1) Short runs of CDs and DVDs: the smaller the order, the more expensive the unit cost
The first consideration to keep in mind is that a professionally printed short run CD or DVD will have fixed setup costs depending on the printed layout of your discs and the type of packaging you have chosen; the discs will be serigraphed, lithographic (offset) or digitally printed.
screen printing
Screen printing requires the fabrication of a silk screen for each color used in the design and is suitable for designs made up of bold color blocks or printed text. The screen printing machine has a rotary table with 5 printing stations. At each station, the ink is pressed through a silk screen with a squeegee; silk screen only allows ink to be printed on the disc in the particular places where this color is required. The ink is UV sensitive and each color ink is “cured” under a UV light before rotating to the next station to apply the next color. The more colors in the design (1-5), the more screens will be needed before printing can take place.
Lithographic printing (offset)
Lithographic printing is a completely different printing process in which ink is applied to the disc by a rubber sheet that is rolled over the disc. This process is suitable for highly detailed photographic-type artwork and requires printing plates to be made in accordance with the artwork on the disc.
Digitally printed discs.
Digitally printed discs are printed using an inkjet printer and sealed with clear lacquer; this process is costly in terms of miscellaneous items and time required, and is only suitable for a very low number of discs (less than 50) where overhead costs for other printing methods are prohibitive.
Unit costs begin to drop dramatically for quantities of 200 or more CDs or DVDs. The same treatment also applies to your packaging. The more you order, the lower the unit cost.
A single color screen print with the logo visible in silver.
A single color screen print with the logo visible in silver.
2) Control the costs of short runs of CDs or DVDs
Often, you’ll be working on a tight budget on your project, but that certainly doesn’t mean you have to compromise on the quality or visual appeal of your disc or packaging. If you pay close attention to how the artwork is prepared, you can still end up with an eye-catching final product while keeping costs down.
Artwork for CDs and DVDs: Reduce your costs by opting for a screen-printed design
Costs can be drastically reduced by using a screen printed design that involves only 1 or 2 colors, so you are only paying for 1 or 2 printing screens and some ink instead of an expensive set of offset printing plates. The silver surface of the disc itself is attractive, so take advantage of this by allowing any text on the disc to show through a block of silver. If your band or company has a flashy logo, choose a bold, single-color screen print and allow the logo to show through the silver surface of the disc.
Take a look at your CD collection; You will be surprised how common this approach is and how effective a 1 or 2 color screen printed disc can be.
Packaging of short runs of CDs and DVDs
You will no doubt be aware of the myriad of packaging options available. There are all sorts of criteria to consider when determining what type of packaging is best for your project.
The most basic type of packaging is the paper or plastic wallet, which are inexpensive but only offer a basic level of protection for the drive. They are ideal if you need an inexpensive cover for distributing CDs or DVDs at a show, or for distributing data internally within a business environment.
If the record is going to be sold on the high street or online, or if detailed instructions on the end use of the record are required, then it will need some form of printed packaging or packaging that can accommodate printed paper parts.
Printed Card Wallets
You can always include a printed card insert in a plastic wallet, but for slightly more premium printing, a printed card wallet would be next level in terms of cost and disc protection. Again, there are many card wallet variants available, some of which may contain a printed booklet or have extended folding panels to accommodate more printed information or printed images, if required.
Card holders with bright, digitally printed images will give your package a premium look and feel, and it’s worth spending time on illustration to get the look just right because the cost per unit will be the same if you have a simple logo printed on it. wallet. or has an intricate design or photograph.
Jewelry Cases and DVD Cases
If you need a sturdy type of packaging (especially if it’s going to be sent by post), then again, there’s a wide selection of boxes to choose from. Standard Jewel cases are the typical type of packaging for audio CDs and are made from a polycarbonate material with molded features to hold printed card inserts in place. There are also cases available, such as the standard movie DVD case, which are made from a more flexible and durable polypropylene material again with molded features to hold the card inserts.
