DVD Glossary

A variety of paper grades manufactured especially for offset lithography printing. Standard art paper is either gloss or matt coated, and then can have either a gloss or matt finish applied after printing, to protect the inks.

BIEM is the international organisation representing mechanical rights societies. Mechanical rights societies exist in most countries. In the UK for example your organisations would be MCPS/PRS/PPL. They license the reproduction of songs (including musical, literary and dramatic works). Their members are composers, authors and publishers and their clients are record companies and other users of recorded music. Every time a CD, audio cassette or vinyl record containing protected musical works is made, the producers require a license from the owner of the works and they must pay royalties for each copy they manufacture and sell.

Catalogue numbers are used as standard within the music industry to track and identify orders. CD and record manufacturers, labels, retailers and distributors use them to give every release a unique identifying code. Generally speaking catalogue numbers use a combination of standard unicode characters. If you're pressing for the first time or starting up a new project, please feel free to get creative with your catalogue number. Our account managers will happily assign you with something sensible if not.

Cellophane wrap is a stretchable plastic film that holds a package tightly together when wrapped. Also see shrink-wrap.

CMYK is a traditional printing method that combines four separate colour plates - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black – this is a professional industry standard method and colour model for full colour offset printing. CMYK printing is also referred to as four colour process printing.

This relates to the number of colour plates required to print to each side of the stock. For example, 4/1 would print full colour CMYK; Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (Black), on the front with Black only (K) on the rear, where 4/4 would be full colour on both sides of the stock.

Digital printing is the method of printing from a digital-based image directly to a variety of media using laser or inkjet printers, allowing for short turnaround times and printing of variable data sets. We do not utilise digital printing methods for vinyl production, opting for more traditional and high end processes like screen and litho printing.

DMS are Disc Manufacturing Services; the friendliest team around - producing quality discs, vinyl records and custom printed packaging for happy clients worldwide since the turn of the century. Also known in some circles as DMS Vinyl because, you know...

Our promotional products are constructed from single ply card. The main difference with products such as digifiles is that they are generally printed single sided on a piece of card twice the size, so that when folded and glued down the card is twice as thick which add rigidity and weight to the packaging. Our digipacks are the same as the digifiles with the added addition of having a hard plastic tray to hold the disc.

DVD duplication is the process of recording the DVD content into a reflective layer on a DVD-R, using a laser drive. This service provides a great quality and cost effective solution to the demand for small CD runs and/or a fast turnaround.

DVD replication is a lengthier process than DVD duplication and involves physically creating discs by injecting polycarbonate granules into a mould cavity that is compacted with a metal stamper containing a negative image of the disc data. DVD replication is the way to go for orders over 500 units.

Embossing and debossing are two techniques used to raise ink from or stamp ink to the print surface respectively.

Simply; estimated shipping date. This is when your DVD order will leave the plant. We will be in touch at this point to provide a firm delivery date.

A thin polypropylene film is heat-fused to the printed surface forming a layer of protective coating while also improving its sturdiness and water resistance. Gloss lamination is more reflective than a gloss varnish, making it particularly perfect for bringing out the vibrancy of colours.

Gloss UV is an eco-friendly option. Ultraviolet-cured coatings are applied over the printed surface and dried by exposure to UV light. Due to the normally high solids content of UV coating, the surface of the cured film can be extremely reflective and glossy, deepening and enriching the ink colours.

Graphic design is the process of visual communication and problem-solving using typography, photography and illustration. Graphic designers create and combine symbols, images and text to form visual representations of ideas and messages to appeal to certain tastes or trends. DMS have an in-house team of designers who process and check all artwork before your order enters production. Should you wish to utilise their design skills for your release, please check out our Graphic Design section.

An acronym for grams per square metre. An industry standardised measurement of paper and card quality. The higher the GSM number, the heavier the stock.

Hot-foiling is the process in which metallic foil is bonded to the print surface using heat and pressure, often with striking results. Gold and silver are the most popular foils, but there are many other shades and effects too, including glitter, pearlescent, and iridescent

This relates to the underside of replicates DVDs and has unique identifiers to recognise aspects of the DVDs production. This is also an area where you can include a personalised message, website, logo and or catalogue number.

A thin polypropylene film is heat-fused to the printed surface forming a layer of protective coating while also improving its sturdiness and water resistance. Matt lamination also improves the tactile feel of the printed surface, lending it a smooth finish.

This is our standard matt varnish and the most cost effective. A matt varnish gives the printed surfaces a non-glossy, smooth look. Darker colours can look more subdued in comparison to a gloss varnish due to the reduced amount of reflected light, but used correctly matt finishes can really hone that subtle, classy look.

Another eco-friendly option, ultraviolet-cured coatings are applied over the printed surface and dried by exposure to UV light. Matt printing enhances artwork contrast and provides a more subdued colour set.

Polycarbonate discs are completely transparent after the moulding process. In order for the microscopic pits to be read, a mirrored aluminium layer is ionised to the active surface of the disc. Silver is the standard for all replicated discs, but it is also possible to use gold metallisation or even have coloured poly-carbonate discs. Please contact us for more information.

Each of the colour screens are set at a different angle and printed as microscopic dots, known as halftone printing. The alignment of these dots can cause interference patterns when two patterns of similar wavelength overlap. Our design team always keep a keen eye out for potential moiré risks within your artwork and will warn you if they identify a potential risk.

Offset printing is a method of mass-production printing in which the images on metal plates are transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers and then to the print media.

Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a standardised colour reproduction system, recognised globally as an industry printing standard for accurate colour reproduction. Pantone colours are printed as a single solid layer, as opposite to multiple CMYK plates, thus providing a more exact colour match and a more crisp and accurate edge.

A group of thermoplastic polymers used in the manufacture of compact discs due to their durable and optically transparent qualities.

Raster graphics, also called bitmap graphics, a type of digital image that uses rectangular pixels arranged in a grid formation to represent an image. Because the format can support a wide range of colours and depict subtle graduated tones, it is well-suited for displaying continuous-tone images such as photographs or shaded drawings, along with other detailed images. Raster graphics typically have larger file sizes than their vector counterparts.

Printing to the reverse (uncoated) side of the board. The texture of the card fibre often lends a raw and rustic feel. Due to its uncoated nature, colours in general are more muted as more ink is absorbed into the printable media.

Shrink-wrapping is applied loosely around a product and shrinks tightly when heat is applied. We always recommend shrink-wrap or overbags to reduce the risk of split spines and damages in transit to your end customers.

Sometimes a varnish isn't applied to the entire surface but only used to make certain elements stand out. This is called a spot gloss UV varnish.

A guide detailing the dimensions, fold and cut lines required for each printed part. We have downloadable templates for all of our most common vinyl packaging configurations.

Uncoated paper stocks are variety of paper grades manufactured especially for offset lithography printing with a rough textured feel, similar to copy paper.

Vector-based images are comprised of paths, which are defined by a start and end point, along with other points, curves, and angles along the way. These paths are essentially mathematical shapes that can be scaled to a larger size and not lose any image quality. This makes vector graphics ideal for logos and text, which can be small enough to appear on a business card or increased to billboard size without pixelation.