Check back at the CD Duplication resource centre soon to see the first projects uploaded.

With lots of new features and a whole new look that is touch screen friendly, Microsoft is betting heavily on Windows 8 pulling more users away from considering their competitions products. One of the features to be included is a new CD\DVD burning set up.

When Windows XP hit the market quite a few years ago in 2001, the CD burning capability was built right into the OS, enabling you to burn discs from Windows Media Player or simply open a burn folder, and add files to be recorded on your discs. This made the CD burning tool easier to use than ever, and gave users a whole new reason to like Windows. It gave multi-media a huge leap forward.

Now that DVD and CD burning and reading is a necessity for almost everyone, the Windows 8 platform will include the ability to mount ISO files on the computer by downloading them, to be accessed later. This means you can load the compete image of a disc, and then access it as if the disc was running on the machine. For a tablet user who does not have access to a CD/DVD drive, this will allow much more versatility in using their machine. Users would pre-load the disc image from an external drive, and then read the image later. External software was a requirement to accomplish this in the past, but it will be built right in to the Windows 8 OS software.

The ribbon toolbar that debuted in its current form in Microsoft Word 2007 is a major part of the Windows 8 interface. It will add disc burning button access to the main screen. By selecting a disc tools button, the user can control the disc burning functions without opening a separate program or window to do so. This makes access to disc functions easier than ever.

The effect this will have on disc burning is to get users who have shied away from making their own CDs or DVDs, more comfortable with the process, and encourage them to use the media for backups, and file sharing. Saving your music collection to a disc has never been quite this easy. Music and movie lovers will be able to make copies of their discs with such ease that the entertainment industry may get even more nervous of copy protection and rights.

Those clients of disc duplicating services may find that they can accomplish the task themselves, though large quantity disc duplication will still require a multi-disc burner, or continue to be very time consuming suggesting that duplication companies will still have a market to operate in.

However, to see if this new feature has a direct impact on the number of clients seeking CD Duplication we will have to wait to early 2012 to find out.

Making an environmentally friendly compact disc is not an easy task. The very materials that are used to make them are not compatible with nature. However, there are some things that can be done to make the duplication process greener.

There is conscious level that is rising in the CD manufacturing community. Some of the changes that are being considered and suggested include using paper foam or cardboard packaging instead of the traditional plastic.

Another possibility is to use soy-based ink. The regular petroleum based inks are more desirable because of their faster drying time. Soy based inks dry slower and cost a little more. However, the trade off is better for the environment.

Still more strides are being made to make the process of creating the disc more eco-friendly. Some companies are using recycled plastics in manufacturing. They cannot use 100 percent recycled plastics in the disc, but they can use a good percentage of recycled materials to make the CDs.

Making the disc leaner and doing this by cutting the size of it in half makes it easier to pass through the scanning machines in the post office. The industry is also taking the regular CD packaging and reusing it to make packaging that is eco-friendly.

They are also using as much recycled material as possible on the front end, which is where they use only recyclable items and on the back end using discarded materials that can be reused for manufacturing CDs.

The general idea is that the music community wants to go green, and they are taking steps to make it happen. The main push is to find ways to make the process more green and eco friendly.

More and more companies are taking those extra steps to produce a quality item that is compatibility with our environment. They are very aware of the importance of not polluting the earth, and they take it seriously.

While the consensus indicates that it is impossible to make a completely environmentally friendly CD disc, the overall packaging can be made of environmentally friendly. Education and promotion are two ways that the industry is looking at supporting the move to green.

The industry will continue to look for ways to keep the distribution and manufacturing of CDs as eco-friendly as possible.

1. Use a colour scheme or background image to base your artwork around – It is best to base you CD/ DVD background around a colour or background image as this will help to make the discs look professional and avoid making the disc look empty.If choosing a colour scheme it is critical to look at complementary colours and avoid using colour that clash. Also avoid using colours which are too bright or fluorescent as these can detract away from the more important information on the disc such as text.

   If choosing a background image, make sure that the image is of high quality to give optimum print quality. Also, again, avoid images which are too ‘busy’ unless the image is the main focus point as this can distract away from more important information. Be careful with copyright issues and only use images which you have the correct permissions for. Websites such as I-Stock Photo offer royalty free images at reasonable prices which is often a good option to keep down costs. However, be sure to buy the right size image to fill the whole disc background.

