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How to duplicate your own CD Professionally from your home
 This guide will show any independent artist how to professionally make their own cd at home.  What I'm about to show you is the exact same method that TTHlabel.com used for years to make professional looking cds.  I recently had to shut TTHLabel.com down, as I learned the person running it was not doing a good job. This is the best I can do for independent artists now, and I'm comfident that if enough artists find out about this guide, it will change the independent music industry forever.Â
Get this guide out to everyone that's an indie artist, either link to this page, or click the "" symbol you see to the top right of this page and it'll instantly generate you code you can paste in a website to link here. This guide can change the industry fro the better, and I do plan to revise it several times. Free technical support will be provided on this website as well...
Use the recommend this article link above this to email other artists and show them this guide
Use the quotes in the top right to post a link to this article in any website
Use the top bookmarks to add the contant to any of those sites/social network sites
When you see how they did it, you'll be surprised, but rest assured, the final product is just as good if not better than the duplication companies duplicated cds. We'll even show you how to make a silver audio sided cd that looks identicle to a pressed cd. These are all secrets that the duplication companies will not want you to know. You can use normal home use printers, media, paper, and other normal items to make exceptional cds.
To get started click on the Materials and Media Tab. This will show you what you will need supply wise. You'll first have to identify what type of cd you want. TTHlabel.com made two types of cds, both of them are inkjet printable.  Inkjet printable?  Yes they used inkjets to make the cds, but they also had a very cost effective method to water proof them that nobody knows about, in fact, it was kind of found on accident.Â
This was called the pressed cd clone, it got its name because it has a silver audio side as you see pictured above. It looks exactly like a pressed cd, but only costs around $19.99 per 100 and you can make 1 at a time, rather than having to have 1,000 made at a time.
THIS CD IS CALLED A PRODISC DIAMOND WHITE INKJET PRINTABLE CD. To find it search for 4 keywords on ebay, prodisc diamond white inkjet and make sure you are getting a CDR not a DVD (though you can duplicate dvds like this as well) |
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This was called the Ultra HD CD. This is a waterproof cd so that is no extra step involved to waterproof it, however, it has a green audio side rather than a silver. It is also a lot more expensive than the previous cd, this runs about $52.99 per 100 rather than $19.99 but this is the absolute best looking cd label you'll find.
THIS CD IS CALLED A TAIYO YUDEN 52X WATERSHIELD CDR. To find it on ebay, search for watershield, or Taiyo Yuden water shield. Again make sure you are getting a CDR and not a DVD |
There is also a third type of cd you can use if you want to cut costs down. The above two cds will need some form of an EPSON printer, as EPSON is the only company in the USA allowed to make inkjet printers capable of printing on cds. Another great example of the USA's hypocritical legal bull#@*& we can't have a monopoly, but we can only have one printer that can print on cds, isn't that a monopoly? You can get a lightscribe burner for your computer and use lightscribe media. They are monocrome, and have a green audio side, but if you already have a decent color inkjet printer, you can save yourself about $100 if you just go this route. The only setback is lightscribe really doesn't look all that professional, so it's totoally up to you. Now we need to get some paper to make the case, and the cases themselves. You can also get shrink wrap without needing a heat gun, so that you can shrink wrap the cds and make them retail ready. For the paper you want to buy as much as it as you can as you'll get it for cheaper. For the front inserts, you want glossy paper. For the back inserts (behind the cd tray and back) you want matte paper. Matte paper is cheaper and doesn't have a glossy shine, however, when you put it behind a cd case the case makes it shine like gloss. I personally recommend you visit this store on ebay, as this is where I used to get it from. Make sure you open this link in a new window or tab so you aren't taken off this page (right click and left click on open link in new window or tab) Superdeal131 on Ebay This guy sells 200 sheets of inkjet photo paper (Used by tthlabel) for 21.00. If you buy 3, he'll even ship them for free. If you can't find matte paper anywhere for cheaper, just buy 3 off this guy for 63.00 and you have enough to make 300 cd cases, and for only 63 dollars, you can't beat that! Now you need cases, I recommend meritline.com for these. You're looking for a 10mm (standard size) clear jewel case. At the time of writing this guide, they are 17.99 per 