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Basic Questions | Design and Film | Options Pricing | Audio Master Info | Shipping Address Q. What is included in the package prices? A. The actual duplication of your product (onto CDs and/or cassettes) and the printing of the covers. For CD packages, it also includes design and/or film output for a 2-color disc label, as well as the glass master used for replication. For cassettes it includes the on-shell printing, plus mastering and test cassette. Also included is the insertion of your covers, the appropriate boxes, and shrinkwrap. Q. What is not included in the package price? A. The design or film used for printing your covers. (See below) Shipping. We can estimate your shipping costs pretty closely. A good estimate for shipping 1,000 CDs is $100 by UPS ground for most US areas. Cassettes, different quantities, shipping overnight, or faraway location will change shipping costs. You will also be charged for the overnight ships of any art proofs if you have design done. Q. What is a 4-page folder? A. A "page" in CD booklet terms is one side of a panel. Therefore, a 4-page booklet (or folder) is 2 panels, printed both sides, with a single fold. Following this example, a 2-page is a single panel printed both sides. A 6-page is 3 panels, printed both sides, with 2 folds, etc. Q. What about the turnaround time? A. Standard turnaround time is 3 weeks. That's 21 days from the time all your material is received at the pressing plant, and does not include shipping time. We offer a 10 business day turnaround on CDs for $100 extra. (Note that all materials, including print film, must be in our hands BEFORE the 10 days begins.) Any design, film output, corrections, or problems with your audio or art will cause turnaround time to increase. Standard turnaround times are estimated and not guaranteed. However, they are extremely reliable. If you choose the 10 day turnaround upgrade, we will refund your $100 if the CDs do not ship by the 11th business day. (Barring any problems with the materials you supply.) Note that the 10 day rush turnaround may not be available at all times, especially prior to and during the Christmas rush. Also note that to meet tight deadlines, overnight shipping of a portion of your order can be arranged. However, please do not plan a CD release party or other event too close to your estimated date of receipt. Things occasionally happen to hold up a project or its shipping, so give yourself a safety margin. This also gives you more time to plan and promote your release, as well as send out advance promo copies for radio and reviews. Also remember that the holiday rush period runs October-end of year. Everyone is trying to get a CD out in time for Christmas, so turnaround times are slower. Try to put your disc out at another time if possible, or start early! Q. Is the printing in full color? A. CD folders are full color on one side and B&W on the other. (Called 4/1 or "4 over 1" printing.) CD tray cards are full color, but without print on the back (Called 4/0 printing. Print on inside of traycard is available as an option, see below.) Cassette J-cards are also 4/1 printing. CD labels are 2 color. (You specify the PMS colors). Additional options can include full color on both sides of folders or J-cards, as well as additional colors on the CD label. (See below.) Q. What's this about + or - 10% when it comes to quantity? A. Manufacturing (pressing) plants run huge quantities, and precise control over the numbers is impossible. It is an industry standard that clients accept + or - 10% on quantity. So on a 1,000 CD project, you might receive as few as 900 or as many as 1,100 CDs. You will be billed for 1,000 CDs before shipment, and when exact numbers are known, you will either receive a refund or be billed for the overs. In practice, the average is about 20-40 over what your order called for in most cases. In the rare event the pressing plant exceeds the 10% over, you will NEVER be obligated for more than the extra 10%. However, you may elect to purchase them at a highly reduced cost. Q. What do I need to supply with my order? A. 1. We need your audio master on CDR (recordable compact disc, also called CD "One-Off") for CD projects and CDR or DAT (Digital Audio Tape) for cassette projects. 2. The prices quoted are based on the client supplying finished, color-separated print film fitting specs exactly. You can also supply the artwork and text to be used for printing your booklets and traycards. (Using our optional design services to layout the cover and prepare the composite print film. More on artwork later.) 