5 Tips for Buying CD/DVD Reproduction Services
The following tips—provided by Todd Grant, chief executive officer of New Territories, a supply chain solutions provider—are important to consider before embarking on your next (or first) CD or DVD project.
1 Keep the audience in mind when determining which file format is best for your book. Text files convert easily and accurately to PDF, but XML is more robust and flexible. Your choice of format will definitely depend on how the electronic content will be used.
2 Consider the purpose of the content. Some publishers provide searchable text files of books on CD or DVD, and/or online as an alternative to print books, so users don't have to transport the less-portable print books. Other publishers enhance the content of the book with interactive media that complements the book product.
3 Choose the manufacturing resource very carefully. Not all replicators are created equal. To determine a price, replicators must consider quantity, graphics specifications and packaging details.
4 Consider costs and variations in pricing. Depending on quantity, graphics specs and turnaround time, the cost for a replicated CD in a bind-in could range from 30¢ to 60¢ each.
5 Give careful consideration to the packaging. There are dozens of options out there. If you're creating a bind-in for a book, make certain the printer's bindery department can handle it. And if it's for a mailing, be certain that it's an approved format for the U.S. Postal Service.
26 CD/DVD Solutions Providers
A listing of companies offering everything from replication and duplication to design, packaging, fulfillment, copy protection, and more.
• Adair Printing Technologies
Dexter, MI
(734) 426-2822
www.adairprinting.com
A cold set web printer specializing in perfect-bound and saddle-stitched books with complete bindery, fulfillment and warehousing. Electronic services include publishing and authoring, data management, multimedia, CD duplication/replication and packaging.
• Advanced Duplication Services, LLC
Plymouth, MN
(800) 759-0992
www.ads-cd.com
Provides a variety of media solutions including CD, CD-R, audio, video, diskette, magnetic tape and DVD replication. Screen printing, packaging and distribution also are offered. ADS utilizes FTP services, Web-based inventory, order tracking and electronic data interchange (EDI).
• Banta Book Group
Menasha, WI
(920) 751-7221
www.banta.com
Offers printing and digital-imaging solutions, including the production of softcover and hardcover trade, religious and professional books, and electronic media, among others. It provides custom multimedia kits that combine structural packaging with soft cover books, CD-ROMs, binders, posters, cards, transparencies, videos and more.
• Blackbourn Media Packaging
Edgerton, MN
(507) 442-3642
www.blackbourn.com
Provides packaging solutions for a variety of media, including audio, video, multimedia, software, CD, DVD, and laser disk technologies. It specializes in custom design and decoration packaging, with on-site designers and engineers. It also offers mailing and inventory-management services.
• Cycle Software Services
Bloomington, MN
(952) 884-6677
www.cyclesoftware.com
A software service provider in the publishing industry, Cycle offers CD/DVD manufacturing, printing and packaging, assembly, fulfillment and shipping.
• Digital Excellence Inc.
St. Paul, MN
(651) 772-5100
www.digx.com
Provides duplication, replication and packaging of DVDs, CDs, videos, cassettes and diskettes. Services offered include: design, offset printing, video image capture, recording, editing, scoring, captioning, phase alternating line (PAL) and sequential color memory (SECAM), multilingual translating and narration, scripting, warehousing and fulfillment services, and Hexalock Auto-Utility and Hexalock Multi-Lock SDK for CD-ROM copy protection, among others.
• Digital Force
New York, NY
(877) DISC-USA
www.digitalforce.com
Provides duplication, replication, burning and copying of audio and data CDs, and DVDs. It also provides business card CDs, mini CDs, CD-insert printing and packaging services.
• Duplication Factory
Chaska, MN
(800) 297-2009
www.duplicationfactory.com
It offers CD and DVD replication and duplication services, including printing, manufacturing, packaging and fulfillment.
• Duplium
Carrollton, TX
(972) 512-0014
www.duplium.com
A CD/DVD manufacturing and digital-media management company offering DVD and CD replication, packaging and assembly, Web-based fulfillment, and online digital-media storage.
• eDoc Publish Inc.
Tustin, CA
(800) 906-0013
www.edocpublish.com
Specializes in publishing catalogs on CD-ROM, books on CD, software mailers and packaging, PDF conversion and paper scanning, among others.
• Have Inc.
Hudson, NY
(888) 999-4283
www.haveinc.com
Multimedia services division offers multimedia solutions, including CD audio/CD-ROM/DVD duplication and replication, audio/video duplication, DVD authoring, international standards conversion, and Macrovision copy protection. Post-production editing, custom packaging and design solutions, and order-fulfillment services also are offered.
• Information Packaging Corp.