Unsurprisingly, packaging costs grow with the complexity of the packaging. Bespoke packaging, such as printed CD tins and “limited edition” or “collector’s edition” style packaging, is on the higher end of the spectrum.
Short Run CD and DVD Artwork – Do It Yourself!
If you can handle the basics of an art software package like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Quark XPress, order art stencils from your chosen vendor. Producing the artwork yourself to the vendor’s required specifications can save you money instead of having to pay a professional graphic artist to produce your design. Always ask if your provider is willing to help with artwork design, many companies will be happy to help you at no extra charge depending on the complexity; they are producing record and packaging art day in and day out, so they will be efficient and creative.
So, in a nutshell:
A 1-color screen-printed CD or DVD in a plastic sleeve with artwork designed and produced by you or a friend/colleague = the low-cost option.
A full-color lithograph-printed CD or DVD in a case with printed pieces of paper and artwork designed by a professional graphic artist = the high-priced option.
3) Double check the content of your text
Double check your text content for misspellings, correct grammar, repeated words, and missing words. When you’ve written and worked with it for a while, it’s very easy to overlook simple mistakes that could disappoint the first impression of the product; This can be a big problem if the drive is promoting your business and may be a potential customer’s first point of contact with your business.
It would be wise to ask a third party who has not read the text before and has a good knowledge of spelling and grammar to proofread it. Also, most decent word processing programs will have features to help you.
4) Double check your CD or DVD master
If your CDs or DVDs are going to be duplicated using a master disc, then, as with the text content above, double check it. It may just be a short CD or DVD run, but if there’s a problem with the master and it’s not fixed, the potential headaches of missed deadlines, returned sales, and bad first impressions can come back to haunt you. . Check it out yourself and have a third party do it too.
5) Why not ask your supplier for samples?
Any self-respecting CD or DVD duplication company will not bother to send you a sample of a printed disc or type of packaging so that you can assess the quality of the product. Although you may only order a short run of discs, from a business point of view there is a good chance that you will remember a good service and may use them again or recommend them to a colleague or friend. Give them a chance to impress you with their excellent customer service!
6) Be sure to order enough CDs or DVDs for your short-term project
If your short run CD or DVD is going to be sold through a retail store or online, then the last thing you want to happen is to lose potential revenue if you don’t order enough discs. If your records are going to be given out to potential customers at an exhibition, you don’t want to run out of records before the end of the exhibition, as you may miss out on a valuable marketing opportunity. Similarly, if your disks will be used to circulate information within a business environment, depending on how vital the information transfer is, it can be costly if you need to manufacture a few more disks after the initial run.
Market research, pre-order offers, event forecasts
If you are planning to sell the discs, then doing some market research as part of your project planning would be an excellent idea or it might even be worth arranging a pre-order deal to allow you to better estimate how many discs you may need. to be printed. If you’re handing out the discs at an expo as part of a marketing exercise, find out how many people typically attend the event and estimate how many might be interested in your product or service. In this case, it’s a good idea to design your pucks so that leftover pucks can always be used at another event; If possible, center your artwork around your company rather than tailoring it to the event.
It’s always less expensive and less stressful to have a few drives than not to have enough.
7) Advice on projects without stress
Nobody likes to be under stress, so if possible:
Plan and request your short-run CD or DVD duplication, notifying your supplier as far in advance as possible.
Do not make major changes to the graphic design at the last minute, if possible. The last thing you need is a delayed project along with higher costs if it can be avoided.
Short-run jobs can usually be done in 48 hours depending on the complexity, but that leaves no room for potential errors in any part of the process, although it’s highly unlikely that something unexpected will happen within a professional CD or CD printing business. DVD. If you can avoid the potential headache of a project delay, that would be highly recommended.
recommendations
If you do your best to adhere to the above guidelines, hopefully your project will run smoothly and without stress. If you are unsure about something at any step in the process, communication is key; keep in close contact with your CD or DVD provider. You may only order a short run of records, but you are as valuable a customer as your positive testimonial carries just as much weight as a customer with a larger order.