Some frequently asked questions & answers

What is a Spec?

Short for specification.
This tells us everything we need to know to quote you accurately. Qty, Media, Packaging (dimensions, materials, printing), Assembly, Proofing, Shipping and very importantly, Budget.

Frequently your graphic designer will provide you with the packaging portion of your spec.

Why do you want to know Budget?

We are happy to help you get started, and part of that process can be giving you a rough estimate so we (= you and us) know if the project is a good fit. If your price range doesn’t fit the product, we’ll try to make suggestions for something that will or let you know that we’re not a good fit.



What’s the Minimum Quantity?


CD/DVD/USB. 300/500 Qty
300 is the min if you are ordering media & packaging, otherwise it is 500 qty. Making 300 is almost the same cost as 500, just fyi.

Can I order less?
Yes, but the price doesn’t go down.

BluRay 500/1000 Qty
Same cost to make 500 as 1000. Licensing fees requirement payment for 1000 units.

LCD Video Screens
With these you actually can order 100 qty…it’s because they are expensive. Super cool. Expensive though. Sorry. But cool as h*eck.

Example Spec

Qty: 500 sets
Book Dimensions: 5×5″
Outer Wrap: 4C with matte lam
Inner Wrap: solid black
Media Types: 1 CD, 1 DVD5
Hold Media: Solid black glued on sleeve/pockets, one on each end panel
Inner Pages: 16pp stapled
Assembly: insertion of cd & shrink wrap
Shipping: standard 5-8 day, one US addr
Special Effects Printing: 3 panels of foil, front/spine/back
Special Notes/Add-ons: Looking for a scrapbook type of feel, ideas for adding “photo corners”?
Target Budget Range: can’t go over $7500, prefer $5k range
Schedule: Release end of summer
Project Phase: we are ready to start designing, need templates

 

What’s pricing like?

Hardcover books are deluxe, beautiful, custom packages made with old-world book binding skills. Our basic projects start in the $3000 range and go up from there.

If the budget isn’t a good fit, no worries, we’ll try to recommend some other ideas for you that can work. And if we feel we can’t help you at all, we’ll let you know that too.

Can you sell me something unprinted, off-the-shelf?
Nope. Everything we do is custom made to your spec, not bought.

Die Cut Knife used for Custom Packaging

What are my proofing options?

Artwork. We start with a pdf. From there we can either start the presses or we can do a hardcopy matchprint for you. Matchprints can be just digital prints for color matching, or they can be press proofs requiring films and printing plates.
Unprinted Mock-up. If you need to see construction, dimensions, fit, paper type, etc., we can assemble a hand made prototype for you.
Test Media. We can also provide glass mastered test discs for cds & dvds (not available for BluRays).
Production Sample. One unit pulled from the final run, completely assembled. Sent prior to shipping.

How long does manufacturing take?

In most cases, projects take about a month:

Project Start Up/Template Creation
*Uploading Source Material
2-3 Days Proofing
2-3 Weeks Manufacturing
1 Week Shipping

*Some clients need significant time doing layout or getting media files together. What we can say is after everything is in and approved, we can wrap it up in a few weeks. You may need a little bit longer on your end.