SECTIONS:

DUPLICATION VS. REPLICATION
CD PRINTING
DIGITAL PRINTING GUIDELINES
ARTWORK
PAYMENT OPTIONS
REFUND POLICY
TURN AROUND TIME
SHIPPING
BARCODES
CD MASTER
SCREEN PRINTING GUIDELINES
SHRINK BAGS
ORDER QUANTITY
DESIGN STUDIO POLICIES
FORMS
T-SHIRTS

DUPLICATION VS REPLICATION

Please refer to the following wikipedia links to add insight to the specific differences between the two:

CD/DVD Duplication
CD/DVD Replication

We use Ri-Data for all white faces and Prodisc for silver faces.

CD PRINTING

We use white and silver inkjet printable CDs that have an barely noticable light green tinge on the bottom. The majority of our clients have no problems with this, but if you are looking for silver bottomed (diamond) CDs, we can acquire this for silver faced CDs for an additional $10 per 100 QTY. This option is not available for white faced CDs at this time. Taiyo Yuden Waterseal CDs are available at $0.50 extra per disc. Please ask for these when placing your order. The default for all orders is white, unless otherwise specified.

A crystal clear acrylic spraycoat is applied by hand to all CD faces to help improve moisture resistance and to aid in color fastness.

Colors on the white CD faces appear opaque. Colors on silver CD faces appear translucent and metallic. The opacity in ALL colors decreases by about 50% on silver face CDs. Please see the following example: (click here to see example). For all CD faces lighter colors tend to show up better than darker colors.

Color matching is not available on CD faces. We do our best to use the CD face colors on screen and the colors on your packaging (if similar) to the actual CD face print out.

A one-off sample print out of your CD or DVD (non-duplicated) is available for an additional $30 and will increase your turn time an average of 6 business days due to set up and transit times.

DIGITAL PRINTING GUIDELINES

CMYK vs. RGB (wikipedia links)

(For ALL full color printed cases) If you are looking to get a solid black (if, and only if, your artwork is predominantly black), when creating your digital artwork in CYMK, please make sure that you use the CMYK values for a rich black. Please refer to this wikipedia link for further explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_black

We print the full color cases in CMYK, however, you view colors on your screen in RGB. Therefore you can not accurately compare colors on screen to colors on print. Likewise, factors such as different types of printers, different types of paper, how your particular program creates colors, and humidity all add to creating your digital output. Because this, it is also possible that subsequent re-order might come out slightly different than the rest.

This is the nature of short run digital printing and more precise color matching can be obtained by larger run offset printing (which we do not offer).

In the event that you want us to more accurately match the colors for your digital print outs, we recommend that you send us a digital CMYK print out of your artwork and request a physical proof. The additional cost on this is $75 and your turn time will increase an average of 9 business days.

Also, because we are short run, we normally do not send a digital proof. One can be requested free of charge (only shows probable alignment and resolution), this will increase the turn time depending on how fast you are able to approve.

One-off assembled samples of your artwork are not available on any package. Physical CD/DVD insert proofs are available for an additional $50 and will increase turn time by an average of 9 business days.

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ARTWORK

Please label your discs appropriately. For example, if you send in a CD master, please write your band name, album title and the words "CD MASTER" directly on the CD face. Likewise, for your artwork CD, please write your band name, album title, and "ARTWORK" directly on the CD face.

Your artwork files should also be named appropriately. We prefer the following format:
(example for package #JC2)

file 1: bandname_4panel_insert_side1.psd
file 2: bandname_4panel_insert_side2.psd
file 3: bandname_4panel_insert_traycard.psd
file 4: bandname_cdface.psd

Please DO NOT leave out your band name in the file name.

If your artwork (any color other than white) extends to the end of the insert/packaging you MUST include the correct amount of bleed. Bleed is necessary so when we cut your inserts down there is not a white border around your art. There should be no text within the bleed area. Also pay attention to the text safety areas (if any).

We accept the following file types:

.psd, .jpg. .bmp, .tiff, .pdf.

Only the .psd file should have any layers. All other files should be flattened with no layers. Also, the template should NOT be flattened in any of these files.

