Z1 can make labeling them a lot easier.

The printer is a compact 2.8 by 9.3 by 7.5 inches (HWD). Setup is simple. Open the door on top, slip the ribbon cartridge into place, connect the supplied USB cable, and install the software. You can then mount a disc in the printer, design the image, and print. The software is largely self-explanatory, with a main screen that shows the outline of a disc with the four rectangular print areas-on the top, bottom, and both sides. On our tests, the printer took between 28 and 32 seconds when printing in only one area of the disc and 1:24 to 1:36 when printing in all four.

One shortcoming compared with, say, printing from an Epson photo printer that prints on CDs, is that the Z1 uses a single-color ribbon, similar to that of a typewriter, so you're limited to printing only one color at a time. On the other hand, the Epson printers need special printable discs. The Z1 uses thermal transfer technology to transfer the wax- and resin-based ink on the ribbon directly onto a standard disc's lacquer coating. And at least you get a choice of black, blue, red, and green for the $20 ribbon