Where Do I Start?

KOPY-RITE is an advisor / consultant FIRST, and a software manufacturer SECOND. We will listen to your requirements, provide you with information and advice, and help YOU to decide what course best fits your needs. There are many options for distributing data on optical media (CD or DVD). Quantity, turn time (including the force driving the deadline), and printing are the primary factors that we consider when advising customers. There is a lot of information listed below that is a sort of "CD versus CD-R Primer". We offer this as a simple starting point, and welcome your email or call at 800-676-5679.

Optical discs can be done as either replicated discs (CD-ROM / DVD-ROM) or as recorded discs (CD-R, DVD-R, DVD+R). Replicated discs are manufactured "from scratch" using injection molding equipment. Recorded discs begin as a blank disc, and your data is then written (or "burned") onto the blank disc. Replicated discs are offered at a lower cost PER UNIT, but other factors (mostly turn time and print requirements) will influence (increase!) setup, shipping, and rush charges, and can make the TOTAL COST higher then recorded discs. From a quality standpoint they are both equal, although some will argue that CD-R's created using premium media are actually a higher quality than CD-ROM because they usually produce better results when run through CD test equipment.

Generally, larger volumes (several thousand or more) are done as replicated discs, and smaller volumes 500 or less) are done as recorded discs. This is not a rule, but there would usually be a pretty specific reason why an order would stray from these guidelines when in these volume ranges. The "mid-range" volumes (500 - 2000) tend to be driven more by turn-time and print / packaging requirements.

The phrase "Turn-Time" refers to the amount of manufacturing time required to produce your disc (whether it is replicated or recorded). A standard "turn" for replicated discs at most plants is 7 - 10 days (although some offer 5 - 7 days as standard). The turn time can be reduced, but as it is shortened you will begin to incur a "mastering fee", which is really nothing more than a rush fee. The quicker the turn, the higher the mastering fee.

The print requirements also factor into the decision because of the strengths and weakness of all of the various print options that are available.

The options include:

Labeling is a recordable disc print option. This has a great look (glossy), and can handle almost any type of design, and is pretty quick. It can't, though, compare to other printing when it comes to color matching. Plus, it becomes impractical (and expensive) for volumes beyond several thousand.

Silkscreening - This is the most common printing method, and can be done at any plant (in fact it is the ONLY option at many plants). It is fast, low cost, and generally looks great! The downside is that the resolution is too low (usually 120 lpi +/-) to handle many of the complex images created by computer graphic artists. In particular, gradients and some photographic details (faces, clouds, etc) don't produce as nicely as they do in other print mediums (some customers / artists will compare a 120 lpi silkscreen image to a 600 dpi image from a color laser printer and be disappointed). However, silkscreening is a great inexpensive option when working within the proper specifications, particularly using pantone colors.

Offset / Pad Printing - These devices produce the highest quality images. However, they are only available at a limited number of plants (which cannot reliably offer faster turns). Also, some plants will charge a slight premium for this type of printing. Finally, it is only available as 4 color process, and cannot be done with Pantones.

Thermal Printing- This is the fastest and least expensive method for printing on recordable media. It is monocolor (standard colors are black, blue, and red), and prints at a 300 dpi resolution. It cannot do very complex graphics (i.e.. don't plan on greyscale!) and it cannot do large blocks of solid color (no solid black with silver knockouts!).

MicroDry - This is a high quality heat transfer printing process. It is mostly used in applications where there are low runs of audio discs (where labels can't be used and thermal isn't enough), or in situations where the customer will not accept gloss labels. They cannot be produced quickly, and there is a premium cost (they require special discs, and the transfer ribbons are expensive), but the sure have a great look!

We have offered a lot of information on this one single page. Depending on where your interests lie you can either select from the menu on the upper left of the screen, or follow our "directed tour", which will basically walk you through the various options we offer. You can, of course, always contact us at 800.676.5679 (or via email to sales@kopyrite.com), and we'll gladly answer any questions or explain any of the services.

DIRECTED TOUR

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