CD Inserts slide into the front of a CD case. With full color printing on both sides, inserts provide both an exterior image and interior information. They can be a marketing tool or simply offer basic information.
Recommendations
The most common order options are 9.5" x 4.75" (before folding) with two panels on 100# Gloss Text weight paper. Almost always, CD Inserts are printed full color on both sides (4/4).
For higher quantities and additional stock choices, please check out our 4-Color Offset CD Inserts.
Marketing Tips
CD Inserts provide an image for the front of a CD case and extra information on the interior. It's a great place for brief information about a company, artist, or project that everyone will see when they open the case. It's a smart detail to supplement the work on the actual CD.
Versions
Digital products with version will be shrink-wrapped or rubber-banded separately and boxed/packaged together. This will reduce shipping cost.
Standard Sizes
Any Trim Size
Standard Sizes
Size varies depending on the amount of panels required by the insert.
Our standard sizes, listed below, are the most popular in the industry:
1 Panel: 4.75" x 4.75"
2 Panel: 9.5" x 4.75"
3 Panel: 14.25" x 4.25"
Folding is included on 2 and 3 panel orders.
Any Trim Size
You can order custom sizes by using the "Any Trim Size (Edit Below)" option in the pricing calculator. First select the standard size option which is larger in both dimensions (height and width) than your desired custom size. In the "Any Trim Size (Edit Below)" box on the pricing calculator (shown below), type in your desired dimensions. Please remember if you are ordering "Any Trim Size" for a product that is folded, "Any Trim Size" dimensions are for the product before it is folded.
Be mindful of the custom trim when submitting a file to prevent any part of your design from being trimmed away. It's extra important to look at a proof when ordering custom trim.
100# Gloss Text
Sample Books
100# Gloss Text
You may be familiar with this type of stock from the covers of many popular magazines like People and Time.
This paper strikes a balance between thickness and foldability, while the glossy finish on both sides gives your text a professional appearance.
Sample Books
Every Zoo customer may order one free 4-Color Offset sample book. Additional sample books and a complete kit can be ordered by clicking here.
4/4 (Full Color Both Sides)
4/1 (Full Color Front / B&W Back)
4/0 (Full Color Front Side Only)
4/4
Full color on both sides of the sheet. This option can reproduce the range of colors you see in a typical photograph out of the standard 4 printing colors: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Typical examples of this are magazine covers and high-end catalogs.
4/1
Full color (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black as above) on the front and black on the back. A typical example of this is a flyer.
4/0
Full color (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black as above) on the front and no printing on the back. A typical example of this is a poster.
No Coating
No Coating
Coating is unavailable with Digital Printing
Explanation of Turnaround Time
1-2 Day
2-3 Days
Explanation of Turnaround Time
See a quick chart showing turnaround times
Production timeline beings upon approval of the proof. All times are based on standard business days Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays. For orders shipping to the West Coast, please use the Pacific time zone. For orders shipping to the Midwest and East Coast, please use the Eastern time zone. Please see the below map.
Please note the production timeline does not include shipping or mailing time. During the order process you will have the option to select from available production timelines and your preferred shipping method.
Our products are the same great quality for every turnaround time we offer.
1-2 Day Turnaround
If you order a proof (Online PDF or Hard Copy Proof), your turnaround time begins as soon as you approve your proof in our system. If you order "No Proof, Run As Is" (only recommended if you are certain you want us to print what you sent as is), your turnaround time will be based on the guidelines listed below. Once your order is in imposition, you should receive an email with your estimated order completion date (does not include shipping or mailing).
Guidelines
Files must be uploaded before the cut off time, which is 10:30 a.m. Pacific for orders produced in our West facility and 10:30 a.m. Eastern for orders produced in our East facility. If you request a proof, you must approve your proof by 12:45 p.m. in the time zone your order is produced for turnaround time to begin.
A. 1-2 Day Shipped Orders
These orders will be ready to ship in 1-2 business days after 4:00 PM. Example: A Next Day order placed Monday before cutoff would be ready to ship Tuesday after 4:00 PM. A 1-2 Day order placed Monday before cutoff would be ready to ship on Tuesday or Wednesday after 4:00 PM.
