DISC SPECIFICATIONS
IMPORTANT - BEFORE YOU BEGIN DESIGNING:
We offer two different methods for printing artwork directly on the disc surface
(for INJECTION-MOLDED - "pressed" - CDS or DVDS):
SCREENPRINTING
Screenprinting is a process where ink is forced through a stencil image on a finely woven screen. A separate screen is used for every ink color required in the design (to a maximum of six colors) and each color is printed one at a time. Opaque inks are used to print the design onto the disc surface. Because there are thousands of different ink colors that can be mixed, an international standard was developed to aid in referencing them all. This color standard is called the Pantone Matching System and features sequentially numbered colors referenced as 'PMS’ numbers.
Most good graphic design programs have the ability to cross-reference different color modes including Pantone. When designing with screenprinting in mind, the most accurate color reference is to use a printed Pantone swatch book. If using a Pantone swatch book please make sure you reference PMS colors with the “C” designation (which stands for 'coated’ stock).
Screenprinting is well suited for designs that have
- large areas of solid color
- line-art graphics and text
- up to six spot/pantone colors.
It is not a good choice for designs containing
- bitmaps, photographic, or true-to-life images
- multiple colors or transparencies
- four-color process (CMYK) artwork.
CMYK OFFSET
A process that operates on the Four Color Process printing system which offers higher resolution and tighter registration than screenprinting. Four Color Process Printing (referred to as CMYK) is the standard for most types of commercial printing and uses four primary pigments (C stands for Cyan, M stands for Magenta, Y stands for Yellow, K stands for Black) which can be mixed and combined together in varying amounts to provide a palette of thousands of different colors for printing.
Translucent inks are used to print the design onto the disc surface with the four layers of ink (C+M+Y+K) layering one on top of the other to create the finished image. Because the inks are translucent it is generally recommended that a solid white backprint (also called a ‘flood’) be used to make the offset print stand out and appear more vibrant. Most Pantone color numbers can be translated into CMYK values… but not all. For best results it is recommended that a Pantone-To-Process guide be used.
CMYK OFFSET is well suited for designs containing
- four-color process (CMYK) artwork
- bitmaps, photographic, or true-to-life images
- complex, multiple colors.
It is not a good choice for designs
- containing large areas of solid color
- that require a match to spot/Pantone colors.