What is a Card Sleeve CD
As music seemingly becomes more digital, we must not forget the magic of ‘real’ music. A perfect example of this pre-digital age is the iconic card sleeve CD.
What is a Card Sleeve CD? A Card Sleeve CD is a simple, colourful and eco-friendly method of packing discs. Consisting of just 2 panels, card Sleeve CDs are made up of a very thick 300gsm card. This card allows the full range of colours to be printed onto it – allowing a colourful, vibrant card sleeve.
The CD placement changes from one Card Sleeve to another, but primarily, the CD slides into the sleeve through an opening on the side or top of the product.
With the growing importance of environmental health, the Card Sleeve CD is rising in popularity due to its eco-friendly option, vibrant colours and small size (due to its 2 panels)
What Does a Card Sleeve CD Look Like?
A Card Sleeve CD is an efficient storage option for your CDs. It is small and compact, measuring as 125mm x 125mm (appropriate folded size), due to its restriction of only containing 2 panels. These panels are made from a very thick 300gsm card, which offers the CD inside ample protection.
Often called the most ‘effective’ packaging solution for CDs, the card sleeve is a simple, classic design. The CD inside is housed within a structure made up of 2 panels (displaying the CD creator’s artwork), which are glued together. Although it is relatively cheap to produce, the Card Sleeve’s appearance, which can be coated with a matte or gloss finish, is that of a professional, well branded musical outfit.
When was the Card Sleeve CD Case Created?
There is no exact date of when the Card Sleeve was created. However, much like the majority of modern music, its roots can be traced back to the time of vinyl. Put simply, the large cardboard sleeves which were used to protect original vinyl records from dust and/or damage, have been, through the years, reduced in size to offer the same protection to compact discs.
Therefore, there is no unequivocal origin to the card sleeve. Rather, it is a matter of evolution from vinyl’s rectangular cardboard packaging.
Are Card Sleeves Only Available for Singles?
Card Sleeves can hold any type of compact-disc. And because a standard compact disc can hold up to 79 minutes of audio, the limit to what is stored within a card sleeve is entirely up to the creator.
Of course, this is limited by the band/musician’s financial position (to record more audio, you need to be able to afford more studio time to record). Instead, many artists chose to create a single, house it within a card sleeve and sell it to fans. This is an efficient, relatively cheap method of self-promotion.
What are the Other Types of CD case?
There are several different types of CD case. These include:
All of these have their own strengths and weaknesses (which can be seen by clicking on their individual links).
What is Included in Card Sleeve CD?
A Card sleeve CD includes: 2-panel sleeve which houses the CD (with a matte or gloss finish), a CD (with an optional custom design), Track listing(s) – usually located on the rear, promotional material on how to access more of the artist/band’s work – this is inserted inside the card sleeve and can optional insert.
How Much do Card Sleeve CDs Cost?
Printed back and front in full colour, with a gloss or matte finish, at CD Unity we can create 100 Card Sleeves for just £189! This fee includes high-quality audio CDs, audio transfer, on body disc and sleeve print.
You can look up our Card Sleeve CDs pricing here.
How Much do Card Sleeves Sell For?
Of course, there is not universal price for card sleeves – it’s entirely up to the seller. But, typically, they sell at around £5 (with the CD etc included inside)
What is the Difference Between Card Sleeve CDs and Other Cases?
The main difference between Card Sleeve CDs and other case alternatives is the intent behind them. Because of their compact size and bold design, Card Sleeves are considered the perfect vehicle for selling your music face-to-face.
Whether this is at a gig or just distributing in the street, the small sized Card Sleeve is easy to carry and an excellent tool for musical self-promotion!
Other cases, such as Jewel Cases or Digipaks, because they are more expensive to make, traditionally contains albums/LPs and EPs. Distributing a single within these cases does not make business sense, as they will cost the fan too much for just one song. Therefore, as the Card Sleeve is cheaper to manufacture, fans will have to pay less and will not expect a full albums worth of music.
Why are Card Sleeves Better for the Environment?
Put simply, Card Sleeves are considered to be better for the environment because they are a minimalist alternative to other CD cases (in particular the CD Jewel Case). The sleeve, or wallet, take up around a quarter of the storage space of the jewel cases. But the sleeve still acts as an adequate protector for the CD which is slipped inside.
This reduction in size has two positive environmental effects. First, a reduction in materials used to create the product, due to its reduced size in comparison with the Jewel Case, places less of a demand on the Earth’s finite resources. In turn, this also means a decrease in the amount of materials eventually being wasted.
Second, the smaller size and weight, means that more of the product can be placed onto transport vehicles. With more product being distributed per vehicle, this means that less carbon emissions will be produced as a result of the product’s shipping; streamlining their impact on the environment.
Why do People Prefer to Buy a Card Sleeve CD?
For many people, they want to buy Card Sleeves simply because they think they are cool. The card wallets often display fantastic artwork, with a range of vibrant colours – what’s not to link!
For others, they are motivated to buy the Card Sleeve because of its small, svelte design. This allows collectors to amass hundreds of the sleeves without losing rooms of their home to musical fanaticism.
And finally, many people buy Card Sleeve CDs because of their relatively eco-friendly nature!
What Size is a Card Sleeve CD?
The Card Sleeve CD is 125mm tall and 125mm wide. That’s the size for each of the panels including bleed and margins. For more detailed measurements please download our specification sheet.
Hope that helps!
Thanks,
Rory
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