Created by Hewlett-Packard engineer Daryl Anderson, Lightscribe is a recording technology that produces laser etched labels for CDs and DVDs. It utilizes specially coated recordable CDs and DVDs for this process. Lightscribe discs are coated with a reactive dye; these dyes change color when exposed to 780nm infrared light. If stored in suitable conditions, these labels last beyond 9 months. This process is conducted in a special Lightscribe-enabled burner. Once users finish burning a CD or a DVD, they flip the disc to print a high quality label on the non-recording side.

A Lightscribe licensed drive's laser can be modified to perform Lightscribe media tasks. Minimum hardware modifications transform the drive to burn data as well as labels. A user can also reprint a label several times on one disc, in order to attain enhanced print quality. Lightscribe burners are embedded with features such as existing and downloadable templates, and three print modes. Its System Safety feature ensures that the data, disc or the burner are not damaged in any way during the labeling porcess. Lightscribe's chief supporters are two of the biggest media manufacturers, Mitsubishi Chemicals Corporation and Moser Baer India Ltd. Lightscribe media brands available in the market include Phillips, Imation media, and Verbatim.

Though currently Lightscribe creates only grayscale labels on a sepia backdrop, five colored labeling along with a higher image contrast feature will soon be available in the market. A highly professional yet economical tool, Lightscribe helps create sophisticated labels for discs. The hassle free, effective Lightscribe burners can label a disc in 11 to 28 minutes, depending on the selected print mode.