CD discs - printing and duplication
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Disc copying
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246.00 PLN
200.00 PLN net · 2.00 PLN/pc.
- Media
- Disc copying
- Print type
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- 100 pc.
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CD discs - printing and duplication - product details
CD discs - printing and duplication - CDs printed with digital UV, offset or screen printing, with data duplication or as blank discs for you to write yourself. Standard, branded, Medical discs for imaging examinations and Vinyl CDs styled after a record are available.
CDs - printing and data duplication
A CD is convenient wherever material has to reach the recipient physically: a music album, a recording from a training course, documentation, a presentation, the result of an imaging examination. You order them printed, as blank discs for you to write yourself, or as finished discs with the material already recorded. Everything is set in the calculator, and the price and lead time are shown with the quote.
Printing only, or printing with data duplication
The first decision. In the calculator it is the "Disc copying" option.
- Printing without duplication means discs printed with your graphics but with no data inside. You write them yourself. That makes sense when every disc is to have different content, when the material is still changing, or when the data is confidential.
- Printing with data duplication means you send us the material and we write it to the whole run. You collect a set ready to hand out. This is the choice for releases, conferences, training courses and company material in one identical form.
Disc: standard, Medical, branded or Vinyl CD
The second option is the type of disc we print on.
- CDs - the standard disc with a silver base. A choice for audio, presentations, documents and promotional material.
- Medical CDs - a disc for imaging examinations, chosen by medical facilities.
- HP, Maxell, Verbatim CDs - branded discs, for when you want repeatable disc quality and compatibility with older or more demanding equipment.
- Vinyl CDs - a disc styled after a black vinyl record. The whole disc is black, including the underside. On top, the central field is left for your print, and the area around it looks like vinyl - black, with fine grooves.
Not every combination of disc, duplication and printing is available - the calculator shows only variants that can be put together.
Medical CDs for imaging examinations
A separate disc category, for hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres.
The typical use is giving a patient the result of an imaging examination: X-ray, computed tomography, magnetic resonance. A disc with the facility's logo, address and space for the examination details keeps the flow of documentation in order.
Vinyl CDs - the look of a vinyl record
A disc for those who want it to echo a classic black record. The whole disc is black, base included. On top, the central field is left for your print - a logo, a title, graphics - and the area around it imitates vinyl: a black surface with fine grooves. It works well for music releases and anywhere a retro feel matters.
Three printing technologies
The third option is the type of printing.
Digital UV
- A white base and full CMYK colour, with ink cured by a UV lamp.
- It combines the advantages of the other methods: coverage as strong as screen printing, detail and fine screen as in offset. The screen is the grid of tiny dots the print is built from.
- It needs no printing forms, so it pays off on small runs too.
- Choose it for photographs or complex graphics on a small run.
Offset
- Five colours: a white base applied by screen plus full CMYK in offset.
- Quality close to photographic, good for photographs and elaborate designs.
- On large, even areas of colour, colour drift - uneven coverage - can appear.
- Choose it for larger series with rich graphics.
Screen printing, 1-2 colours and 3-5 colours (Pantone)
- UV-cured Pantone inks, that is colours from a swatch book rather than mixed from CMYK.
- With full coverage the print is perfectly smooth, and fine elements and sharp edges come out cleanly.
- You match the number of colours to the design: a simple mark with lettering fits into one or two, while elaborate graphics need three to five.
Pantone colours are supported only by screen printing. If a brand has a strictly defined corporate colour, that is the right route.
A white base on a silver disc
The surface of a disc is silver and reflects light, and printing ink is semi-transparent. Applied straight onto silver it darkens the colours and shifts the tone, so they do not match what you see on a monitor. That is why we lay a white base under colour printing and put the actual graphics on top of it. Colours are then faithful, and light shades do not get lost in the gloss of the disc.
Runs: from 10 pieces in digital UV
- Digital UV - from 10 pieces, then 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 1000 pieces.
- Offset and screen printing - from 100 pieces, then 200, 300, 400, 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 pieces.
The difference comes from the process. Digital UV prints straight from the file, so nothing has to be prepared before the machine starts. Offset and screen printing need printing forms for each colour, and that work is the same for a hundred discs as for three thousand. Hence the higher entry point.
When the run grows a lot, compare duplication with CD replication. Replication means producing a disc from scratch from a glass master, with the data physically written into the structure of the disc. The disc is more durable and works better with older players, and the cost of the master is spread across the whole run.
How you send us material for duplication
- A master disc - a disc you have checked, sent by courier or post.
- A disc image - a file sent by FTP, that is a faithful reproduction of the contents of the disc. We accept NRG, ISO and DDP 2.0 for CD Audio. Include an MD5 checksum, a short signature of the file confirming that nothing was damaged on the way.
We duplicate on industrial duplicators, machines that write many discs at once, at low writing speeds and with verification of every copy. A CD holds up to 700 MB of data, and in audio form up to 79 minutes and 55 seconds. We support the CD-ROM, CD-Audio, CD-Video and CD-Extra standards.
How to prepare the print file
- Working area: a 120×120 mm square, without marking or cutting out the shape of the disc and the central hole.
- Cover the whole area with graphics - we will trim to the size needed, so that there is no white rim.
- Colour in CMYK, not RGB. If you supply the file in RGB we will convert it automatically to CMYK, which can change the colours of the design. If you choose a profile - for disc printing use Coated FOGRA27.
- Photographs at 300 dpi, and fine elements and thin lines drawn as vectors. If fine detail matters in the design, use 600 dpi instead of 300 dpi.
- Formats: PDF with fonts converted to outlines, or TIF in CMYK, flattened to one layer, with LZW compression.
