CD artwork duplication
Thinking of preparing your own artwork? Here's a list of some of the considerations, in our experience - by MantraGlass.
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cd artwork - how to get it right for the printer!

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The following spec is typical of what most printer will look for in your proofs when copying your CDs. If you do not feel able to dedicate the time to this aspect of your finished product, then it is probably best handed over to a professional printer who will provide the right standard of proof and communicate with the CD duplication printers in their own terminology and language! These suggestions are intended as guidelines only - please contact your printer for precise specifications.

Technical Spec
Acceptable File Formats
Photoshop Files
Fonts
Bleed
Cuts and Folds
On-body designs
Proofs
Turnaround

Technical Spec
All standard images should be at 300dpi TIFF files (not JPEG). If you are sent templates then images should not be resized upwards in your layout application, as this will reduce the resolution
Colour model should be CMYK (for full colour)
All bitmap images should be at 1200dpi

File Format
Preferred formats are Macintosh InDesign, Illustrator or Quark. Printers usuallly also accept Photoshop, Freehand and EPS files. PDF artwork is not usually acceptable, rather the basic files from which the PDF files were made. Artwork is best supplied on CD or 100mb Zip only - there is a danger of corruption with other formats.

Photoshop Files
If artwork is created in Photoshop, it is best to supply the PSD documents in their layered state, before they have been flattened. Fonts should also be included.In designing your page, please allow for the bleed (see below).

Fonts
All fonts used should be submitted with the artwork.

Bleed
To allow for slight discrepancies in the cutting of the artwork, please allow a bleed of at least 3mm from the edge of the page. This point should be incorporated into the design - it really is best if designs are more central to the page and do not approach the edges, but if this is absolutely necessary, then please allow the bleed, which should really be an extension of the main image.

Crops and Folds
Cutting and folding guides should be marked clearly, and defined in "registration" colour, not black, so they appear on all separated plates. If you are having problems with setting this up, your printer may be able to supply a template. Printers can usually also accept a solid image to drop into our standard CD label template, if exact guidelines are unnecessary. in this case you should be sure that there are no missing bits of the image.

On-body printing
Images should be 300dpi and you will need to state if you wish a white base to be appear underneath your artwork. If you do not state this then the metal colour of the CD will be your base colour.

Proofs
You should supply a good quality printout as a guide of how you wish your artwork to appear, in case of doubt image reversals or re-working. Printers cannot guess what your intentions are unless they see how the finished item should appear.

Turnaround
Always ask what the rurnaround time should be (most printers can only estimate) and always leave a wide margin of error, i.e. don't try and rush your CDs back for a launch date if it's already looming - try to allow for every possible hitch in the process - no printer will take responsibility for publicity problems caused by delayed demos or debut albums.

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