Short Run CD Duplication
If you’ve Googled “Short Run CD Duplication U.S.A.”, “Short Run DVD Duplication”, or Short Run DVD Duplication Canada”, we’re glad you’re here. Request a Quote, check our Special Offers, or contact us for an estimate at info AT standardmedia DOT ca.
Like thousands of other customers all over North America, you probably are only looking to do a limited run of a CD or DVD project that you’ve recently completed, and there’s a million different reasons why. We’re always keen on listening to our clients’ needs, and increasingly, we’re noticing that many of our customers are more conscious about budget or simply don’t want to inventory 500-1000 pieces and assume the shipping cost for a larger than required quantity. The short run market is something we’ve always been passionate about, especially since it tends to be an overlooked and under serviced segment of the industry, and more often than not, many of our clients tell us how difficult it is to even get quotes or estimates on anything less than 500 replicated CDROMS or DVD5s. Curious about the differece between replication and duplication? Check out our blog post on the difference between the two here. Short run projects will almost always be duplicated, and that’s ok. CD and DVD duplication technology has come along quite a bit from even just 2 years ago, and if done properly, most duplicated CD-Rs and DVD-Rs will operate fine in car decks and stand alone DVD players. With that said, let’s talk about the most important thing when deciding related to short run cd duplication or short run dvd duplication: packaging. If you’re looking at doing your project on a budget, consider the following.
1. Standard packaging items for CD and DVD duplication, like jewel cases, plastic sleeves, or DVD amaray cases, make the most sense, and will be conducive to keeping the per unit cost low. CD and DVD digipaks, eco wallets, and any kind of printed board is something that we do for short run CD and DVD duplication customers, but it’s more expensive. For instance, if you were doing a short run CD duplication of a recently completed audio project or recording, you may want to consider doing a standard 2 panel/4 page birthday card insert with a tray card, or a standard DVD trap sheet. These are commonly utilized items and can be printed easily in minimal quantities. They are significantly cheaper than producing only 100 CD digipaks for instance, and while not as environmentally friendly as something like an eco wallet or a printed jacket, they do the trick, and most audio and video product is still using the tried and true jewel case and amaray case.
2. If you don’t want to do a jewel case or DVD amaray case and want to minimize the plastic in your project, and want card stock, then a printed jacket is your best bet. Check out our CD and DVD packaging page to get a breakdown on the difference in packaging options. A printed jacket is also commonly referred to as a “printed CD sleeve”, “custom printed CD mailer”, or “printed DVD sleeve”. These are compact and significantly cheaper for shipping, and hold up much better than a traditional CD jewel case, especially if you’re mailing or distributing your discs. We produce printed jackets in short runs, and this popular packaging option is a lot more practical than most people realize.
Consolidating your media is another big thing. We recently had a customer who was interested in getting 100 pieces of what was a 2 disc audio set done, but had a limited budget. They wanted something more elaborate than the standard jewel case or a DVD amaray case, and were considering a 2 pocket eco wallet. In an effort to reduce the per unit cost, we suggested doing a single disc instead of two, hence allowing the extra portion of the budget to be spent on 100% recycled FSC certified board stock, which ended up being a printed jacket.
The bottom line is that you CAN do a limited run of CDs or DVDs, and you don’t have to sacrifice quality or aesthetics. You can still get CD digipaks, DVD digipaks, CD eco wallets, and printed jackets even if you’re only doing 50 or 100 discs.