Macedon, NY
(800) 776-7633
www.infopkg.com
A manufacturer of packaging solutions for CDs and DVDs. Its products include bind-in and mountable envelopes for books and magazines, hard cases, custom design and printing. Materials include: paper, paperboard, vinyl Tyvek, polypropylene, and polyethylene.
• Mercury Print Productions Inc.
Rochester, NY
(585) 458-7900
www.mercuryprint.com
A sheet-fed offset printer in the book market. Services include digital print-on-demand, CD-ROM and DVD replicating divisions, silk screening (one to six colors), kit building, mailing services, product fulfillment and distribution, among others.
• New Territories Inc.
North Kingstown, RI
(401) 583-0226
www.newterritories.net
Provides a supply chain solution for educational publishers. It offers component sourcing, product assembly, inventory management, fulfillment, e-commerce and order-management services.
• PSI Industries Inc.
Northvale, NJ
(201) 768-8007
www.psimultimedia.com
A multimedia facility specializing in the publishing and educational markets. It offers CD/CD-ROM, DVD, and video/audio replication and duplication, graphics consultation, product management, custom packaging and fulfillment.
• Reindl Bindery Co. Inc.
Glendale, WI
(414) 906-1111
www.reindlbindery.com
It offers specialized CD/DVD-package manufacturing. Custom capabilities include multiple-panel cover wrapping, lining and digitray assembly.
• RPL Media
Camden, NJ
(800) 235-2679
www.rplmedia.com
Mutlimedia company that provides CD, DVD, CD-ROM duplication, among others. Services also include graphic design, printing, packaging and fulfillment.
• Sony DADC
Terre Haute, IN
(800) 358-7316
www.sonydadc.com
A technology and solutions provider for optical media, with a global network of production facilities. Services include Web-based business solutions, audio and video postproduction, DVD authoring, copy control, graphic design, mastering, replication, label printing, packaging, distribution and fulfillment.
• STI Print & Media
Fremont, CA
(510) 226-9074
www.stiprintandmedia.com
Offers global print and media manufacturing solutions to publishers from factories in China, Hong Kong, Mexico and the United States. Media products include CD-ROM, DVD; recordable products include CD-R and DVD-R. Stock and custom packaging is available.
• Sunrise Packaging Inc.
Blaine, MN
(800) 634-8160
www.sunpack.com
Manufacturer of packaging for CD and DVDs, audio and video albums, custom thermoformed trays, sales training kits, turned-edge products, loose-leaf binders and accessories, and travel identity products.
• Taylor Box Co.
Warren, RI
(401) 245-5900
www.taylorbox.com
Specializes in paperboard packaging. Products include multimedia packaging—set-up boxes, portfolio boxes and slipcases.
• Tension Packaging
Kansas City, MO
(816) 471-3800
www.tension.com
Produces products used for binding CDs into books, magazines and other publications, perfect bound and stitched spines. The company has 11 plants and 35 sales/service offices, and international plants located in Taipei, Taiwan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Adelaide, Australia; and ShaoXing, China.
• Tri-Plex Packaging Corp.
New York, NY
(212) 481-6070
www.tri-plexpkg.com
A packaging design and manufacturing company specializing in audio, video, CD and other electronic media. Processes used include: lithography, thermoforming and injection molding. All forms of media-duplicating processes are available.
• Univenture Inc.
Marysville, OH
(800) 992-8262
www.univenture.com
A manufacturer of customizable media-packaging solutions, including disc-packaging products with a patented safety-sleeve design, adhesive and bind-in sleeve, UniKeep wallets and binders, and the EnvyPak product line of mailers for magazines.
• Vinyl Art Inc.
Minneapolis, MN
(763) 559-4443
www.vinylart.com
A manufacturer of polypropylene and vinyl packaging, CD and DVD packaging, adhesive sleeves, bind-in sleeves, packaging design and application services.
• Vista Packaging Corp.
Indianapolis, IN
(800) 869-0254
www.vistapkg.com
Products and services offered include custom packaging, project management, turnkey solutions, warehousing and fulfillment.
Note: This list is not necessarily comprehensive, nor do the listings imply endorsement by BookTech Magazine. This is intended as a guide for publishers to many of the products and solutions available on the market today.
- Companies:
- Adair Printing
- Advanced Duplication Services
- Banta Book Group
- Blackbourn Media Packaging
- Cycle Software Services
- Digital Excellence
- Digital Force
- Duplication Factory
- EDoc Publish Inc.
- Have Inc.
- Information Packaging
- Mercury Print Prod.
- New Territories Inc.
- PSI Industries Inc.
- Reindl Bindery
- Sony DADC
- Tension Packaging
- Tri-Plex Packaging
- Univenture
- Vinyl Art Inc.
- People:
- Paul
- Todd Grant