Replication Process
1: Pre-Mastering
In this stage Abet Disc inspects the format and structure of the media that is supplied by the customer.
Step 2: Mastering
A substrate treated with a photosensitive layer is prepared.
An LBR (Laser Beam Recorder) is used to transfer your data/music and forms the pits and tracks onto the substrate.
A developing solution enables the zones that were exposed by the laser to be removed.
The substrate is placed into a vacuum deposition chamber and covered with a layer of silver.
The end product is a metalized glass master. It is then inspected and analyzed for electrical signal properties.
Step 3: Electroplating
Glass master is mounted and immersed into a solution of nickel sulfamate.
A process of electrolysis takes place between two electrodes, the anode and the cathode. This creates a nickel layer which is separated from the glass master in order to obtain the stamper.
The stamper is rinsed, dried & covered with a protective film.
The back face is sanded and polished in order to prepare it for pressing.
The stamper is then punched in the center and the outside and checked for uniform thickness.
4: Molding
The stamper is placed in a special mold and clamped together under very high pressure. Molten polycarbonate is then injected into the mold and after a few seconds of cooling, a clear disc is ejected, now containing the information or pit track from the stamper.
A fine layer of aluminum is sputtered onto the surface of the transparent disc. This allows the disc to be read by the reflection of the laser on the layer of information.
A fine layer of clear lacquer is then deposited on the metallic surface of the disc, then dried under a UV lamp. This is done in order to protect the CD and
prepare it for screen or offset printing.
Each CD is then inspected for physical imperfections and common molding flaws using a high speed camera inspection system.
All orders are tested at the beginning and the end through the High Tech Optical Testing Equipment to Phillips and Sony specifications.
Step 5: Pre-Press
The film or file is initially reviewed by trained graphic staff and checked for conformity, colors, size, resolution, fonts etc…
Pre-stretched screens are coated with a light sensitive emulsion, dried and measured.
Once dried, a film positive is positioned upon the coated screen and exposed in a light unit for a set time.
After exposure, the developed emulsion protected by the film is washed away with water. This leaves a hardened stencil with print area free of exposed emulsion.
Step 6: Screen Printing
Press-ready screens are mounted on the printing press.
Ink is placed on the screen and a squeegee passes across the image area pressing ink through the screen and onto the CD surface. One screen is required for each color.
Once the ink is applied, it is instantly cured or dried under a UV light before the next color is printed.
Each CD is inspected through sophisticated optics for correct inner hub identification and print quality.
CD and DVD Offset Printing Process
Thousands, if not millions, of CD’s and DVD’s are purchased and used everyday. Whether to be popped into the DVD player for a relaxing movie, played on a game system, or listened to in a vehicle, their importance can rank pretty high in people’s lives. Of course, things would get very confusing if there were no way to distinguish a disc that had lost its case. That’s why the offset printing process is so important in the professional world of CD and DVD replication.
One may not be familiar with what offset printing is, but we encounter it on almost a daily basis. Every time you see a smooth photograph, design or text on a disc that has been replicated on a large-quantity basis, it’s most likely the work of the offset printing process. If this process can be used for Hollywood manufactured discs, then it can certainly be used for any company that has any kind of optical disc printing needs.
CD and DVD replication are only the beginning when you have many of them to distribute. Having an on-disc surface design using offset printing is a pretty simple, and interesting process. Similar to an actual printing press, the offset process takes good care of each disc so that no distortion of replicated data within occurs. First, the internal computer system separates the color values of the image to a degree within the four-color plate values, CMYK. This represents Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black; the same colors of the cartridges that would be inserted into your regular printer at home. Replicated discs then get a layer of silk-screened white first, to create a smooth finished product. The disc is then run over the other color discs and the correct amount of color is transferred in the resolution area. The term “offset” comes from the idea of transference.
The offset printing process is able to offer 175 lines per inch resolution. This is resolution is very fine, and the finished product will look as if a smooth photograph was just glued onto the surface individually. Wouldn’t that be time consuming?
CD and DVD’s often have very complex and original graphics that are on the surface. These stand out to users and leave a lasting mark in their mind. The more creative and original the graphic, the longer the mark will be. Offset works very well with such complex ideas because of that high-resolution ability, and prevents any flaws from rising to the surface, while still being scratch resistant. Of course, the visual doesn’t have to be complex to turn out well. A variety of image types can be printed using offset, such as, photographs, standard patterns, Raster images (bitmap images, i.e., .jpg, .bmp, .gif), higher resolution DPI (Dots Per Inch), and vector text.
With such available variety and popular use, CD and DVD replication shouldn’t become even more costly just to create a look of professionalism that they deserve, which is why offset printing is actually very cost-effective for corporations of every size. The world of disc printing is an immense, competitive one, where every manufacturer is looking out for themselves. Offset printing is just another way to stay ahead of the game.
for more offset on-disc priting visit AbetDisc.com
Aeron Nersoya
Abet Disc
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