3. A downpayment of 75% of your estimated total cost or the payment in full. We accept credit cards, checks, and money orders. Other methods may be arranged. Note that if you made a 75% downpayment, the balance is due before your order ships. You must also include our order form to avoid delays. Audio Master Notes: CDR needed for CD projects. Either CDR or DAT is OK for cassettes We can do a transfer from DAT to CDR for $50. Also note that you MUST supply a log/track sheet with your DAT. Make sure your studio gives you a log sheet with track IDs, titles, any tones, and exact start and stop times for each song. (No log sheet is needed for CDRs.) Cost to make a log sheet for your DAT, if you do not have one, is $50 and will require extra time. We recommend 2 minutes of digital black (silence) at beginning and end of your material on a DAT. A spacing of around 30 seconds between sides is helpful for cassette production. Test tones are optional. Please use a new DAT and make sure it is recorded with ABS time. We can also deal with other formats for audio masters, contact us for arrangement. You will receive a test cassette to approve for cassette projects. CD projects are direct transfers from the master CDR to the glass master used for duplication, so make sure it sounds exactly like you want it. Contact us if you need a good mastering service, and we can refer you. If we do your DAT to CDR transfer, you can receive a copy for $20 plus shipping. NOTE: DO NOT send your only copy of your audio master if at all possible! ALWAYS have a backup! If you only have one DAT, try finding a local studio to burn you a CDR and then send us the CDR. Your DAT will serve as a backup that won't have to leave the safety of your home! Always ship your materials with UPS, FedEx or another company that provides package tracking for safety! Q. I have never done a project before, what can I expect? A. Contact us first. We will offer you options on how to proceed with your project. Then you will send your audio master and print film in along with your payment. The printing and duplication process begins. We will notify you of the expected shipping date of your finished CDs or tapes. With cassette projects, you will receive a test cassette by overnight shipment for your approval. We will also notify you of any problem with your audio or film, and find the best way to correct it. Once your CDs or tapes are done, they will ship directly to you via UPS. If you are using us to design and/or output your print film, the following also applies : If we are designing your project, you will usually receive a B&W proof via fax first. You will approve or make corrections by phone or fax. Then a color laser print proof will be overnighted to you for approval.You may also elect to have a professional proof sent at additional cost. This will take longer, and a color laser should be good enough to know if the design is to your satisfaction. It is still possible to make corrections at this point. After you approve the color proof, the print film is made. Once the approval is given for the color proof, you assume all liability for errors or typos. If we are outputting your film from supplied design on a disc, you will usually receive a color proof to approve before film is output. We can handle any problems that may come up at this point. In either case, once the print film is done, the process works as in the above paragraph. Q. What is finished print film? A. When full color printing is done, the colors are able to be divided into 4 colors. This is called color separation. (Process colors: Cyan, Yellow, Black, and Magenta.) The combination of these four colors when printing occurs will result in a full-color, photo type of printing, like what you see in a magazine picture. A graphic artist must do the color separations and output 4 pieces of film, one for each process color. The resulting film is used for printing your covers and tray cards. You may also hear the terms "composite film", "film seps", "color seps", or other similar names. Note that one color printing only requires one piece of film, and "Black and White" is actually a one color process only using the color black. However, when dealing with the CD label, black and white count as 2 colors, since the CD surface is silver. Q. What if I don't know how to get finished film? A. No problem. We have very reasonable rates for outputting film. A four-panel booklet usually runs around $200 for us to output the film. Cassette J-cards are lower, larger CD booklets are higher. You supply your completed design, matching our specs, on computer media such as a Zip Disc, CD-ROm, or Syquest cartridge. We may also arrange electronic transfer of your graphic files. (Extra cost involved.) We output the film, usually after sending you a color proof for approval. Q. Do you do designs? How much does it cost? A. Yes, we have graphic artists who will design your project from your supplied photo (or artwork) and text. Costs vary depending on the number of photos, amount of typesetting, etc. You can supply your text on a floppy disc to save money on typesetting. Just send it as a .txt file. In general, a simple 4-panel CD with one color photo on the front will start around $350, including film output. Really complex designs can run considerably higher. Q. Which software should I use to do my own design? A. In order of preference: Quark Express, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PhotoShop. The print houses are not too fond of designs done in Corel Draw, so if you use it, you may want to consider having it converted into one of the above programs. If that is impossible, we can still work with your Corel Draw design, but film output charges may be a bit higher. We can also accept files from Macromedia Freehand. Other forms of software are often problems, even if you can create postscript files. Sometimes files created with other software will not open properly, or at all. Bear in mind that a very high