CD Digipak

Digipack

Research and Planning – As part of my A2 Media Studies Coursework I have been asked to create a promotional package for an artist or band of my choice. Having chosen. As part of this I have to create a digipack for their album. In order to do this I will be doing a lot of planning and research into a range of topics in order to complete my digipack to a high quality.

History of Album Covers

I have spent some time today looking into the history of the album cover in general, I did some research into the first album covers, the the concept of the album cover and some other details on its history and the introduction of it to the music industry, the initial thoughts on such a product amongst other things.

‘An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10 in (25 cm) and 12 in (30 cm) 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12"LPs, sets of 45 rpm records (either in several connected sleeves or a box), or the front-facing panel of a CD package, and, increasingly, the primary image accompanying a digital download of the album, or of its individual tracks.

In addition, in the case of all types of records, it also serves as part of the protective sleeve.’

One of the earliest album designs ever made.

‘We love music, we love design and we just love the work of Alex Steinweiss, art director and graphic designer who died at the age of 94. He invented in 1938 the idea of a custom artwork to record album covers and designed the first covers with original design, replacing the existing non branded 78 rpm record inside protective, pasteboard covers which included only the name of the album and artist simply stamped on the cover and spine.’

The cover became an important part of the culture of music at the time. Under the influence of designers like Bob Cato who at various stages in his long music career was vice president of creative services at both Columbia Records and United Artists, album covers became renowned for being a marketing tool and an expression of artistic intent.The Band's 1970 release Stage Fright with Norman Seeff's photograph as a poster insert is an early example with the poster quickly becoming a collector's item.Gatefold covers, (a folded double cover), and inserts, often with lyric sheets, made the album cover a desirable artifact in its own right. Notable examples are The Beatles'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band which had cut-out inserts, lyrics, a gatefold sleeve even though it was a single album, The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street which had a gatefold and a series of 12 perforated postcards as inserts (also by photographer Norman Seeff), and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon which had a gatefold, lyrics, no title on the sleeve and poster and sticker inserts. The move to the small (less than 1/4 the size of a record) CD format lost that impact, though attempts have been made to create a more desirable packaging for the CD format, for example the re-issue of Sgt. Pepper, which had a cardboard box and booklet, or the use of oversized packaging.

Back Covers

Conventions of Back Covers –

• Name of Band 
• Name of Album
• List of Song Titles
• Usually Centre Barcode in bottom right hand side
• Name of record company
• Copyright
• Copyright Owner
• Smallprint
•  Distributor 

History of Digipack

‘Digipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI-Shorewood, an Atlas Holdings LLC company.’

IMPAC Group, Inc. originally owned the Digipak trademark. That company was acquired by MeadWestvaco (MWV) in 2000 and folded into its AGI Media division. Following this acquisition, the Digipak name and designs were licensed to manufacturers around the world. MWV sold AGI Media to Atlas Holdings in 2010. In 2012, Atlas purchased Shorewood Packaging from International Paper and merged the two companies to create AGI-Shorewood.

Digipaks typically consist of agatefold (book-style) paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside.

Since Digipaks were among the first alternatives to jewel cases to be used by major record companies, and because there is no other common name for Digipak-style packaging made by other companies, the term digipak or Digi-Pak  is often used generically, even when the media holder is a hub or "Soft Spot rather than a full plastic tray.

Digipak-style packaging is often used for CD singles or special editions of CD albums and the tall DVD Digipak (DVDigipak) is used as a premium package for DVDs and DVD sets. Such packaging is less resistant to abrasion than jewel cases, so it tends to show signs of wear relatively quickly. Licensed digipak manufacturers such as domestic U.S. printer and disc replicator Oasis Disc Manufacturing recommend coating the raw printed paper with a protective UV coating, thus ensuring greater longevity.

Although less vulnerable to cracking than a jewel case, the disc tray inside the package (particularly the "teeth" of the hub which secure the disc in place) remains rather brittle and is prone to cracking if the package is crushed. Digipak-style cases grew in popularity among record labels and recording artists in the early 2000s.

Digipack with recycled tray made from sugarcane

Manufacturers have sought to reduce environmental impact and improve functionality by introducing recycled components into its trays; one has announced a 100% post-consumer PET tray made from recycled bottles,  which also eliminates the need for the brittle "teeth". Another one goes one step further by totally eliminating the plastic tray and replacing it with a paper tray made from sugarcane and egg carton. Many printers use recycled or sustainable material for the board stock.

Digipaks have been heavily criticized as they are prone to deforming with the spines becoming unreadable.

Codes and Conventions (Digipak)

• Name of Band 
• Name of Album
• List of Song Titles
• Usually Centre Barcode in bottom right hand side
• Name of record company
• Copyright
• Copyright Owner

• 
  
• Smallprint
• Distributor

Construction

Stage #1 - The background colour is in place and my artist imagery is also included with the first stage, next is to add album and artist titles.

Stages #2 - Having already got my artist imagery and a house style for the digipack, I now choose the colours and the fonts for my album name and artist title, this was highly helped with audience feedback.

Stage #3 - Now I begin work on the back of the album, I begin to input the song titles for the album, the logos for all company's involved, the barcode, the small print and finally the website link.

Final Digipack

Front and back of my final digipack

Inside covers of my final digipack