When submitting a .psd please have only TWO layers. One layer being the template and the other layer being your design. This is the preferred file method.

All of the templates you need are located on our website in the "FORMS and TEMPLATES" section. We have a .psd (layered photoshop file) and a flattened .jpg file available for each template.

The spines of the traycard always seem to be a troublesome spot once we receive the file. Your spine must be within and not exceeding the colored spine area. If your design is outside this area it will more than likely be cut off.

Please check the spelling in your artwork. It is not our responsibility and we do not proof read anything. We only check that the design is placed correctly in the template.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

We accept check, money order, cash, Paypal or credit card (thru Paypal only). Please make all checks and money orders out to: Sire Press, LLC. All cash must be rendered in person at our print shop. Please use sirepress@gmail.com for any Paypal payments. Paypal payments are subject to a 3.1% fee on the grand total. All Pennsylvania residents are subject to 8% tax.

If you are paying via Paypal simply login to your account and click the "SEND MONEY" tab. Type in the payment amount, send it to our e-mail account: sirepress@gmail.com, and select "SERVICE" in the Purchase section. Continue to the next screen and scroll down. In the middle of the page you have the OPTION to CHANGE your payment method. Click "CHANGE" and you can now see different options including ADDING A CREDIT CARD. Continue on until you see that payment has been successfully sent.

Payment terms are 100% up front. Other terms are at our discretion and will be subject to fees.

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We will package all products with enough materials to help aid in the prevention of damage durning transit. With jewel cases (in particular) it is possible that a number of cases might be broken during transit due to normal package handling. UPS will cover any significant damage, lost or stolen packages up to $100. Any additional insurance is not covered, but can be purchased at an additional cost up until the time we ship. The shipment carrier will be responsible for all damaged, lost, or stolen packages.

There will be no refunds for errors in color matching. Minor errors such as different shades of color are normal and part of the short run digital printing method (see notes above). Your product(s) may not be returned without approval from us first.

It is common for some discs to not be able to play in certain players. We use media that is highly compatible with most players, but we can not guarantee that the discs will work in every device. There are many factors as to why this is so, such as, but not limited to, the way your master was created, optical drive types, reflectivity, age of the drive/player, type of dye on the disc, etc.

If you are looking for us to redo all or part of your project please get in touch and let us know what is wrong. We will ask for the product back to assess the defect. If we were found in error and you need new product the turn time will be 10 business days not including time in transit. We will reimburse you for return UPS ground shipping only. We will not accept returns on custom products for any reason other than serious defects in assembly. In some instances a refund will be given, however, we must be given an opportunity to fix the error first.

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TURN AROUND TIME

Our average turn around time is 10 - 15 business days for all orders with a guarantee of 20 business days. Usually things such as bulk CDs and 50 QTY CDs come out faster, but they are not guaranteed. We usually do not ship any later than 15 business days, but it is possible if we are swamped with RUSH orders, that your CDs will come out at our max turn time of 20 business days. Day 0 is considered the day that we receive 1) order form 2) payment in full and 3) approved/print ready artwork by 6pm est. Day 1 of production is the first business day after. Any days off for holidays or otherwise will be posted in the NEWS section on the mainpage of www.sirepress.com. Please take those into consideration when determining turn around time. Turn time also refers to the day we plan to ship the items and DOES NOT include time in transit.

VERY IMPORTANT: If you have an "in hands by" date please work backwards from that date given the time in transit (see UPS ground shipping chart below) and add in the 20 business days. This will determine the day we need the materials in order to start your project. Essentially, to start your project we only need three things:

1) submit the online order form
2) approved artwork
3) payment

The CD/DVD master and RRF can come no later than a week before we ship.

RUSH orders are the only way to guarantee your CDs in hands by a certain date. RUSH fees vary by the amount of CDs ordered, "in hands by" date, package type, and other current RUSH orders. Please inquire about any possible RUSH orders as soon as you can and we'll get you set up with everything you need to supply us. If you aren't sure if the standard turn around time is fast enough for you, you probably need a RUSH.

Please check out our blog post entitled: When Should A Band Set A CD Release Show

SHIPPING

We ship all orders UPS ground unless specified. All international orders will ship USPS International Priority.