percentage of delays are due to minor or major problems with client-supplied graphic designs. We do everything possible to complete your project on time and on budget. It helps if you communicate with us throughout the graphic design process, so we can avoid problems that may be costly to correct later. Be sure to check your proofs closely, and have someone else read for good measure. Once film is made, the cost to fix small mistakes increases tremendously. When it is caught early, it is usually just a matter of a few dollars and another proof overnighted. You can even correct it yourself and resend your material. Remember that film output adds to the turnaround time, as do any corrections that must be made. If you give yourself a good safety margin and have plenty of time, you can avoid rushing through this crucial process. When you supply a design, send it on a Zip disc, CD-Rom, Syquest cartridge or similar media. You must also include print outs (hard copies) of all pieces of the design, as well as all files on the disc. Make sure you also include a directory print out listing all files on your disc. If you use specific fonts, include the complete font on the disc, as well. Be aware that True Type fonts are not compatible with the designers' software. If you have used True Type fonts, provide the name and sample print of the font. It can usually be matched very accurately. You can supply just photos and scans on disc. Send them as .tif files. However, there are occasional problems opening files. We can scan your photos or art using the best quality drum scanners. This produces the best color. Supply text-only as a simple ASCII file, or .txt, to avoid software conflicts. We can arrange for electronic transfer (email) of your design files as an optional charge. Q. What are your design and film specs? A. For design, have 1/8" bleed on all open sides. Keep all active art 1/16" in from trims. Include crop and fold marks. (Dash lines indicate folds. Do not leave guidelines around piece or they will print.) For film, use print process colors (black, cyan, yellow, magenta). 175 Line screen. Film Negatives-right reading emulsion down. You must also supply a color proof with film. Must be a PressMatch or Color Key. A color laser is not acceptable. Specs for the CD label differ. Please ask if you plan to output your own CD label film. Q. What are you talking about!??! A. If you don't understand the above answer, it's probably a good idea to let a designer at least finish up your design and output the film. Most delays and errors come from art changes and problems. With careful communication, we can usually avoid any serious problems. Our design prices are very competitive. Q. Can you provide me with dimensions for my J-card, Cover, Booklet, or Tray Card? A. Just ask. We can fax you a sheet with basic sizing, as well as specify the sizes (they differ by a fraction!) of any extra panels you might have. Q. Do you do bulk (raw) CDs? Can I supply my own printed booklets? A. Yes. All CDs include the glass master for duplicating.
We can also use your supplied booklets or j-cards. For CDs, this includes glass master, CD duplication, 2-color label, insertion of your pre-printed booklets, box, and shrinkwrap. For cassettes, this includes audio duplication, test cassette, on-shell printing, insertion of your pre-printed j-cards, box, and shrinkwarp. Pricing is:
We can supply CDs in all types of packaging, including Tyvek sleeves for radio and cardboard folders. Please call or e-mail for an exact quote. Q. Do you do CD-Roms? How about Enhanced CDs? A. Yes. In most cases, the same pricing and procedure apply as regular audio CDs, but please contact us with your exact specifications. Q. What about larger quantity pricing? A. 2000 4-panel CD package is $2535. 5000 4-panel CD package is $4550. There are breaks on all larger quantities. Call for estimate. Q. What about stapled CD booklets, more than 8 panels, or a different folding style for my CD inserts? A. We can provide all of these. Stapled booklets are priced slightly higher than folded ones. Just contact us with your requirements. The usual cost of $100 per extra page (2 panels) will generally apply for folded booklets, but be sure to ask. Very large booklets may have a discounted rate per extra page. Extra film charges also apply if we output your film. Q. Can I add extra colors to my CD label? A. Yes. There are minimal extra costs for film output for 3rd, 4th, and 5th color. (3rd color free on orders over 2500). Full color on label adds more film output charge, which varies with the design. In addition, extra printing prices are as follows:
Q. What are the costs for extra colors on the inside of my folder or J-card? What about printing inside my traycard? A.
Q. What if I only need a B&W, 1-color, or 2-color insert? A. Our prices are based on full-color printing, so no discounts apply on package prices. However, if we do your film output, there will be a considerable discount for 1- or 2-color film. Q. What is your address? A. For Payments:Glass House, 4361 E Clover St., Columbus, IN 47203 For Project Shipping: Bill Heydolph, 31 Central Square, Suite 2, Keene, NH, 03431 Basic Questions | Design and Film | Options Pricing | Audio Master Info | Shipping Address |
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