100 (great deal), the link is here again make sure you open the link in a new tab or window or you'll loose your place on this page. The more of these you buy, the more you save. You don't have to use the vendors I'm mentioning, I'm just giving you the ones that tthlabel.com used, so you get the exact same product every time. Now you need shrink wrap if you're wanting to go retail ready, this is very cheap, just search for cd wrap or cd plastic wrap on ebay. I personally recommend the ones sold by genesysdtp on ebay, you find them by typing cd plastic wrap on ebay, and a 500 pack is only 16.99 I believe, which isn't too bad. I disagree with his $10.99 shipping price for such a light item, so you might be able to find it for cheaper elsewhere. If you're intending to sell them retail, you'll need a barcode, there are a few sites that sell barcodes for pretty cheap, try these sites: http://www.iwantmybarcode.com/ (only 22 dollars, make sure you click legal agreement on the left or it won't give you the option to buy) http://www.cdcd-rom.com/cdcdromupc.html This is where it can either get expensive, or not, it depends on how good you want your project to turn out. If you want to print color water proof real looking cds, you're going to have to buy the printer and system I'm about to mention. If you already have a good inkjet printer, and you want to use lightscribe, well then you can skip the printer and skip right to the cutting board. The printer you will need is any epson printer that prints on cd/dvds. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you go on ebay and look for an Epson r260. If you can't find an r260 look for an epson r280. Both of these printers will print 5760dpi which is high definition. It can be used, or new, doesn't matter, we're not using epson ink unless you want to pay 70 dollars for every 30 pages you print. After you find the printer you need to find the special refill cartridges, type in r260 refill cartridges and see what you find on ebay. They are about 39.99 but are well worth it. DO NOT GET CISS SYSTEMS THEY ARE A PAIN. This won't be around forever though, as the greedy Epson company wants to ban them so that they can rob people blind by charing them 70 dollars for 6 cartridges every 30 pages. Great idea during a recession, gotta love epson. While you're at it, type in r260 refill and buy a 6 pack (1 of each color) of DYE ink, DO NOT USE PIGMENT, it's more expensive and it looks like garbage on a cd. GET DYE INK ONLY. The above step is necessary if you want to print color cds, and want high definition graphics. It can be a bit expensive, but if you know other artists, and a bunch of you go together, you can really make cds that look better than duplication company cds, and at less cost. If you already have an inkjet printer and don't want to print on cds, I can't support everything but I can try to help with the free technical support I'm going to provide here on this website. Regardless, you will need to come up with a way to refill the cartriges, I'm pretty familiar with it, so I can help with HP printers as well. Now unless you have a robotic hand, you're going to need a cutting board so you can get the cuts straight. I recommend something cheap like a SWINGLINE SMARTCUT LITE 12" ROTARY PAPER CUTTER TRIMMER, basically search ebay for a rotary paper cutter, for what we're doing, it's much better than a guillotine style paper cutter. Now below you're going to see something I call slides. When you click on them, they'll expand, and when you're finished reading, click on them again to collapse them. This is a great way for me to put all this information one page, because there is a heck of a lot of it.
Preparing the front portion of your case
Front Case |
Inside of Case |
The front and inside front portions of the CD case are the two easiest files. The only requirement is that they are square in resolution. If you take a look at the pictures above, they are both 150x150. This is a square resolution because the first number matches the second number. 1000x1000, 1280x1280, 1500x1500 are all square resolutions. 100x125, 640x480, 1024x768 are NOT square in resolution and will not work.
Something also to keep in mind when preparing artwork is your resolution. Never use small resolution files. Small resolution files will make your cd look grainy and blurry. Small resolution files are anything under 600x600 for these two images. We recommend 1000x1000 or higher, all the way to 5760x5760. The higher you go, the bigger the file will be, and the longer it'll take to process, but it will also ensure that your cd will come out better. A good one to use is 1500x1500.
You cannot resize smaller images into larger images to increase resolution. Once a file is for example 500x500, it will always be 500x500 or smaller. If you resize this image and increase it to 1000x1000 you will gain no quality, it still has the previous resolution of 500x500, but now it's just two times larger. We suggest that you always start big and save the original file, then you can start resizing a backup copy of this image until you get it right. Never resize a smaller image into a larger image.
