Abstract: A disc substrate having a selected roughness gradient from an inner-diameter region to an outer-diameter region, and a method of producing the texturing on the substrate are disclosed. The method includes simulating the movement of texturing particles produced by rotating a texturing pad against a rotating disc substrate, at selected substrate and pad rotational speeds and directions, and for a selected run time. Simulation conditions which produce an averaged cross-hatch angle of intersecting texture lines that is at least about 2 times greater at the inner-diameter region of the substrate than at the outer-diameter region are selected.