A question we often get asked here is what’s better a CD digipak or a CD jewel case? Are advise is if you have a gut feeling or a personal preference which you would prefer, then go with it. After all there is nothing more important that being happy with the product you have to promote. If you are unsure, then here’s a few things to help make your decision. CD Digipak’s, being custom printed card and utilizing less plastic, are more eco-friendly than Jewel Cases, and provide a more modern feel to overall product presentation. DigiPaks also offer more options to customize their layout and artwork, and in my honest opinion look much more impressive when complemented by good design. In this day and age, packaging is seen as the first impression, and should never be overlooked. another couple of options are the CD Digifile and CD Digifix offer a cheaper alternative to the CD digipak, while still giving a modern feel with full artwork possibilities. As for the CD jewel case, despite being made from rather brittle plastic and therefore a little too prone to cracking – it does offer more robust protection to the CD inside. Also, many CD rack holders are designed around the standard CD jewel case, so other packs can often look out of place in certain circumstances. One piece of advice when designing a CD digipack would be to utilize the space behind the CD flexitray by opting for a clear plastic tray option, allowing for printed design elements to be put behind it. This does allow for some more interesting CD artwork designs for when the disc is removed from the case.
The more basic CD packaging options that are often used for free promotional CDs, each have there advantages and disadvantages. The clam shell and ejector cases are good for circumstances where the discs may require the tougher protection, but you do not require any extra artwork. They also allow for very fast turnaround on short run CD Duplication as there is no extra CD Packaging and printing to be done other than the CDs themselves.
The cardboard CD sleeve or Custom Printed Card Wallet is perfect for those wanting to show off some extra artwork, to help captivate and entice potential customers whilst also keeping the costs down whereas the budget solution has to be the ‘no frills’ clear plastic wallet or PVC wallet which for just a few pence gives your CDs all the protection they need and in fact does even support basic paper inserts or CD booklets to accompany the CD.
Ultimately, think of the client that will be buying or using the disc, and think what their requirements would be. After all some products need quality artwork and packaging to assist in sales other CDs might just be press packs and basic software installers that warrant nothing more than some basic disc protection and nothing more.
