Optical disc packaging Wikipedia. Stacks of compact disc cases. Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical media. Most packaging is rigid or semi rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage. Jewel caseedit. Jewel case 1, CD Single 2 and Slimcase 3A jewel CD case is a compact disc case that has been used since the compact disc was first released in 1. It is a three piece plastic case, measuring 1. Two opposing transparent halves are hinged together to form the casing, the back half holding a media tray that grips the disc by its hole. All three parts are made of injection moulded polystyrene. The front lid contains two, four, or six tabs to keep any liner notes in place. The liner notes typically will be a 1. In addition, there is usually a back card, 1. How To Get A Fake Electrical License on this page. The back card is folded into a flattened U shape, with the sides being visible along the ends often referred to as the spine of the case. The ends usually have the name of the release and the artist, and often label or catalogue information printed on them, and are designed to be visible when the case is stored vertically, book style, on shelves. The back media tray snaps into the back cover, and is responsible for securing the disk. The center is a circular hub of teeth which grip the disc by its hole. This effectively suspends the disk in the middle of the container, preventing the recording surface from being scratched. The media tray was originally constructed of a flexible black polystyrene, but many newer trays use a more fragile transparent polystyrene. This allows the reverse of the back card, which is usually used for additional artwork, to be visible. This format did not become common until the mid 1. The jewel case is the standard case used by majority of manufacturers and it is the most common type of case found in record and movie stores. Panel Digipak Cd Template' title='6 Panel Digipak Cd Template' />Jewel cases are occasionally used for DVDs, but generally not for those that contain major film releases. Blank Blu ray Disc media is also most commonly sold in standard width jewel cases. According to Philips, the name jewel case reflects either the generally high quality of the case design compared to initial attempts, or its appearance. According to one publication,1 initial attempts at packaging CDs were unsatisfactory. When the new design, by Peter Doodson, was found to be virtually perfect it was dubbed the jewel case. Another publication2 quotes Doodson describing that he specified polished ribs as they pick up the light and shine and states that the resulting appearance led to the name. StrengthseditEndurance The CD jewel case has a tight and firm grip of the CD because of the trays teeth or lock. Because of this, even if the CD jewel case is turned upside down, left, or right, the CD is held in place. Flimsier cases may cause the CD to become loose, or even fall out. Also, since the jewel case is made of plastic, it is sturdier compared to cardboard, paper, or foams. When pressure is applied to the CD jewel case, the case will break first before the CD. If the case is made of thin cardboard, there is a greater chance that the CD would break or get damaged because the weight is directed onto it. Storage The type of material of the CD jewel case allows storage of CDs for decades without ruining the CDs. The same is not as true with other cases, since paper can stick to the CDs due to air, humidity, and other factors. The CD jewel case may also be preferred because it offers orderliness on a shelf. Since the CD jewel case has existed for decades, there are many CD shelves, racks, and other products in the market that are made for CD jewel cases. Room for accessories The CD jewel case is designed to carry a booklet, as well as to have panel inserts. These may be used to display album artwork, lyrics, photos, thank yous, messages, biography, etc. Cost effectiveness Because the CD jewel case is the standard, most commonly used CD case, it is much cheaper. The price of the CD jewel case usually ranges from 0. That is a few cents cheaper than digipaks and other CD wallets. However, if large quantities of cases are needed, the price difference may be hundreds or thousands of dollars. WeaknesseseditThere are a number of shortcomings with the jewel case. The case is hinged on two brittle plastic arms, which often break if the case receives shock or stress due to being dropped. The teeth of the hub holding the disc are also prone to failure by snapping. There is a problem with the tabs half moons which hold the liner notes in place sometimes, especially with larger booklets, the tabs grip the booklet too tightly, leading to tearing. When replacing the booklet, it can get snagged and crumple or rip. As noted above, some CD releases have only two tabs, which allows the booklet to be more easily removed and replaced with the disadvantage of the booklet sometimes falling out if held the wrong way. Replacement jewel cases can be purchased, to replace those that have broken plastic arms or hub teeth. VariationseditDouble disc albums can either be packaged in standard thickness jewel cases with hinged media trays which can be lifted to reveal the second disc trays hinged on the left are known as Smart Tray format those hinged on the right are known as Brilliant Box format or in a double jewel case, sometimes called a multi CD jewel case, fatbox or Bookbox, which is slightly larger than two normal jewel cases stacked on top of each other, and can hold 2 to 6 CDs. Double jewel cases do not fit in some CD racks however, some racks have a few extra wide slots specifically to accommodate them. The intended successor to the original jewel case, which were gaining ground, is the Super Jewel Box, a more advanced design which offers amongst other improvements a greatly strengthened hinge area. Unfortunately, the super jewel box cannot be used as a direct replacement for the older jewel case design as its card insert for the back is slightly different in size. However, in many other ways it is an attractive concept and some CD manufacturers for example the high end company Linn are supplying them. The depth of the disc tray is also greater, allowing for two discs to be placed on top of each other. The super jewel box was developed by Philips1 and other CD format developers, originally in a larger format as a DVD case, and then in smaller formats as CD cases. In the standard CD height, the super jewel box is the conventional case for Super Audio CD SACD 1 a taller form, midway between CD and DVD Video size, is the conventional case for DVD Audio, and as of mid 2. Universal Music Group in Europe. Many alternatives to the standard jewel case may also be found, including larger DVD style cases with a more book like shape. It is not uncommon to find CDs housed in custom cases, tins and boxes of varying shapes and sizes. Slipcases and other envelope type designs are also used. Some Dual. Discs are packaged in jewel cases of a somewhat different design from the CD version the inside edge is rounded instead of flat, and the physical position of the disc is moved slightly toward the spine to make room for a latch mechanism. The overall dimensions of a Dual. Disc case are roughly the same as a standard CD case. However, the hinge mechanism is smaller and cannot be dismantled as easily as on a standard jewel case. Full range of DVD CD and vinyl templates available for free download, and instructions on designing in Adobe photoshop and Illustrator. Template SpecsNotes PCMac 2 Panel CD Sleeve cardboard Specifications are outlined in the PC or Mac template. Download 4 Panel Jacket Specifications are. To ensure your project is ready for production, we have files you can download, including CD templates for covers and cases, DVD templates for covers and cases, CD. Graphic Design templates for CDDVD discs and packaging from Precision Disc in Canada. 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