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11 Mar 05 - 12:32 PM (#1432318) Subject: CD Packaging Options From: wysiwyg Jewel cases Slim cases Poly cases What else have you seen/used/bought for music CDs? Do you shrink-wrap home-burned CDs you are selling? (How?) And-- when you buy-- do you toss the cases and go for binders, or some other storage? Know some good sources for bulk buys? Had any really bad experiences? ~Susan |
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11 Mar 05 - 01:14 PM (#1432350) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: dick greenhaus Some random comments (from the point of view of the retail vendor) Cardboard cases often don't have enough spine area to put readable titles. Can be a real problem if they're stacked in a bin with other CDs. Odd shape and size are a pain in the patootie when it comes to mailing and packing. Shrink wrapping, though not strictly necessary, makes a lot of cutomes feem more secure. If you want to sell in stores, a UPC bar code and overwrapping are a must. SLim cases are cheap, but don't have room for tray cards, which usually provide tracklists. |
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11 Mar 05 - 01:28 PM (#1432363) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: Uncle_DaveO For my CD, The Real Story, the recording studio/CD production company I use provided slim cases. I had them print a single-thickness tray card, which fits and allows an external illustration and on the other side the play list. Works fine. Yes, I would have been better pleased if I'd had room for a folder or booklet with room for bio stuff about me and comments about each of the songs, but economics is (are?) economics. Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer cherce! Dave Oesterreich |
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11 Mar 05 - 01:36 PM (#1432373) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: John Robinson (aka Cittern) We went for shrink-wrapped, 8 page booklet, full colour, bar code, all singing dancing for Julie Ellison's first solo CD. We decided first impressions count. I don't think it is possible to shrink wrapped home copied CD-R's. The wrapping is a pain when someone wants one signed - next time we're going to ask for thinner plastic !! It does confirm that the buyer is being sold a brand new unplayed copy - which I think is important - and most retailers will not take them without shrink wrapping and a bar code. We did press quite a lot and we do do this for a living (allegedly) so this all might be over the top for a smaller run. Even now the majority of sales are via gigs which is worth bearing in mind, the volume from radio play etc is a small percentage of the total. Gigging sells CDs! Best regards John Robinson http://www.JulieEllison.co.uk Described by Ralph McTell as "a terrific guitar player who also writes great songs" |
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11 Mar 05 - 01:42 PM (#1432381) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: GUEST,MMario there are all sort of shrink wrap systems available for home use. |
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11 Mar 05 - 02:37 PM (#1432432) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: yrlancslad I have a radio show and here are a few comments from that perspective: If you want your CD to stand out in radio libraries and thus have a better chance of playtime, 1) put 'em in jewel cases (easy to read title, artist etc.), 2)put playlist on back in as large letters as possible, on a contrasting ground and PUT TRACK TIMES THERE! The inside sleeve needn't be fancy but as much info. about artist(s) and material as possible helps the poor bloody programmer. Lastly, if you want your CD to really stand out on shelves or bins put something distinctive on the spine, eg three large blak dots, two red triangles etc. Hope this helps, Malcolm |
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11 Mar 05 - 02:52 PM (#1432460) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: Clinton Hammond Another vote against cardboard cases... I hate having to take the time to cut the thing apart and make it fit into a standard jewel case... |
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11 Mar 05 - 03:42 PM (#1432501) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: JudyB We discovered that one of the office supply places (Office Depot? Office Max?) will shrink-wrap CDs - arrived on the West Coast with 25 Roll & Go CDs, some of which we'd hoped to place in nautical-type shops - and at least half of which had cracks in their jewel cases. While buying replacement cases we discovered we could bring them back and get them wrapped. Not a solution for a professional run obviously - but useful to know in a bind. Or if you'd like a few that look more "finished" to place in a local shop. JudyB |
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11 Mar 05 - 04:30 PM (#1432541) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: treewind Hi Malcolm - seconded about the track list on the outside - it's the piece of information people want most when browsing in a shop or even at a gig. And yes, I'm aware of the track timings being useful to broadcasters, always done that! We've just had a interesting favorable comment about the booklet in "Floating Verses" - that the colour scheme was good and kept it easy to read. I can't understand why anyone makes designs that are hard to read, but then I've always seen readability as part of good presentation design, like usability on a web site. All our CDs have been produced in jewel cases; FV uses a transparent one which means there is a design on the back of the tray card that is revealed when you remove the CD. The edge that is visible when the case is shut has been designed to colour match the front of the booklet - all credit to Doug Bailey at Wild Goose for thinking of these details when putting it all together. I'd be interested to know about home shrink wrap options - another home-produced CD is a possibility we're considering. We use slimline jewel cases for demos. IMO you've got to put essential contact info somewhere that isn't likely to be parted from the CD - in fact it goes on the CD label too (or maybe direct printed in future, as labels are getting such a bad press around here) Anahata |
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12 Mar 05 - 02:00 AM (#1432841) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: Peter Kasin Lancslad has some excellent suggestions. Radriano and I had ours done by Oasis http://oasiscd.com. They are excellent, and have a variety of formats to choose from. We chose the "digipak" format. You can have a number of panels, depending on how much notes you want to include, plus you can have an insert brochure of liner notes if you so choose. Personally, I prefer the digipak to the jewel case. I find trying to pull out the liner notes from the jewel case a minor irritant, and it bugs me how easily the cases crack. Chanteyranger |
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12 Mar 05 - 04:31 AM (#1432879) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: treewind More about digi-pak at http://www.digipak.com/ - looks like an interesting and versatile packaging format. It's not clear whether the standard jewel case equivalent digi-pak has a spine (edge) panel for printing on, so you can identify them when they are all in a rack. Also I assume that it will fit in jewel case rack slots. Anyone using DVD cases? The disc is exactly the same size as a CD of course, but there's far more room for printed info if you need that. Anahata |
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12 Mar 05 - 12:04 PM (#1433080) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: GUEST,Chanteyranger Yes, the Digipak has a spine for printing, and they fit in a jewel case rack. Chanteyranger |
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12 Mar 05 - 12:30 PM (#1433102) Subject: RE: CD Packaging Options From: treewind It occurs to me they have some disadvantages too: being cardboard they can get tatty with age, and while jewel cases are fragile they can be replaced and then they look as good as new. Still worth considering though. Anahata |