Ecopack 6P (two-fold)

6P ecopak (two-fold) - three board panels, no plastic

The 6P ecopak is made of three card panels joined by two folds. The 6P designation refers to six printed board surfaces which, once folded, form three panels. Hence the term "two-fold".

The number of discs does not follow from the 6P designation. You choose it separately while configuring the product, under "Type".

An ecopak has no plastic tray. The disc slides straight into a slot cut in the board, or into a pocket formed from the same material. The whole pack is made of GC1 300 gsm board with a white back, so there is no plastic tray to separate from the paper part afterwards. We describe the ecopak construction itself in more detail with the modelu Ecopack 4P.

Why three panels change the design

The biggest difference between the 6P version and the simpler 4P ecopak is the amount of space. Instead of four printed surfaces you get six, and the pack still stays compact and relatively flat.

The extra panel opens up a lot. You can put a track list next to information about the release, a training programme next to a description of the trainer, or separate company graphics from contact details. In many cases this makes room for all the content without adding a separate booklet.

Type - eight layouts to choose from

The "Type" option defines the construction of the interior. Eight variants are available:

• Standard - room for one disc, with the remaining panels available for graphics and text.
• With a booklet slot - next to the space for the disc there is a slot for a booklet or insert.
• With a booklet pocket - instead of a slot, a pocket is formed from the board itself. It takes thicker booklets better and holds the contents more firmly. A ticket, a folded poster, signed band photos or stickers can go in there too.
• Plain pocket - a pocket with no cuts, which can hold a disc or any insert: a card, a leaflet, a certificate, a ticket, a folded poster or signed photos.
• For 2 discs - a construction holding two discs in one pack.
• For 2 discs, right and left - the discs sit on the two outer panels and the middle stays free.
• 2 plain pockets - two pockets with no cuts, for different kinds of content.
• For 3 discs - three discs, one on each panel.

The calculator shows only variants that can be combined correctly with the other product settings.

Multi-disc variants - which to choose when

The 6P ecopak is the only model in this family available in a three-disc version and in the "right-left" layout. That is particularly useful for fuller releases.

For 2 discs is the classic layout for a double album or a set where both discs form one whole. The discs sit next to each other and the third panel stays free for text or graphics.

For 2 discs, right and left moves the discs to the outer panels. The middle is left completely free, so it can carry a band photo, a track list, graphics or a training agenda. This layout also suits two equal discs - disc one and disc two, a Polish and an English version, or a recording and supporting material.

For 3 discs holds one disc on each panel. This variant works for courses split into modules, conference material, training sets and larger multi-disc releases. Despite the extra content, the construction stays relatively flat.

2 plain pockets works well for mixed sets. One can hold the disc and the other, say, printed material, a card, a voucher or documentation.

Room for a disc or a card

A separate option defines exactly how the contents are held.

• Disc slot - a narrow cut made directly in the board. The flattest and most economical variant.
• Card slot - a similar solution prepared for a credit-card-format USB drive.
• Disc pocket - the pocket is formed from the board itself and the disc slides in whole, so it is better protected.
• Pockets for disc and booklet - two separate spaces, one for the disc and one for printed material.

Surface finishing

The printed board can be covered with one of three types of film:

• Gloss film - strengthens colour saturation and contrast. It suits photography and more expressive designs.
• Matt film - limits shine and reflections, and colours look calmer. Fingerprints are also less visible.
• Soft Touch velvet film - a matt surface with a soft, suede-like finish. Often chosen for more refined releases and corporate gifts.

Film also has a protective role. Protected board is less prone to wearing, particularly at the edges.

Printing of the inner spine

The 6P ecopak has two folds. Narrow strips of board form at the fold lines and, without extra printing, stay in the natural colour of the substrate.

With light graphics they usually do not draw much attention. But if the interior is dark, or the graphics run across all three panels, light strips can cut sharply through the whole design.

Inner spine printing keeps the colour continuous across the full width of the spread. It is worth choosing especially with dark backgrounds and wide graphics spanning several panels.

Assembly and wrapping of sets

Assembly means we prepare the finished sets on our side.

• No assembly - you receive the packs alone and put the sets together yourself.
• Disc assembly - we put the discs into the packs.
• Disc and booklet assembly - we place both the discs and the printed material inside. You receive a finished set ready for shipping or handing out.

A separate option is shrink-wrapping of finished sets. The assembled pack is protected with clear film, so it does not open in transit, picks up less dirt, and the recipient can see that the copy has not been opened before.

This is often chosen for retail sale and courier shipping.

Discs can be ordered together with the packaging. For larger series there is CD replication, and for smaller ones printing and duplication of CDs. Inserts and booklets are available separately in the booklets for digipaks and ecopaks section.

The board and colour

We print the 6P ecopak on GC1 300 gsm board with a white back - the same stock digipaks are made from. The white back gives a neutral base, so colours behave predictably.

With three panels it is worth planning the colour for the whole spread at once: the artwork runs across two creases, and the colour on neighbouring panels has to match.

If you want a natural brown base, choose the ECO version on Kraftliner, where the colour of the board deliberately shapes the print.

Prepare the artwork in CMYK. Photographs should be at 300 dpi, and fine elements preferably 600 dpi.

Send the finished file as a PDF with fonts converted to outlines, or a flattened TIF in CMYK. Add 3 mm bleed, and keep texts, logos and other important elements at least 3 mm from the trim and fold lines.

With two fold lines, watch out in particular for logos and lettering running between panels. If an important element lands directly on a fold, it will crease together with the board once the pack is closed.

More information is in the file preparation section.

Runs and ordering

We produce the 6P ecopak in runs of 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 pieces.

In the calculator you choose the construction, the space for the disc or card, the finishing, inner spine printing, assembly, shrink-wrapping of finished sets and the run. The price and lead time are shown for the configuration you set.

If three panels turn out to be unnecessary, a simpler construction is the Ecopack 4P. If you need a taller, more publication-like format, look at the Ecopack A5.

If the disc is to be held in a plastic tray, the comparable three-part construction is the Digipack 6P.

No finished artwork? We can prepare a layout matched to the chosen construction.