Making CD’s

So the annual holiday mix is about ready to go out. Shortly I’ll post the specifics on this year’s compendium, but for now a few tips having spent so much time in the Jewelboxing system putting it all together.

Warning, this is niche advice. Meaning, this might apply to one of my two readers. Really I’m posting this as Google fodder for future readers. A time capsule of advice, if you will.

If you use the Jewelboxing system you’re no doubt a fan of the simplicity and flexibility of the templates and the DIY construction of the cases themselves. Having made several hundred of the cases over the years I’ve come to the following conclusions.

  • It is much easier to label the CD’s once you’ve set them in the case on the spindle. This holds them still while you apply.
  • When ripping the perforations on the STtray sheet it is much easier to rip it latitudinally (the long side) first, then longitudinally.
  • Those crazy tiny diagonal perforations near the hinge? Cut them with a small pair of scissors. Much easier than ripping them.
  • Once you’ve printed the booklet inserts it is best to put stack them into 10 or 15 or so and weigh them down overnight with something heavy. This flattens them out so they sit in the tray better.
  • When folding the edges of the STtray sheet (the parts that are at 90 degree angles to the tray itself) it is best to fold them at an angle greater than 90 degrees so that on inserting them into the tray there is resistance against the case wall. This makes for a tight fit and usually prevents the spindle tray from ripping the paper.
  • Lastly, if you are putting anything in the hinge chamber don’t forget to rip off the little rectangle of paper that would normally be the spine. If you don’t, you won’t be able to see into the chamber edge-on.

And now to confirm the obvious: yes, I have spent too much time putting these suckers together. I need to go play in the snow.

2 Responses to “Making CD’s”

  1. Rob O. says :

    Oh, I love making “mix tapes!”
    And I also really love my little Epson printer that lets me print the CD label design right onto the plain white discs I buy in bulk. Here’s a post from some of the first few discs I cranked out a bit more than 3 years ago when we first got the printer:
    http://www.2dolphins.com/2004/10/our-new-printer.html
    Looking back on it now, it seems like I was stuck in a left-centric kinda mode or something…
    Anyway, John, I’m eager to hear what’s on your holiday compilation disc for this year!

  2. ryan says :

    Um, yeh, little out of left field, and not even accompanied by a URL for a porn site. I really don’t have much to say about stealing music using expensive handbags, either.
    However, this post got me thinking about “Digipacking”, as opposed to Jewelboxing. For some reason, probably the same reason I say “I’m listening to my Japanese language tapes” or “I’m making a mix tape”, I always create jewel box art, rather than creating digipacks for my mix cds. I wonder if there are any good DIY digipacking info’s out there. Truly, the jewel case makes the package very tidy and professional looking, but it would be interesting to figure out how to produce a comparable crazy-foldy digipack.