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When reproducing audio, video and multimedia programs, the goal is to have the copies of your digital work and packaging make the best impression on your target audience in the most cost and time efficient manner.
The first consideration is the realistic size of the intended audience. The quantity of discs made affects options of disc format, printing and cost per unit.
DUPLICATION
For demos, limited distributions and test-runs up to 250 hundred units, it is often most cost efficient that this be done via Duplication, which is the recording (burning) of the program onto recordable discs as CDR, DVD-R and DVD+R.
Silver unprinted blank discs are available that look like replicated CDs & DVDs and can be custom printed via special offset printers or stickered with paper labels. These are usually three or four times more expensive than manufactured discs per unit, but if you only need a small quantity, they make sense.
Any type of media packaging can be used for recordables including Jewel Boxes, Slimlines, Clam Shells, Sleeves and DVD Amaray Boxes. An issue of paper printing for inserts, booklets and traycards arises due to the nature of digital offset printing. The costs are mostly in the set-up. Thus 500 booklets and tray cards can cost 75% as much as 1000 sets and 1000 can cost 75% as much as 2000 sets etc. Even though you might do a small run of discs initially, if you are certain you need more, it will save money to order all the print you'll eventually need at the same time and keep the extras for your re-orders.
If you only need less than 250 units, high quality photo copying on glossy paper is an option to consider. While more expensive per unit than high speed offset, for a small quantity, the expenditure will be less.
Note: While there is presently no government levy on recordable DVD discs, be aware that the federal government's Canadian Private Copying Collective does levy .21 cents Canadian for each blank CDR imported.
REPLICATION
When you require quantities over 250 copies, these are reproduced via the process of Replication. This involves the making a Glass Master and a Stamper from your pre-master. The CD Stamper is placed in a mould and the discs are injection moulded at about 800 per hour.
For DVD5 the mould is half the depth of a CD and so every second disc is glued to the one behind it creating DVD discs at about 400 per hour. For DVD9, DVD10 and DVD18 two moulders are used at once and the halves are then glued together.
Due to the sensitive tracking nature of DVD these are printed on an offset printer as silk-screen inks have weight and can cause a wobble effect in a spinning DVD drive.
The quantity price break points on Replicated discs are normally 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 7500, 10,000 and 15,000.
Again, if you are ordering only 500 discs initially, and you are fairly sure of re-ordering, it will save money to order 1000 sets of your printed inserts and use them for both the order and the re-order.
When ordering color paper printing, the colors are described in terms of numbers: 4(being full color), 3(three color) 2(two color) and 1(one color). Booklets are described in terms of a Page (one side of a printed sheet) and as a Panel (both sides of printed sheet). Thus a 2 Panel, 4 Page insert printed 4/1 is a single sheet booklet with one fold which is printed full color on the outside and one color on the inside. A 4/0 Tray Card is printed full color on one side only and is for use with a solid color disc tray. A 4/4 Tray Card is printed full color on both sides and requires a clear disc tray so the inside can be read. Variations are available.
Any standard media packaging can be used with replicated discs including Jewel Boxes, Slimlines Cases, Clam Shells, Envelopes and DVD Boxes. At quantities of over 1000 there are also a variety of custom printed cardboard sleeves, mailers and albums that become practical, per unit, to customize your products. For audio CDs, a standard Jewel Box, cellophane wrapped is the norm for retail stores but you can choose between black, white and colored plastic trays or clear trays allowing printing on both sides of the tray card. For discs going to retail, make sure you put a Bar Code into the art work.
For DVD, the standard DVD Amaray Box is required for retail but for corporate videos and for convenience of mailing, Slimline Jewel Cases, Clamshells and Cardboard Mailers are widely acceptable packaging. There are also multi-disc DVD boxes for compilations that can also be used for multi-disc sets of music and software. For CD-ROM software, paper envelopes (with or without a cellophane window) and Tyvec or Vinyl sleeves are common. Digital Business Cards are packaged in a variety of clear Vinyl sleeves or in printed custom cardboard sleeves, envelopes or mailers.
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