Making
CD's
at
Squeaky
Studio
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The
vision of the
Finished Product
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CD
"packaging" is as much a part of the whole project as the recording of
the music. For example purposes I will use my Live at Acadia
CD. I chose to use a standard double CD jewel case. I want
something that could be sold at any retail outlet. The "jewel"
case is still a basic unit that will fit in most storage cases.
Designing and making the inserts for the "jewel" case is something I
have gotten pretty good at over the years. The booklet and tray
card require cutting and folding to fit. Can you say, "tedious"?
The CD label design and printing is another crucial part of the
package. My current philosophy for labels is to keep them as
simple as possible which speeds printing and saves on ink.
The final step is shrink wrapping them...
A quick summary of the whole manufacturing process at Squeaky Studio:
- Write the recording to a special blank CD.
- Print label on CD
- Print, fold and cut CD booklet
- Print, fold and cut tray card for jewel case
- Insert the above into a jewel case.
- Shrinkwrap...
The order these steps can be swtched around a bit and some steps can be
done simaltaneously...
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Write the recording to a special blank CD.
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This
is typicallly done with my eMac. It takes about 5 minutes to
write the music to disc. This gives me time to work on other
steps in the process... What makes the blank CD special is the
label side is completely blank and coated with material that will
absorb the ink from the CD printer.
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Print label on CD |
Squeaky
Studio invested in a color CD printer in the early years... The
computer upgrade to the eMac almost made it useless. A hack and a
funky cable kept it printing.
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Print, fold and cut CD booklet...
Print, fold and cut tray card for jewel case
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Squeaky
Studio invested in a color laser printer in the early years...
The speed of a laser printer was the main motivator for getting
one. The old ink-jet printer would take DAYS to print what the
laser can do in a morning. The draw back is the quality of photos
is not as good. |
| Insert
the above into a jewel case |
 The raw materials...
- jewel case
- blank CD
- shrinkable envelope
- paper (not shown)
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Shrinkwrap...
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The
device on the left seals the shrinkable envelope and I have a special
heat gun to do the shrinking.
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