Preparing the CD Label
The cd label is square in resolution just as the previous two files we just went over. Before going into detail we'll first show you an example of what we are talking about:
As you can see from the example, not all of the original square image will appear on the cd. Please make your cd label accordingly. The hole in the center of the cd also depends on what cd you choose. The standard cd, or pressed cd clone, has a 37MM hole in the center. This is the standard in cds. The Ultra HD however, goes above and beyond as it has a "printable hub". This means the center hole is only 21MM, not the larger 37MM hole on the pressed cd clones.
You can also use circular images if you already have an image from a previous companies template. I'm just showing you the above image as a reference, so that you know what areas of the picture will actually print on the cd.
Preparing the back portion of your case
The back portion of your case is the last portion of your cd case. This area is slightly harder than the front of the case, because the back case is not completely square. You can use a template for this system or you can use my guide. The back of a cd case is slightly longer than it is tall.
Both the back and cd tray sections of a cd case measure 5.4" x 4.625". The spine area (Label on side of case) is .25" x 4.625" and is added on to the back case image on the sides (depending on if you want 1 or 2 spine labels)
In this example we'll use the resolutions of 1645x1400, 1710x1400, and 1775x1400.
Look at the first arrow under the picture, it's above the words "behind cd tray or back case". This line represents 1645 pixels in width or 5.4 inches. Now look at the white arrows to each side of the image, they say 1400 pixels or 4.625 inches. This is the resolution that your cd tray image should be. 1645x1400. You can use other ratios, just make sure they are close to that aspect ratio. The CD tray image is the image that goes behind the cd tray.
The back case image starts out the same as the cd tray image, 1645 x 1400 in resolution. The back image must contain your spine (side) labels. You don't have to use spine (side) labels, but I highly recommend that you do. You may use 1 or 2 spine labels. Each spine label adds and additional 65 pixels in width. That means if you use the traditional 1 spine case, the resolution should end up around 1710x1400, where 1645 + 65 (spine) = 1710. If you're only using 1 spine label, make sure you are using the spine that is on the right side of the image, not on the left. Now if you use two spine images, the resolution would be 1770 x 1400, where 130 (2 spines) + 1645 = 1770. 2 spine images would have a spine on each side of the image.
Most decent graphic programs, like photoshop, have special options in the resize menu. When you are resizing an image, look for a feature named "constrain proportions". It also may be called "preserve aspect ratio". If you have a feature like this, use it to your advantage. If you make sure this option is on, it will preserve the aspect ratio as you resize the image. This is especially useful if you are starting from scrap with your artwork and you want a really high resolution file. You can start with a blank 1645x1400, turn the constrain proportions option on, and increase the image size all the way to 5760 x 4902 DPI. 5760 x 4902 is the same aspect ratio as 1645 x 1400.
Always remember that if what was just mentioned is beyond your computer knowledge just find a template on the internet, they work as well.
Time to start making the cds/cases
Now you're going to need a program to print these with. Nero I'm sure has a template system for making cd case labels, I used a program called Surething CD Labeler, it worked perfectly. It's 25.00 for a copy from http://www.surething.com/ST/ and you can also download a free 15 day trial. Most lightscribe cd burners will come with this program, so you don't have to purchase it. Printing the artwork is very easy, but it may take a few times to get it right. I'd recommend you experiment with normal paper before using the good stuff.
Printing your cd label is a bit harder. If you're using lightscribe it's pretty easy, you just load the image into your favorite lightscribe program and label away. If you're using the printer I told you to, either an epson r260 or an r280 then you're going to have to use epsons program called "Epson Print CD". If you're using this program you're going to have to waste a couple of cds. Open the program, and select "import" and then "select background". Now pick the image you made earler for your cd label and it will now be loaded onto the cd printing template. Now here's where you waste some cds. First adjust the MM setting for the center hole of the cd, in the version I used, on the left side of the program there's a yellow cd with two arrows <=== ====> on it. When you click this it'll ask you for a #. Use either 21mm or 37mm (depending on the cd you're using prodisc = 37mm, taiyo yuden watershield = 21mm). Use 118mm or 119mm for the outside ring. After adjusting this go to "file" and then "print". Now you see a screen with various options. Before printing make sure the tray on your r260 or r280 is set to the cd position. Load the cd on the tray and insert it into the printer. Follow epsons instructions, the arrow on the tray has to be aligned with the arrow on the printer.  Now press print and when the cd finishes take a look at it. If all went well (which the first time I highly doubt) you should see no ink printed on the plastic part of the cd, and no white lines anywhere. However if the image looks off center, you're going to have to go back to the file print and click adjust print position. Adjust the values in this field and print cds until you get it perfect.
