Call it Murphy’s Law, fate, or just plain reality — everyone needs their product yesterday.  Here are a few things you need to know in order to avoid rush fees.

When it comes to CD Duplication or DVD Duplication, there are two processes: the printing of the disc, and the duplication of the disc.  It doesn’t matter in which order these are done.  So, as long as you know the quantity needed, we can be printing the disc (while waiting for the master), or duplicating the disc (while waiting for the artwork).  It is not necessary that both components be submitted simultaneously.  When there is a deadline looming, we can certainly get started with whatever you have ready to go.

With CD Replication and DVD Replication, there is a bit more involved, but we can still get the ball rolling. Most importantly, if the master is ready to go, we can get stampers made ahead of time. If the artwork is ready first, we can get proofs approved.

And if you’re adding in the element of Custom Printed Packaging, we can always get that on press ahead of time as well.

Bottomline, we can be working on your job, even if everything isn’t ready to go at all at once. This can save precious time and ultimately money!

As of this week, we are 15-years old!  Not so old in the scope of, well, eternity, but it has been a substantial part of my life and career, and it astounds me how much things can change in 15 years.  I didn’t have a cell phone 15 years ago.  Neither did I have gray hair.  Business was all about VHS and audio cassettes.  The internet was dial-up, exciting, but slow and often frustrating.  We didn’t have Starbucks, though I acquired my daily cappuccino at a lovely coffeehouse that has long since been run out of biz by Starbucks.  (Coffee factors into all of my business memories since I can’t sit down at my desk without a cup…)

And so I find myself reminiscing about dba TW Media Services, originally known as TW Graphics, Inc.  And when I think back, the memories that come to mind are a bit random and scattered… a few crisis situations, but mostly lots of great clients and co-workers.

Most Memorable Jobs…    There was the sizeable rush job that ended up at the bottom of a lake.  The extremely reputable freight company we were using had an extremely intoxicated driver hauling our shipment.  And he somehow managed to navigate his semi into a lake.   (Don’t worry though – the drunk guy lived.  Our product wasn’t so lucky.)  We found out about the accident late in the afternoon (the day before it was due to be delivered), and our crew stayed all night to re-do the job.   We put it on an airplane the next morning and had it couriered to our client for arrival just minutes before needed.    Then there was the bus-wrap we were hired to design for a major-motion-picture promotion.  Not our usual CD and DVD fare, so quite a fun and challenging project.

Memorable Clients…  Many amazingly brilliant, funny, interesting and quirky clients that I could go on and on about, except for the whole “replicator/client privilege” thing.  So, I will refrain.  Michel.  Oops, did I type his name aloud, on the internet no less?  Yes, he has been with us since the early days, and is one of our all-time favorite customers.  He has invoked laughter, tears, heaps of memories, and a few near fatal incidents.

Have to comment on our UPS guy (since I can hear him down the hallway).  He’s a hoot, and goes ridiculously out of his way for us (and ultimately, our clients).  Special trips, extra trips.  Always a skip in his step.  And the daily bantering between him and Cheryl is something worth listening to — not that eavesdropping is necessary — the whole building can hear them.   At any rate, if he ever gets transferred to another route, we’re moving with him.

Co-Worker Memories…      Trace, our beautiful and extremely sensitive graphic designer, who occasionally sheds tears over jobs.  I remember the first time I saw her crying, working at her computer, tears dripping on the keyboard as she cleaned up the blood (in a Photoshop graphic) for a hunting DVD package she was designing.   Bloody animal pictures just aren’t her thing.

Dwight, our warehouse manager, chasing me with a broom because I (unknowingly) dropped a Cheeto on the warehouse floor when walking through.  The way he keeps a warehouse, I had no hesitation picking that darn Cheeto back up and eating it.  In Dwight’s warehouse, the 2-second rule is an unnecessary consideration, cuz he keeps the place really really really clean…

The “steak and beans” contest.  This was just a bad idea.  A sales contest, where the staff was divided into teams among the sales reps.  We booked a restaurant at month end, and closed shop to go to lunch.  The rep with the highest sales for the month and his team got steak and the fixings for lunch.   And everybody else had just a plate of beans.

The memories of Las Vegas… exhibiting at the NAB convention year after year.  Seriously great memories, and finally being able to put faces with names/voices of clients.  Would love to elaborate, but you know, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

The traumatic morning I arrived to find that my Mac had been replaced with a PC.  Only the “creative” staff got to keep their Macs.  Oh, the sense of loss, the grief, that unshakable feeling of vulnerability.  It has been years now, and thanks to the unwaivering support of friends, family and a good IT-guy, each and everyday in PC-land gets a little easier.

I would like to give a huge THANKS to all of the amazing customers who have helped us grow this business through the years.   We wouldn’t be here without you!  Here’s looking forward to the years ahead, the continuing evolution of multimedia technology, and lots more fun!

There are a number of important considerations when setting-up your CD Disc Art or DVD Disc Art.   Be sure to start with the correct template, as the knockout is different between white and silver background discs.    Templates can be found on our website at:   http://www.twmedia.com/templates.htm.   Art should be 300 dpi, and setup in either CMYK, specified PMS, or grayscale.    Make sure to bleed the art through the center ring, and 1/8″ on the outside.  The safe print area is 1/8″ from the center knockout and 1/8″ around the outer edge.  Type shouldn’t be any smaller than 6 point (for white knock-out type), and 5 point (for any other color).   Do not flatten the template to the art — save it on a separate layer.  And if you have any questions, feel free to give us a call!

There are two different methods for copying discs — duplication and replication.   To meet the needs of our clients, we offer both services, though each has its benefits and limitations.

CD and DVD Duplication is generally the method used for smaller quantity runs (500 or less), and involves “burning” a blank disc, similar to how a copy is made on a personal computer.  Duplication companies, however, have “towers” that can burn many discs at once.

Pros/Cons:  Quicker turn-time than replication.  Slightly more expensive per piece.  Less reliable than replicated discs because some drives cannot read recordable media.  (It is estimated that about 6% of DVD players and 2% of CD players are unable to read a duplicated disc.)  Also, recordable media can be damaged by sunlight.

CD and DVD Replication is used for larger quantity orders (500+ discs), and is a process by which a disc is actually manufactured with the data “stamped” in.  A “glass master” is made from the client-provided master, and then a mold or “stamper” is created from the glass master.  The stamper is loaded into an Injection Molding machine which then injects molten polycarbonate which is “stamped” with the data.  The disc is coated with a micro-thin reflective layer of aluminum, and is then lacquered for protection.

Pros/Cons:  Less expensive per piece.  Minimum quantities must be ordered (usually 500 to 1000).  Slightly longer turn-time than with duplication.  Durable, and compatible with all drives.