B. 1-2 Day Will Call Orders
These orders will be ready to pick up in 1-2 business days after 4:00 PM. Example: A Next Day order placed Monday before cutoff would be ready for pick up Tuesday after 10:00 AM. A 1-2 Day order placed Monday before cutoff would be ready for pick up on Tuesday or Wednesday after 4:00 PM.
C. 1-2 Day Free Delivery Orders
These orders will be ready for delivery in 1-2 business days. Example: A Next Day order placed Monday before cutoff would be ready to deliver on Wednesday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. A 1-2 Day order placed Monday before cutoff would be ready to deliver on Wednesday or Thursday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM *Free Delivery adds one day to your print cycle.
Note: Free delivery is currently only offered to customers near our California production facility. To see if your zip code qualifies, visit "Free Delivery" under the "Services" section.
Files uploaded after the cut off time will be processed the following business day.
2-3 Day Turnaround
If you order a proof (Online PDF or Hard Copy Proof), your turnaround time begins as soon as you approve your proof in our system. If you order "No Proof, Run As Is" (only recommended if you are certain you want us to print what you sent as is), your turnaround time will be based on the guidelines listed below. Once your order is in imposition, you should receive an email with your estimated order completion date (does not include shipping or mailing).
Guidelines
Files must be uploaded before the cut off time, which is 10:30 a.m. Pacific for orders produced in our West facility and 10:30 a.m. Eastern for orders produced in our East facility. If you request a proof, you must approve your proof by 4:00 p.m. in the time zone your order is produced for turnaround time to begin.
A. 2-3 Day Shipped Orders
These orders will be ready to ship in 2-3 business days after 4:00 PM. Example: A Next Day order placed on Monday before cutoff would be ready to ship Tuesday after 4:00 PM. A 2-3 Day order placed Monday before cuttoff would be ready to ship on Wednesday or Thursday after 4:00 PM.
B. 2-3 Day Will Call Orders
These orders will be ready for pick up in 2-3 business days after 4:00 PM. Example: A Next Day order placed Monday before cuttoff would be ready to pick up Tuesday after 10:00AM. A 2-3 Day order placed Monday before cutoff would be ready pick up on Wednesday or Thursday after 4:00 PM.
C. 2-3 Day Free Delivery Orders
These orders will be ready to deliver in 2-3 business days. Example: A Next Day order placed Monday before cutoff would be ready to deliver Wednesday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. A 2-3 Day order placed Monday before cutoff would be ready to deliver on Thursday or Friday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. * Free delivery adds one day to your order due date.
Note: Free delivery is currently only offered to customers near our California production facility. To see if your zip code qualifies, visit "Free Delivery" under the "Services" section.
Files uploaded after the cut off time will be processed the following business day.
Folding
Folding
Two and three panel CD Inserts come folded to a 4.75" x 4.75" square.
Quantity
When to choose Offset
When to choose Digital
Custom Orders
Quantity
Quantity availability is dependent on the order specifications you choose. To see available quantities, complete all order specifications in the pricing calculator and click on the "Quantity" dropdown menu.
Due to our production process, we print in specific increments. If you would like an amount not listed in the pricing calculator, request a custom estimate for the quantity needed.
Generally, we print more than the quantity ordered. Due to this being a manufacturing process, the total finished quantity may vary. These quantities can vary +/- 5%, with the norm typically being more than less. Standard industry procedure considers this range "shipment in full."
When to choose Offset
4-Color Offset printing is ideal for lower prices on large quantity orders or any time you would like coating on your products.
Almost always, people choose this option when ordering large quantities.
When to choose Digital
4-Color Digital printing is ideal for lower quantity orders and additional paper options, and usually has even faster turnaround times. Digital products cannot be coated.
Custom Orders
If you would like to order product options not available in the pricing calculator, simply request a custom estimate. To request a custom estimate, click on "Estimates" located at the top of the page.
In many cases, it is more affordable to order one of our specified quantities rather than placing a custom order. Custom orders are most commonly placed for order specifications not listed in the pricing calculator.