When you get it perfect, let the cd sit for about an hour, and then burn it. Trust me on this, when you burn it the ink sets into the cd real nicely. If you're using a taiyo yuden watershield you're done with the cd, it's waterproof and ready to go.
If you're using a prodisc cd with the silver audio side, you may want to waterproof the cd being that inkjet inks will smudge if exposed to water. This is up to you, but if you want to waterproof it, run to walmart or kmart and get something called Krylon Matte Finish.  Its about 3 dollars a can, and one can does between 100 - 150 cds. DO NOT USE ANYTHING OTHER THAN KRYLON MATTE FINISH. You can find it in the spray paint section of any department store. Put the burnt cd in a cd case. Now use something to cover the inner hub of the cd (hole in the middle). You're just covering the plastic unprintable part of the cd which has the serial number on it, which is in the inner circle. Do not cover any of the white printable area of the cd.  Shake the krylon spray can up very well, because the more you shake it, the more thin the spray will come out. This will take some practice but you want to put 3 thin coats of the Matte spray on this cd (label side of course lol). Spray one thin coat and then rotate the case 135 degrees.  180 degrees would be a half circle so you want a little less than that. Wait about 10 seconds and then spray another thin coat on it.  Again rotate the cd 135 degrees, wait 10 seconds, and then spray the final coat.  Let the cd sit for an hour, and congrats, you have a waterproof silver audio sided cd.  If you do it the right way, you can't even tell that you used Matte spray on it, which is why I said use KRYLON MATTE SPRAY ONLY.  This is one big secret NOBODY else but those who read this page know about, and when you get it right, you get an amazing looking cd. This part is pretty easy, use a paper cutter to cut out your case labels. Cut out some scrap pieces of junk paper that are the size of a cd case. Then cut out your front case labels. If you printed them right, there should be two images for the front label. The front image (on the right) and the inside image (on the left). After you have them all cut out. Fold the front together as it should be and then use rubber cement to glue it together. Take a piece of scrap paper and place it over the front and then put a book on it so that it presses it together. If you're making multiple case labels, put 4 - 10 of them (depending on how fast you are) together each seperated by a piece of scrap paper before you put the book on them. Leave the book on them for about an hour or 2, and there you go, you have the front insert for a cd case finished. The back and tray images do not fold together, they are both seperate, and we won't be using rubber cememnt on them either. Cut out your back and tray images now. Make sure you have some glue sticks, and remove the tray from the cd case. If you have spines on the back image, fold them slightly so that the spines fit correctly into the back of the case when you insert them. A 90 degree angle will do, but by all means, do not completely fold them until they touch the paper again or it's not going to look right. Insert he back image face down into the cd case and then use your glue stick and put a little glue in the middle, and then a square around the outside of the paper. Now insert the tray image ontop of the area you just glued, and make sure it's lined up when you do so. Now put the cd tray back in, and there you have one heck of a good looking cd case.<br><br>If you bought the shrink wrap casing for it, it's pretty self explanatory how to put them over the cd case, so I won't even go there.
Free Technical Support
I am dedicated to helping all independent artists make their own materials, I will provide free technical support on this above method on this very website, in the link provided below (basically the forums/message boards). If you have any questions or comments please post them there, but please do not get upset if I don't respond in an hour or two. I have a job I have to attend, as well as friends, family, and a woman. I may not be able to answer you instantly, but I'll do my best to answer you as quickly as I can. This is also the first revision of this guide, I will revise it and improve it several times, but this should be enough to get you going. If you find this guide helpful, please get the guide out to everyone you know. Visit our sponsors, and/or use us as a search engine, that's all I ask
Technical support provided in the forums on this site, if you are a tthlabel.com artist, your login information is the same for this site.
Post your questions or concerns HERE
Please note you will have to be registered to post questions there. Last update : 06-25-2009 17:10
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Duplicating your own cd
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thanks
By: carlfritch (Registered) on 06-21-2009 12:25