Here is a chart of UPS Ground Transit Times from our Philadelphia, PA location:

Effective January 1, 2010 shipping for all jewel case, slimline, digipak, ecopack, amaray, and ejector case packages will be prices as follows: (per 100 QTY)

$15 for Eastern Time Zone
$18 for Central Time Zone
$23 for Mountain Time Zone
$28 for Pacific Time Zone

All other packages will be $15 per 100 QTY. Please inquire about the shipping rates for any other product we offer unless otherwise previously specified.

We also recycle a lot of our packaging material when we ship out to you. So your packages might be stuffed with multiple types of packing material and the boxes might have other labels on it.

UPS will cover any significant damage, lost or stolen packages up to $100. Any additional insurance is not covered, but can be purchased at an additional cost up until the time we ship. The shipment carrier will be responsible for all damaged, lost, or stolen packages.

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We MUST receive a physical copy of your CD master***. When you submit your master please make sure you have a backup and/or additional copy. We will retain your master for our records and for future re-orders. If you'd like your master to be returned to you, we will make a quick copy (not usable as a master) and ship it back either with your order or after your order. There is a $20 return master fee.

Your CD master must also be an audio CD that can be played in any stand alone CD player. Mp3, Wav files or similar are not acceptable.

Please listen to your CD master all the way through to make sure you are happy with it. We copy directly from you master, so what you send us is exactly what you'll receive in return. We will not add or subtract any ISRC codes, CD-text data, nor will we add any gaps between your tracks. We have no obligation to monitor any materials that you submit for duplication.

If you already have your CD mastered, we can add CD-TEXT, ISRC codes, and submit your CD to Gracenote (iTunes), for an additional $35. Your artist name, album title, and song names will be written to your master as Red Book Standard CD Text, which will display on all CD players and car stereos that support CD text. In addition, your tracklist will be included in the Gracenote database so that your CD information will display automatically in iTunes. This will also include your artist, album, and track names, though cover art is not stored by Gracenote and therefore cannot be included.

When overnighting us packages with your master, artwork, etc., you MUST make sure you WAIVE the signature needed for delivery. We aren't always available to sign for packages (nor can we even hear the doorbell).

It is common for some discs to not be able to play in certain players. We use media that is highly compatible with most players, but we can not guarantee that the discs will work in every device. There are many factors as to why this is so, such as, but not limited to, the way your master was created, optical drive types, reflectivity, age of the drive/player, type of dye on the disc, etc.

***The ONLY exception will be RUSH international orders and 1 - 2 Day RUSH U.S. orders. We are not liable for ANY error in creating your master disc from digital files that you force us to create. There are no limits to this rule. Once again, we are not liable for ANY errors. We highly recommend that you send us a physical master that you approve of, OVERNIGHT with the signature requirement WAIVED. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS DOES NOT APPLY FOR USING OUR MASTERING SERVICES. WE ARE 100% LIABLE FOR ANY ERRORS THAT YOU DID NOT APPROVE OF BEFORE HAND USING OUR PAID MASTERING SERVICE.

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Silk Screened Casing Tips:

- We HIGHLY recommend that your designer be VERY WELL accustom to designing SPECIFICALLY for screen printing. Errors in design can lead to delays in production, additional costs, scrapping of designs, etc.

- When designing a multi-color image, for the best results, please do not have any colors overlapping. We are now able to get the registration within 1/16" on most prints.

- IMPORTANT INFO ON TEXT/DESIGN: We do the following on our end to check to see the printability of text and thin parts of your design: we type the word "TEST" in Arial 10pt. in all CAPS. the lines that make up that word are all uniform and your text/design should be NO less than the thickness of those lines.

- The brown kraft base color is approximately the color of a brown paper bag from the grocery store. We have numerous examples on our site.

- There is room for spine text! Feel free to take advantage of this area.

- Extend any bleed to the blue line (on the 4 panel eco pack template).

- Please make sure that the image we will be printing is 100% black, meaning, if you want us to print BLUE, submit your design so the design layer is BLACK. Likewise, make sure there is NO greyscale or shading of any kind (i.e. 100% black).

