CD-ROM Duplication Services

The rates of service from CD-ROM duplication companies vary. There are several things that can affect the time of production, such as the quantity of discs being manufactured, the amount of information on the disc, and prior commitments the company may have. The average time-frame for duplication for a project under 500 discs varies from three to seven business days.

Most duplication services will request that you not provide your own media. This is assumed in the quoted cost. The reason for this is that the printers used by these services are different from traditional printers. There is a high level of heat involved that could potentially damage a disc not formatted to be used with these printers. Even a CD that has been specially classified for these printers occasionally does not survive the process. In addition, any material that is burned off in the process of printing may become stuck in the printer, causing damage to the unit. Because of the potential damage to both the disc and the printer, most services prefer to provide their own discs.

When researching duplication services, it is important to bring up the issue of artwork. Some services have art departments that will assist clients in creating a label for their CD. This service is a supplementary one and will more than likely incur additional charges outside of the quoted price for duplication. All terms for duplication and artwork should be outlined in the contract.

Although many services provide artwork assistance, it is possible to create artwork for a CD and provide it to the duplication service prior to production. Most services have specific templates and all submitted artwork must conform to these designs. Many companies request that text be rendered in a program, such as Adobe Photoshop®, before submission. Furthermore, due to ink variances, the colors submitted may differ slightly from the finished product.