We're a startup company doing CD duplication and we'd like to make our CDs as retail ready as possible. Anyone have any ideas where I can get CD spine labels made or where we can get the printing supplies to print them ourselves? Similar to what Discmakers offers here http://www.discmakers.com/music/products/spinelabels.asp
We're doing most of the production ourselves - graphics, duplicating CDs, and printing using inkjet printers for the inserts and trays. We have everthing we need (including a barcode prefix), but we don't have a solution yet for the CD spines. We'd like to be able to print the labels ourselves, but we're open to getting them printed for us if we have to.
Again, these would be the labels that run along the top of a CD, containing the names of the artist, CD, and lable along with the barcode.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
JP
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Hey JP; unfortunately, there's not a lot of options when you're
Hey JP; unfortunately, there's not a lot of options when you're doing this kind of work.
In our case, when the job exceeds 500 copies or so, we simply farm it out to a local printer who can print, score & cut the materials as quickly as possible, usually with machinery. With over 1000 copies, we're off to Discmakers and done with it.
For anything smaller (which is a large part of our work), we have templates already set up for most clients, using MS Publisher, and simply open them up & modify, doing a "Save As" when new stuff is created. It's tedious, but we've gotten all the short cuts in place over the years.
We use a special thicker matte paper (90 brightness and 36lb weight) for the tray cards & spines, and a similar but semi-gloss similar paper (magazine cover quality) for the covers and insert booklets. These days, most inkjet printers are more than good enough quality (Epson, in our case) to do very nice work, including color and pictures.
The templates have crop lines for cutting with a manual paper cutter, and once your helpers or staff get the hang of it, it goes quite quickly once your materials are all in place. You can get various sized paper cutters from Staples, Office Max or OfficeDepot; we have the big ones for full page cuts, and the smaller little guys for the closer-detail work with the covers and inserts.
We have a couple of special dull knives/letter openers to do the side folds quickly; then it's time to stuff 'em with the printed materials and CDs.
Again, it's tedious but with a little practice you can knock things out fairly quickly, once your templates are setup and your staff gets the hang of it. (everyone working here does or has dones it at least once or twice in their career here....including me! hehehe )
If you have MS Publisher and want a template, or want the name of the brand & paper we use, drop me an email privately.
Good luck with 'em, regardless.
Thomas - Thanks for the links. Looks like the Avery Removables w
Thomas - Thanks for the links. Looks like the Avery Removables will be the ones we're looking for. I'll see if I can get some US equivilants. :D
JoeH - Thanks for all the advice and the offer of help. Through a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of digging and research, we found a way to do our manufacturing which works for us. Strangly enough, it's pretty much everything you're indicated. (I guess great minds think alike! 8-) )
It's just good to know that we're on the right track.
Thanks again!
JP
Like these http://www.systeminsight.co.uk/acatalog/Compat_Paper
Like these
http://www.systeminsight.co.uk/acatalog/Compat_Paper_CD_Labels.html
or
http://www.avery.co.uk/uk1/main.jsp?action=product.Product&bct=4&bcn=J8436REV&pid=J8436REV
or
http://www.officepointfivestar.com/sales/acatalog/OFFICE_SUPPLIES_Avery_Ink_Jet_Labels_J8436REV_25_12383.html
Most of these seem to be avaialbe in England. Maybe it is due to some legal problem that you cannot purchase them here in the US. I will keep looking.