- At any point if you are unsure of what you need to do, just send over what you are working on and we'll let you know what's up. If it's something super easy for us to fix we'll go ahead and do it. If any graphic design is involved we will tell you what needs to be done or let you know how much it will cost for us to fix it for you.

BARCODES

Unfortunately we do not offer barcodes directly from us. The amount of requests for barcodes we've received would not make up for the cost to registrar with the UCC.

If you'd like a barcode please visit this site: http://www.mozian.com/upc.html

It might take up to 48 hours for you to receive the barcode with mozian. Once you receive the barcode simply drop it in your layout, or we can drop it in the layout for free.

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The common term people use for generic plastic CD covering is "shrinkwrap". If you are looking for the exact same type of wrap that is commonly found in retail stores, you are looking for "overwrap" or "cellophane wrap" which is applied just like wrapping a holiday gift. "Shrinkwrap" is heat sealed on all 4 ends using a heat gun and heat bar. We use "shrinkbags" which is similar to "shrinkwrap", except no heat bar is used and only 3 sides are fully sealed. Please note that this DOES NOT mean that your CD will come flying out of the wrap. The 4th side is still wrapped fairly tight around the case. (click here to see example)

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The minimum order QTY is 50 for most packages. If need be you can request smaller quantities, however, the price will jump significantly higher. Larger price breaks start at 100 QTY and also generally tend to occur at 300 QTY as well. All of the packages in our Full Color Printed Cases line start at 100 QTY.

For pricing on x50 QTY of any product, take the per piece price of the hundred QTY below and multiply it by your amount. For example: if you want 250 QTY of Package #JC1, take the per piece price of 200 QTY and multiply it by 250.

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DESIGN STUDIO ARTWORK POLICIES

Payment for all artwork done by Sire Press must be paid in full before we begin. Also for us to begin, we will send a short questionnaire that must be filled out in full with nothing left out. Soon after, you will receive a comp of either all or part of your design at which time you must let us know your thoughts in detail. We will work with your ideas and corrections to obtain a final comp. We will not come up with multiple variations of your design. We will work with your ideas on one theme and roll with that. You must also spell check to make sure we didn't miss anything. The speed in which we go from concept to final product is determined by the quickness of communication between the client (you) and Sire Press and the current work load of the designer. We typically tend to send the first comp within 5 business days or less and then wrap up the project 5 business days or less thereafter. Day 0 of Production is the day you approve of the artwork. It will still be 10 - 15 business days for Production.

All of our design pricing is based on the fact that you will be getting your products printed with Sire Press. If you are getting any designs we create for you printed elsewhere, please let us know, as you will be subject to a different pricing structure. We will also add a tag in similar to "Artwork By Sire Press (www.sirepress)" into your layout. Please contact us before hand if you do not wish this be included.

Our pricing is MORE than competitive compared to other design studios. You will be paying a fraction of the cost for the same (if not better) quality of design. The only time you will get better pricing is if you do it yourself, have a friend that will do it for you, or work with an amateur studio.

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FORMS

ALL orders MUST be submitted using our Online Order Form. ALL CD/DVD orders (except blanks) must have a Replication Rights Form (RRF) filled out. These items can be found in the "FORMS and TEMPLATES" section.

You can submit the RRF digitally via e-mail or physically via snail mail. Production will not begin until we receive: 1) Order Form 2) Approved Artwork and 3) Payment. Duplication will not begin until we receive the RRF and CD Master.

Please fill out the replication rights form to the best of your ability. If any areas are uncertain please leave them blank and if we need them we'll get back to you. The most important parts that you'll need to fill out is the artist name, content, album title, track listing, and signature. PLEASE LEAVE THE CUSTOMER NUMBER AND SELECTION NUMBER BLANK.

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TSHIRTS

Please submit your artwork to us in a print ready form at 300DPI and the exact size you want it to be printed. We can separate the colors layers for you, but please make sure that your design has SOLID colors. In other words, NO shading, gradients, etc. If you are paying for a full color process design, then we prefer to do the color separations for you.

Once again, it is recommended that your designer be VERY WELL knowledgable in the screen printing method.

When submitting us artwork it is best to upload it to either sendspace.com or yousendit.com then e-mail us the link to download. Please do not e-mail over files larger than 2mb.  

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