Scented coatings and DIY CD packs

Q. Can anyone tell me what sort of overprint varnishes would be suitable for encapsulating a fragrance in?

A. For the uninitiated, scented print is achieved when fragrant oils are broken down into molecules wrapped in polymers to create sealed pockets of fragrance. These capsules are then mixed with a printing ink or other media and printed onto the substrate. The substrate is then scratched or rubbed, breaking open the capsules and releasing the fragrance. Schubert International (+49 88 06 94 34), based in Germany, seems like a sound choice for this service having produced the inks for a one-off Christmas cover for Printing World which featured the scent of ginger. You have not specified which scent you want, but the company has a vast selection, which bizarrely includes both pizza and soil. Schubert says it will also discuss options if you want to encapsulate your own bespoke fragrance. Celloglas (0116 263 2310) is another option, its Fragrance Burst inks are offered either through a screen process or via Cellocover, its dual coat machine, which is more suited for large runs. Another popular option for such jobs is Celessence (020 8421 5540). Its micro encapsulation technology is discussed frequently on PrintWeek’s community forums.

Q. I am a singer-songwriter who is looking for a way to print artwork onto some CDs that I recently recorded at a studio. They need to look reasonably professional so I can send them out to record companies and sell them at gigs, all with the aim of getting my name out there and my music heard. I have about 100 copies at the moment but more may follow in the future.
James Wallis, via phone

A. Commercial printing should yield the quality result you’re after, with screen printing being the method recommended by your local Kall Kwik branch in Sutton (020 8643 6466). A batch of 100 professional quality CDs will cost around £270 through this retailer. A cheaper option is Sabre Media Copying, based in Shropshire. It will produce 100 CDs for around £234 with a turnaround time of three or four days. An alternative at this price range is to buy your own inkjet printer. People I’ve spoken to have had mixed results doing this, and the time taken to print the discs is a factor too. However, if you choose this route then the Canon Pixma MP970 (£155 from amazon.co.uk) features a convenient tray for CD printing. This would also be useful for producing CDs in the future.