What is it about old LPs that make them LPs? Different clients have different thoughts on this but here are some of the features we get requests for most often:

Spine – this seems to be a must have. Clients do 2pp to 6pp LP requests, but all with spines.

BookBinding - this was used on old albums. It’s made by gluing a printed sheet of paper over a thick piece of material (chipboard, etc).

Thick paper like 18pt and up, and sometimes very thick 31+pt or chipboard

Inner Sleeves –sometimes with windows, but often solid colors with 1C or 4C printing. We can also do vellum sleeves.

Tube Sleeves opening outward are the number one most popular feature of an LP style jacket, but consider also inward sleeve openings or even top side!

Floating sleeves or vertical pocket , a nice vintage 78 style.

Check out Featured Title OriaBlue to see some of this swinging sleeve style and look at the full spec.

Vinyl discs

Our Art Department has some special info on disc printing

Here's an example of a 4pp LP Style jacket with reverse inside printing or PIPS (Printed Inside Pockets and Spines), and an inner sleeve printed 1C. For full specs, check out the Featured Title 4pp LP Style Jacket.

Putting out a double album? Choose a double vinyl LP style package that fits in with regular tray or jewelcase packaging.

Just one disc? Add a standard sized booklet!

Some of these features get a little hard to describe and see, so here are a few sketches to help clarify. Remember that everything we do is custom, so any feature can be adjusted to your whim.

Taking a look at some vintage albums can help you build up your spec. Two very good features to include are the pocket opening outward along with an inner sleeve. Thick paper stock, often combined with book binding (using chipboard type material/board stock wrapped with a 4C printed paper of about 150 gsm) is another good addition, although somewhat expensive. Oversized is attention catching, but not ideal for retail areas where the LP has to be the typical 5inch packaging.


For some ideas of making projects look vintage or retro, check out these pages- each has a slightly different "flavor" :
Retro Disc Packaging Slideshow
Vintage CD Covers Slideshow

Our most requested special paper stock is matte uncoated. Our standard paper coated stock contains, 20-30% recycled content. Recommend for special effects printing.

Our Truly Eco paper stock – contains 70-80% recycled content and post consumer waste. A bit softer.

Our fiberboard – lovely unbleached , brownish material, slightly fuzzy texture, uses end of chain material/pulp so very Eco.

Uncoated Papers – for that matte, feel me touch me look.

Be sure to visit our Art Department- special paper stocks for cd / dvd packaging page.

And we can do all kinds of thickness too. If you need additional choices, ask, but these cover just about everything you might want to create. What don’t we use? We don’t use individual sheets of paper that you might pick up in a stationary store, for example. We use big rolls of paper. If you need help with thicknesses for your spec, this page will help you with pt stock and gsm conversions: Paper thickness / weight.

So, you've gone with a retro look in your CD packaging. How about the CD itself? Well, with the right art tweak, you can make your CD (or DVD) look like an old fashioned (albieit, little) vinyl LP or 45'!
See: Vinyl Disc Record-LP-Style Disc Printing

Disc replication projects include CD or DVD manufacturing, printing, packaging, and assembly. Once we know what your spec is, we'll create the templates for your project and send them over to you.

Full Proofing is included — Replicated test discs (fully printed, glass mastered) and color matchprints for printed packaging. Be sure to check out our proofing process page to get a feel for what's involved.