CD Replication and Packaging Terms

Amaray:
Amaray is the DVD packaging standard for the video entertainment market. This case is also sometimes referred to as DVD clam-shell or DVD soft-box. Height: 192.00mm, width: 136.46mm, depth: 15.00mm

Backliner:
The printed piece that goes in the back of the jewel case and folds to show on the spine. Sometimes called a tray card. When dealing with printed materials, booklets (or inserts) and backliners are frequently priced together as a set.

Blue Book:
The specification for combining audio and data seamlessly on one CD. This standard is also referred to as CD-Plus. There are also orange book, yellow book and red book standards.

Booklet:
The book that goes into the front of the jewel case. This booklet can be anywhere from 1 page (then usually called front page or J-card) to 48 pages (requires special insertion/jewel case). In order to insert the booklet automatically, the booklet must be printed to exact specifications. Furthermore, you will have to calculate a 5-10% line fall-out if you deliver the booklets yourself for automatic insertion. Booklets and Backliners are frequently priced together as a set.

CD-R:
Compact Disc-Recordable. This term is used to describe the technology of recordable CD as well as the equipment, software and media used to make recordable discs.

It is typically used for test runs and other small releases. A CD-R is the most common Golden Master for CD-ROM replication.

CD-Sleeve/Envelope:
Off-the-shelf plain/unprinted Tyvek(R), paper or plastic sleeves or envelopes, usually 5-1/8" x 5", or custom printed chip board (.15 sbs or .18 sbs), usually with 2, 3, or 4-color print and aqueous coating. The difference between sleeves and envelopes: a flap seals the envelope; the sleeve is either left open (if it is inserted into another sub-assembly), sealed with a label or - in rare cases - shrink-wrapped.

Cyanine:
An organic dye used to form the data layer in CD-R discs. Cyanine was the first material used for these discs, but presently a metal-stabilized cyanine compound is generally used instead of "raw" cyanine.

DigiPack:
A patented disck holder that combines a paperboard sleeve with a plastic tray.

DVD:
The current standard for digital video discs. DVD can be pressed with one or two layers on each side with from 4.7GB up to 17 GB of storage. Current DVD players and technology is limited to 4.7 GB of storage for a single layer, single-sided DVD.

Duplication:
Usually used to refer to mass-transfer of data onto existing media such as CD-R or a floppy disk, as opposed to replication where the media is created during the replication process, such as CD-ROM.

Golden Master:
The original software disk handed in for duplication.

Injection Moulding:
The stage of CD and DVD replication where the discs are actually formed agains the stamper mold. Molten polycarbonate is forced into a mold, under high pressure, and then cooled so the material takes on the shape of the mirror image of the mold.

ISO:
International Organization for Standardization

MPEG2:
The digital video signal compression standard used for DVD (and DSS). This adaptive, variable bit-rate process is able to allocate more bits for complex scenes involving a lot of motion, while minimizing the bits in static scenes. The average data rate for DVD is 3.5 Mbps (million bits/second). MPEG stands for Motion Picture Experts Group.

Orange Book:
The specification for CD-R's and CD-R systems. The specification was developed by Philips and Sony. It contains standards for the media, the drives and how the data should be located on the CD-R. There are also red book, yellow book and blue book standards.

Quicksleeve:
Another word for a simple CD-sleeve typically with the glue flaps on the outside.

Red Book:
The specification for audio CD's and audio CD systems. The specification was developed by Philips and Sony. It contains standards for the media, the drives and how the data should be located on the CD. There are also orange book, yellow book and blue book standards.

Replication:
Usually refers to a process where new media is created with a certain set of data from a gold master, such as a DVD-ROM or CD-ROM. Duplication is used to refer to a process where data is mass-transferred onto existing media, such as a floppy disk or CD-R.

Sierra Box:
Another way of describing what's considered a "standard" software box.

Silver Master:
Copy of the Golden Master.

Sleeve:
Standard sleeves are paper of Tyvek(R) with or without windows and flaps.

Yellow Book:
The specification for CD-ROM's and CD-ROM systems. The specification was developed by Philips and Sony. It contains standards for the media, the drives, and how the data should be located on the CD-R. There are also orange book, red book and blue book standards.