CD DVD Packaging

CDs and DVDs aren't just for software and music they can also contain our most precious memories in photographs. Don't gamble with fate. Make sure you get the right sort of CD DVD packaging to protect them.

Most CD DVD packaging is designed with one goal in mind and that is to protect the CD or DVD from scratches.

There are many forms of CD DVD packaging and you need to choose one that is right for the medium you have on the disc and how you wish to market your mass produced CD. For photos you want something that is going to last and keep the discs in good condition. A well designed sleeve cover wouldn't go astray either as you might want to keep the photos on your bookshelf for easy access. With the sleeve cover you can put the title and dates the photographs were taken for easy reference.

There are many forms of CD DVD packaging with the most popular and well known being the jewel case.

The Jewel Case

This is the grandfather of all CD DVD packaging. It's been around since the original CD came out in 1982.

Made out of injection moulded polystyrene the jewel case measures 142 mm × 125 mm × 10 mm.  Two opposing halves are joined together by a plastic hinge.

The back media tray, which snapped into the back of the jewel case, contains a circular ring of flexible teeth responsible for securing the CD through its hole. A good design because it held the CD off the surface of the media tray and prevented it from being scratched.

The inside front of the jewel case contained 2, 4 or 6 tabs designed to hold a liner note. The liner note usually had artwork advertising the contents of the CD. In between the back media tray and the clear back of the jewel case was another piece of card which usually displayed the track names, publishers, and copyright information.

The back card was folded into a flat U shape. The card was fitted in such a way that artwork and titles of the CD were easily visible along the spine of the case making for easy flat storage of your CD collection.

Weaknesses Of The Jewel Case Design

The jewel case has been with us a long time but has some major flaws. The first one being a weakness in the hinges that hold the two halves together. These were easily broken if they received any shocks or jarring such as being jostled about in a bag.

Another major weakness of the design were the tabs that held the front card or booklet in place. These had the nasty habit of catching on the booklet and more often than not, tearing it. Not good if you were a collector and liked to keep things in pristine condition. Also, if there weren't enough tabs inside the front lid the booklet had an annoying habit of falling out.

The Slimline Case

This is a popular alternative to the jewel case and is popular with singles releases. The CD tray is moulded into the back case and there is no room for a rear insert.

The Q Pack

The Q Pack was introduced as an alternative to the jewel case. Unlike the jewel case it does not have a snap in tray like a jewel case. They were not transparent so any promotional material was printed and glued to the outside of the box.

The Keep Case

More commonly used for DVD storage these cases are made out of the more flexible polypropylene. They are usually made for one or two discs but can be made to hold up to six discs. Another thinner version of the Keep Case is the "thinkpack" which is half as thick. These can be made to hold two discs by having the teeth on either side of the case slot into each other when the case is closed.

Soft Case Or Green Case

This is a case of similar design to the Keep Case but is made out of recycled optical discs and marketed to people who are environmentally friendly. The plastic is very flexible so it is not prone to breaking. A drawback of this is that the safety of the DVD is compromised due to the fact that the case can be bent from end to end very easily. The green case can be differentiated by its more opaque appearance then the "Keep Case".

CD DVD Paper And Envelope Packaging

Due to the environmental concerns of the late 1980s newer more eco-friendly methods of CD DVD packaging were researched and implemented. Here are some of the packaging methods that came out of that research.

The Digi-Pack

The Digi-Pack is essentially a folding cardboard tray with a plastic CD tray glued to the inside. Once considered to be a more environmentally alternative to the CD jewel case it is now not as favored due to the lower resistance to wear and higher manufacturing costs.

Disc Box Slider

More commonly known as the DBS and uses 100% cardboard. The disc rests on a slider tray that is pulled out from the sleeve. Disc Box Sliders are considered to be one of the most environmental versions of CD DVD packaging as they are 100% recyclable.

WowWallet

Developed by WeeWow, the WowWallet is a very eco-friendly method of CD and DVD packaging.  According to WeeWow it's cost effective for both short run and large run projects.

Generally the art work is printed right onto the wallet itself but WeeWow have created a new version which now has a window on the front which allows a CD booklet to be inserted.

By now you can see that there are quite a lot of options when it comes to choosing the packaging for your next project. No matter what sort of a project you have I'm sure there is a CD DVD packaging method to suit.