Get Templates
File Preparation
File Orientation
Bleed and Safe Area
Proofs and File Check
Please Select Template Below:
PDF stands for Portable Document Format. This template can be imported into: InDesign, Quark Express, Illustrator, Corel Draw, and many other content creation programs.
JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group and is a basic raster file format. This template is recommended for Photoshop.
EPS stands for Encapsulated PostScript. This template is recommended for advanced Illustrator users only.
File Preparation
In order to ensure your files are print-ready, we recommend that you upload them in PDF format. When you generate a print-ready PDF, your computer will use the settings in Adobe Acrobat Distiller or any other PDF generating programs you may use. Please make sure that these are set properly before generating your PDF file.
If you are uploading PDF files created in Photoshop, please be sure all layers are flattened.
We also accept .JPG (JPEG), .EPS and .TIF (TIFF) file types, however PDF is the preferred format.
Check your file to make sure it meets our file creation guidelines. This will help speed up the production of your project and give your printed piece the best results.
Use the CMYK colorspace (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK). These are industry standard printing colors. CMYK colors are different than RGB (Red, Green, Blue), which are used to display colors on your screen.
Use a minimum resolution of 300 dpi for image files.
Specify trim area with crop marks. (Don't place crop marks inside the work area.)
Artwork should have 1/8" (0.125") bleed extending past the trim line. This is to prevent minor cutting variations from leaving unintended results at the trim edge.
Safe Area is the 1/8" (0.125") area inside the trim line. Do not put critical information or images within the Safe Area. This is to prevent minor cutting variations from leaving unintended results at the trim edge.
If you want printed borders, they must be placed a minimum of 1/8" (0.125") inside the trim line and include bleed. This is to prevent minor cutting variations from leaving unintended results at the trim edge.
File Orientation
Please click the link below for an explanation of file orientation.
We require that you extend any images that run up to the trim line a minimum of 1/8" (0.125") past the trim line to create "bleed". Depending on what program you use to create your file, this may or may not change the total image area of your file. Programs like Photoshop that do not allow the creation of "bleed" or the addition of crop marks will require an image area that is 1/4" (0.25") larger than your desired final overall image area in both dimensions.
Safe Area is the 1/8" (0.125") area inside the trim line. Do not put critical information or images within the Safe Area. This is to prevent minor cutting variations from leaving unintended results at the trim edge. If you choose to make less than this minimum clearance, we will NOT be responsible for items that are cut off in this area.
Proofs and File Check
We offer three proof options:
Online PDF Proof: You will be sent a link to view your proof via email. Please keep in mind that this is only a proof for content and positioning; the color on your screen may vary from the color of your final product, depending on your monitor and viewing conditions.
Hard Copy Proof: The Hard Copy Proof can either be picked up on-site or shipped to you. Please keep in mind that this is a proof for content and positioning and is not printed on your actual job stock. Color may vary slightly when printed on the stock you ordered. When ordering a Hard Copy Proof, you will receive a complimentary Online PDF Proof, as well.
No Proof, Run As-Is: This option is for the industry professional who is certain their project is ready to hit the press and does not require the additional security of a proof.
File Check:
If our prepress department sees anything questionable with your file, we will contact you via email with our concerns. Should prepress email you, please note that your job is not considered fully submitted until you respond to this email. This should be factored into your turnaround time. File check does not apply to No Proof, Run As-Is. No Proof, Run As-Is jobs print from the exact file(s) you upload unless it is not possible to print because your supplied file does not match the specifications ordered.
How to check your Online PDF:
The black crop marks indicate the final trim size. The Red line ( Dashed ) indicates the (Score) The Green line ( Dashed ) indicates the (Perf). The Red Line (Solid) indicates the ( Cut or Trim ) line.
The verbiage on the file, this will indicate the page position after folding.
Please Note: The charge for our technical team to review your file when first submitted is included in the price of your order. If they note technical concerns with your file, they may email you with their concerns so you can upload a corrected file. If subsequent uploads still contain errors, you may be charged an additional prepress fee to review your file again.