2. Avoid white space where necessary – Large white spaces can make you discs look empty and unfinished. Unless you colour scheme is based around white, which often many corporate design are, it can often make you discs look very unprofessional. We have found that the only time where white is effective as a background colour is when a corporate design is required with just a logo and a title on the disc print. Also note that using white will not lower you costs in most cases as most companies charge a fixed fee per disc or per ink colour rather than based on disc coverage.
3. Keep any text and other important graphics away from the printing edge – This may seem obvious but it is amazing how many people create their artwork based around a 120x120mm square and then are disappointed when something is cut off their finished print because the disc is circle with 120mm diameter and therefore chops off the corners. It is often good practise to add a circle outline to the file you using to create the artwork which shows the actual disc shape. This can help to avoid cutting text or important graphics off the finished product. Also a general rule which is followed is to keep text 3mm away from the print edge to ensure the text is clearly visible on the finished discs.
4. Be sure to include all the important information – Again this may seem obvious but it is important to make sure you include all the relevant information which needs to be displayed on your discs. For example if you are planning to sell your discs in commercial shops it will often be a requirement to include barcodes, ISBN number, etc. Often it will be essential to display the ISBN number on the disc print also. Apart from legal requirement you need to consider other information you may want to display on the discs. For example, producers of audio discs will often require the track names on the disc front especially if the discs are being packaged into plastic wallets.
5. Don’t ‘over do’ or ‘over clutter’ the artwork – One of the easiest ways to tell if artwork has been produced professionally is by the clean, easy on the eye feel. The way an unprofessional design would differ is to be cluttered up with information and many different images which then gives the artwork no flow or theme. This is especially important when producing corporate artwork as a clean finish looks really professional. White backgrounds often help give a clean finish which is why we often recommend using a white background when creating corporate design. However, it is important to get a good balance between information and design. The real skill is to incorporate information into you disc and still make it still looks clean and professional. This links back into colour themes and often takes good designers touch.
6. Make the design relevant and fit for purpose – In the above five point anyone could argue that there have been contradictions all throughout this article and in all truth we would have to agree. However, there is one very simple reason for this. Each different artwork design needs to fit for the company/ individual who requires the discs and there will always be requirement and codes & conventions to follow to make the client happy with the finished product. For example corporate clients will not require discs with cartoon images and non-corporate clients will not require a plain design but something more engaging. Therefore we have to understand fully the needs of the customer and make the product to suit them. This may be the single most important tip that we will give you here but personally we prefer number eight.
7. Use a suitable graphics programme to design your artwork – This again may be another obvious one but when you have been in the duplication business for a many years as us you will appreciate it is frustrating when someone sends a word document through with their disc image on. Most companies will accept anything from high quality JPEG’s upwards but for the optimum results it is best to use a high quality graphics programme and output in vector format (Hint: This means don’t use paint!). We would recommend the Adobe range as a suitable choice for graphic design but even still the best results are only achieved when using either Adobe Illustrator or Adobe InDesign. This is because these programmes output in vector format which gives the best results for both graphics but in particular text. This will ensure that the finished product is really crisp and sharp. However, don’t be put off from using other graphic design programmes such as Adobe Photoshop which still produce excellent results which will look very professional.
8. Enjoy yourself and be creative – Graphic design is a form of art and should be used as an expressive tool. If you enjoy yourself and let your create flow take over you will generally find you will achieve the look you were aiming for. If you are not enjoying the process you will begin to question each little detail of the design until you are left with no creative ideas. Often it will take time and a few attempts to get the exact look you want but if you enjoy the process you will find the whole ordeal a lot easier to complete.

OK there are our top tips for helping with the design of your CD artwork. Please feel free to post any additional tips you have found to personally help you in the past.

Inkjet printing is a process whereby ink is sprayed from nozzles onto the disc surface, hence the name inkjet. This process is very similar to the process used by every day paper printers which you will find in homes and offices around the globe. Inkjet printing is great for a high quality finish which will catch all images and text in great detail. However, the inkjet process does have drawbacks. Mainly the discs will not be damage proof and scratches and smudges can appear if not handled with care. Also a waterproof finish is only available with a special type of discs which are more expensive.

Thermal Printing is a totally different process where a ribbon is used to apply the colours separately to a plate which is then burned onto the disc along with a protective layer. The main advantage to the thermal printing technique is the durability of the discs which will be waterproof, scratchproof and smudge resistant. Also the print cost per disc will be the same no matter on the coverage of the disc. However, there are again drawbacks. Unlike the inkjet method, it is often harder to get such a sharp image on small text (6-7 pt and below). Sometimes the text will be slightly blurred and difficult to read. Also in general the cost per disc is slightly higher than the inkjet process.

Therefore, the decision is all about considering what is right to meet the requirements of each individual duplications needs. If you are looking for professional standards and high quality durable discs then thermal printing is most likely for you. However, if you’re looking for a cost effective method which still gives good quality then maybe you should choose the inkjet printing option.

Feel free to leave any comments discussing your experiences with thermal printing or inkjet printing and leave your opinion on your preferred method.