Cannot print onto CDs

Hi Joe
for most printers there should be a print cd label option in the Software that comes with the printer
install the Software and go to label settings >>CD label

Have you tried reseating the CD rom;verify all the connectors are securely fastened. What type of Dell is this; a tower, desktop, or laptop? If you know how to open the case then proceed with reseating as follows:

First power down the system
After opening the case
locate the CDROM
If this is a new system it is probably connected using a SATA connector (black cable with a blue connector and power connector.)
At the back of the remove each connector then reconnect the cable
The SATA or Parrellel cable has a connector at both ends so trace the cable and re-seat the connector on the motherboard as well.
close the case
boot the system back up
test the cdrom

Please follow these steps:
1.
Turn your printer on. Most power buttons are located on the top of the printer. Press and hold down the button until its LED light turns green.
2.
Choose the image or text you desire to print onto the CD. On your computer, open the image or text you desire to print. images should be opened by clicking on your computer's "Start" icon and selecting the "Pictures" tab folder within the Start menu. When the Pictures folder opens, click on the image you desire to print onto the CD to enlarge it. If you are planning to print text onto the CD, open the text in Microsoft Word or any other desktop publishing program you may have on your computer.
3.
Insert the CD into the printer. Press the "Eject" button that can be found on your CD printing enabled printer. A CD tray will open automatically. Place the CD into the tray print side up. Close the CD tray. The printer will begin working to detect the CD. Once the CD is detected, your printer's LED light will either flash green or another indication color.
4.
Print the image or text onto the CD. For image printing, click on the enlarged image's tab that will be on your computer's taskbar. You will see a horizontal row of action icons below the image. Click on the thumbnail image of a printer to print the image onto the disc. For text printing, simply click on the "File" action on the navigation menu in your desktop publishing document. Click "Print" within the "File" drop down menu. The image or text will be sent to the printer once you choose the "Print" action.
5 .
Remove the CD from the printing tray. The CD will be fed through the printer during the printing process. Once the process is complete, the CD will come through the bottom of the printing tray. Take the CD from the tray when it reaches the bottom.
The above mentioned steps must help you. In case of any difficulty please revert back.

sorry to inform but you dont print on CD.
You print on paper and then paste it on CD :-)
That's called "label" printing.

From Nova Development website FAQ:

Some products contain bonus CDs with extra graphics. These CDs are not installed onto your computer. When you want to browse them, select a document in the program and go to Insert - Graphic. This will open the Insert Graphic dialog box. You will use this window to navigate through the CD and preview all the bonus categories of art. To add an image to the project, select the image and click the Insert/Open button.

What is your OS? Please see this list of installation issues that pertain to your printer.
You can also consult guides to the installation and setup of your model found here, or download the most current software from here.

I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue. If you need further assistance, please post back with a comment to this thread.
If I've managed to answer your question or solve a problem, please take just a moment to rate this post....thanks!

Yes without doubt. If alcohol hasnt fixed it try a little liquid detergent. otherwise you may want to copy the CD's onto new disks and keep the problem ones as backups

GO INTO CONTROL PANEL AND OPEN THE FOLLOWING FOLDER:

AUTOPLAY

Try this :

Disconnect the printer from the computer.
Turn it off & make sure the CD/DVD tray is closed then turn it back on.

***

Here's generic instruction for you:

If you are receiving an error pertaining to the CD TRAY NOT BEING INSERTED CORRECTLY, please do the following:

Recommendations:
-Don't force the CD/DVD tray into the printer.
-Make sure your printer is powered on, and the output tray is in the upper position.
-Please ensure there is at least 3 inches of space behind the printer, or the CD tray may eject.

Included, are the correct CD/DVD loading instructions. Please follow the instructions below:

CD/DVD LOADING:
1. Ensure the printer is powered on. Remove any paper from the sheet feeder.
2. Push in the paper support extension on the printer, and close the paper support.
3. Push in the output tray extensions, but leave the tray open.
4. Lift the output tray. Place one hand on the top of the printer, and pull up on the output tray until it stops. Lay the tray down in the upper position.
5. Place the CD or DVD into the CD TRAY with the white (or printable) side facing up. Note: To print on small 8cm CDs, please place the small CD ring on the tray first, then place the CD inside the ring.
6. Slide the tray into the tray guides located in the output tray. Push in the guide until the arrow on the tray matches up to the arrow on the tray guide.
7. Press the PAPER button to load the CD/DVD into the printing position. The CD is correctly loaded when the printer's POWER button stops flashing.

General tips for CD and DVD printing:
-Burn data/video/images onto CDs or DVDs before attempting to print on them.
-Do not use thermal-printable or regular CDs or DVDs in the printer.
-Moisture or fingerprints on the printable surface of the CD may cause marks or smearing to appear after printing.
-All printable inkjet media is different. Some surfaces will absorb ink better than others. If output appears banded, faded, or streaky, print a Nozzle Check pattern to confirm that all colors of ink are printing completely. If the ink does not completely dry or smears after 24 hours curing time, you may need to use the Epson Print CD tools to adjust (lower) the print density.
-The only supported resolution for CD/DVD printing is 1440 dpi (aka "Photo")
-Borderless printing and printing on the "inner circle" (plastic around central hole) of CDs is not supported.
-Do not use the "print preview" feature provided by the Epson printer driver as it will only show the image on a blank field and does not offer a clear indicator of where the image will print.
-The Epson Print CD software works best with JPG images and may not import some TIFF images.

1. make sure there is enough room to the rear of the printer to allow clearance for the try to pass out the back and back in.
2. when initiating the processes and thing start to happen gentle pressure on the back of the try to help the start the ball rolling helps
3. Do examine the lead in strips at the front of the try to ensure they are no distorted.

And 4 a search og Google and EBay can reveal a revised design tray for a modest sum.
Finally take a look at www.fixyourprinter.com.