- Black texts: 100% black (K).
- Black solids: 25% C, 25% M, 25% Y, 100% K.
- Fine elements kept away from the edges.
Details are in the file preparation guide. No artwork yet? Write and tell us what should be on the disc, and we will advise.
Packaging, assembly and ordering
We put printed discs together with packaging: card sleeves for shipping and simple sets, or digipacki 4P when the disc is to be part of a release with a cover. If the material is larger, order DVD printing on the same order, as they hold more data.
In the calculator you choose the disc, decide on duplication, pick the printing technology and the run. The price and lead time are shown with the quote, and you send the artwork after placing the order.
CD discs - printing and duplication - questions and answers
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What is the difference between printing only and printing with data duplication?
Printing without duplication means printed, blank discs - the graphics are on top but there is no data inside, so you write it yourself. Printing with duplication means you send us the material and we write it to the whole run, and you receive a set ready to hand out or ship. The look of the disc is the same in both cases. You make the choice under "Disc copying" in the calculator.
What is the minimum run for printed CDs?
It depends on the printing technology. Digital UV starts at 10 pieces, with further steps of 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 1000 pieces. Offset and screen printing start at 100 pieces, then 200, 300, 400, 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 pieces. If you need a genuinely small series, digital UV will be the only sensible route. The available steps are shown in the calculator once you choose the type of printing.
Why do offset and screen printing start only at 100 pieces?
Because they need printing forms prepared, separately for each colour. That work is identical whether we print a hundred discs or three thousand, so on a very small series there is nothing to spread it over. Digital UV prints straight from the file and needs no preparation before the machine starts, which is why its entry point begins at 10 pieces.
Which printing technology should I choose for my design?
If you have photographs or complex graphics and the run is small, choose digital UV - it combines good detail reproduction with strong coverage. On larger series with rich graphics, offset performs well and gives quality close to photographic. Choose screen printing when the exact brand colour matters, or when the design rests on flat, even areas of colour.
Can a Pantone colour be matched in digital UV?
Pantone colours, chosen from a swatch book, are supported by screen printing - both in the 1-2 colour and the 3-5 colour variant. Digital UV prints in CMYK, so a corporate colour is reproduced there by a mix of four inks rather than picked from a swatch book. If your brand has a strictly defined colour that must match on every disc, choose screen printing and give the Pantone number with your order.
Why is a white base laid under the print?
The surface of a disc is silver and reflects light, and printing ink is semi-transparent. Applied straight onto silver it darkens the colours and shifts their tone, so the print does not match what you see on a monitor. A white base separates the graphics from the shiny surface: colours are faithful, white is real white, and light shades do not get lost in the gloss. In digital UV and offset this is part of the standard process.
What are Medical discs and who orders them?
They are discs intended for imaging examinations. They are ordered by hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres, mainly for giving patients the results of imaging examinations: X-ray, computed tomography and magnetic resonance. You choose Medical discs under "Media" in the calculator.
When is it worth choosing branded HP, Maxell or Verbatim discs?
When you want repeatable quality of the disc itself and want it to play on older or more demanding equipment too. That matters for music releases and anywhere discs reach many different recipients and you have no control over what they will be played on. You choose a branded disc under "Media", and set the printing independently.
How much data fits on a CD?
A CD holds up to 700 MB of data, and in audio form up to 79 minutes and 55 seconds of recording. We support the CD-ROM, CD-Audio, CD-Video and CD-Extra standards. If the material is larger - video recordings, an extensive archive or a full training course - DVD will be the better disc, as it holds around seven times more data. In that case look at printed DVDs.
How do I send you material to duplicate?
In two ways. You can send a master disc by courier or post - we then copy exactly what is written on it, so check it beforehand. You can also send a disc image by FTP, that is a single file reproducing the whole contents of the disc. We accept NRG, ISO and DDP 2.0 for CD Audio. Include an MD5 checksum with the transfer, so we can confirm the file arrived intact.
How do I prepare the artwork for a disc?
The working area is a 120×120 mm square, without marking the shape of the disc or the hole. The background should run beyond the print area so there is no white rim. Work in CMYK, save photographs at 300 dpi and fine elements at 600 dpi. We accept PDF with fonts on outlines and TIF in CMYK, flattened, with LZW compression. Set black texts at 100% black. More in the file preparation guide. No artwork yet? Write and tell us what should be on the disc, and we will advise.
Do you check that the written discs are correct?
Yes. We duplicate on industrial duplicators, machines that write many discs at once, and we work at low writing speeds. Slower writing gives more stable reading on different equipment. Every copy goes through verification, that is a comparison of what was written with the source material. Only discs that read correctly go on to packing.
When is replication more worthwhile than duplication?
On large series. Replication means producing a disc from scratch: a glass master is made and the data is written physically into the structure of the disc, not burned into a dye layer. That gives greater durability and better compatibility with older players. The cost of the master is spread across the whole run, so the larger the series the more it makes sense. Compare both routes by looking at CD replication.
What can finished discs be packed in?
We put printed discs together with packaging. For shipping and simple sets, card sleeves work well. When the disc is part of a release and should have a cover, reach for 4P digipaks. The range also includes ecopaks, plastic CD-Box and slim cases, and booklets and inserts for digipaks and ecopaks. You order the packaging as a separate item and we put the whole thing together as a set.
Who is responsible for rights to the material being recorded?
Rights to the content sent for printing and duplication are the customer's responsibility. By placing an order you confirm that you have the right to reproduce that material: recordings, photographs, trademarks and texts in the design. We carry out the technical job and do not verify the legal status of the files supplied. If you have doubts about a specific item, clear them up before placing the order.