Custom CD and DVD Sleeves

Who Orders CD and DVD Sleeves

Independent musicians and small labels are the biggest group. A short run of printed sleeves for an album launch or tour is far more affordable than retail-style packaging, and it can be reordered as copies sell. Choirs, orchestras and school music departments use them to sell recordings of concerts to families.

Churches and faith groups record sermons and services and hand them to members who cannot attend or who prefer a physical copy. A sleeve template with space for the date, title and speaker can be printed once and used for many weeks. Training companies, fitness instructors and educators use DVD wallets for course content, often alongside printed notes.

Photographers and videographers still deliver wedding films and photo archives on disc for some clients, and a printed wallet makes the handover feel like a gift. Businesses sending software, archives or presentation material to clients also use card sleeves where a branded finish matters. Studios that publish games order the same construction as sleeves for game discs.

Board, Print and Finishing

Most sleeves are printed on a smooth white board around 300 to 350 gsm, which is stiff enough to protect a disc and folds cleanly at the spine. Uncoated board gives a soft, matte, slightly artisan feel that many musicians prefer; coated board with a gloss or matte laminate gives sharper images and resists fingerprints and scuffs.

Kraft board suits folk, acoustic and handmade releases, with artwork printed in one or two strong colours. Foil on a title, spot UV on part of the cover image or a blind embossed logo can lift a special edition without changing the format.

Think about the inside too. Lyrics, credits, chapter lists or session notes printed on the inside panels turn a simple wallet into something people read, and they save you printing a separate insert. Our finish guide shows lamination compared with varnish on dark artwork.

Getting Sizes and Artwork Right

A standard disc is 120 mm across, and sleeves are built around that. A single pocket is usually around 125 x 125 mm, while a wallet folds to roughly the same size with a slightly larger spread. For DVDs, some customers prefer a taller format that matches the shape of a film case, which gives more room for cover art.

We supply a template for each format showing the bleed, folds, glue areas and any die-cut. Keep important text well away from the folds and glue flaps, and design the spine if the sleeve is thick enough to have one. Text on a spine needs to be large and simple to be readable on a shelf.

If the disc itself is printed, match the disc artwork to the sleeve so they look like a set. A die-cut window on the front can show off a printed disc face. Every format comes with artwork templates and a free proof so the disc position is never guessed.

Planning a Release or a Regular Run

For an album or a one-off event, order the full run with final artwork and allow time for the proof and production before your launch date. For regular recordings, such as weekly services or a training series, a generic printed sleeve with a blank panel for a label or handwritten details works out much more economical than printing each edition separately.

If you plan several releases in a series, consider a shared design system: the same layout, typeface and logo position, with a change of colour or image for each edition. It builds recognition and makes reprints simple.

Merchandise tables at gigs move fast, so make the price and the title easy to read on the front, and think about bundling. A sleeve sized to take a disc plus a sticker or a download card turns a single purchase into a small bundle at very little extra cost. For mail-order copies, a slim mailer box for posting discs keeps the sleeve corners sharp.

Count the Discs and Decide Whether Lyrics Go Inside

Sleeve orders come together quickly once two questions are settled: how many discs go in each sleeve, and whether the inside needs to carry lyrics, credits or sermon notes. One disc and a plain inside suits a pocket sleeve; a booklet or two discs means a wallet or gatefold. Supply artwork on our template with the disc position marked, and check that small text is still legible at around 125 mm wide. Churches and training providers who record weekly usually print a generic sleeve with a blank panel and add a printed label with the date each time.

Send the format, disc count, quantity and artwork, and a custom quote arrives by email within one working day. The free proof shows folds, glue areas and any die-cut window over the artwork. Printing and finishing take 4 to 7 working days once approved, sleeves arrive flat by tracked courier to UK mainland addresses, and misprinted or damaged sleeves reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded.