Sorry for the delay in replying. I missed the email notification .

Anyway, many thanks for all of the updates. Will see if I can buy either Sharpies or Staedtler Pigment Markers are available in a couple of local stores.

By "disc surface" I wasn't referring to the recording surface soneman. I may be a newbie but I'm not an idiot. If "disc surface" has a special technical meaning referring only to the surface through which the recording laser is beamed I was and am unaware of it, and can only apologise for my mistake. I simply meant disc surface in the standard sense of the surface of the disc, and assumed it was obvious from the context of my question which side of the disc I meant.

All the best everyone!