Selecting the Right CD Sleeve for You Next Project

CD sleeves are one of the least expensive and most flexible packaging options. But which one is the right choice for your next project? Here's a primer on the different options to help you.

First, let's look at the materials commonly used in CD sleeves. When selecting a material for your disc sleeve, ask yourself how will your customer use the CD or DVD? If the disc is something they will use regularly your packaging decision will be different than if the disc is a one-time use marketing piece.

Tyvek

Tyvek is very strong and doesn't rip making it perfect for heavy duty conditions. It is also moisture resistant, which means your CD sleeve can withstand the elements or a spilled cup of coffee. Tyvek CD / DVD sleeves are silky smooth and have a distinctive look and feel. Tyvek is made from 100% high density polyethylene, essentially continuous fibers, so you get a CD sleeve that's incredibly durable, lint free and helps prevent scratched discs.

Paper

Paper is your basic, least expensive option. Select a colored sleeve to match your disc art or logo. Slightly more expensive than white envelopes, but still incredibly inexpensive (as low as .061/piece), colored disc sleeves can help make your disc get noticed.

Paperboard

Paperboard (or cardboard) is more durable than paper, but not as indestructible as Tyvek. Many Polyline customers use this to send discs in the mail because it is inexpensive and lightweight.

Vinyl

Vinyl is the "old school" standard. It looks thick and durable, which gives both the disc sleeve and your media a higher perceived value. Vinyl can react chemically with the disc, however, making it a poor choice for archiving.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is an overall good performer. Lightweight and stronger than vinyl, polypropylene does not react chemically with disc. It's also clearer and less expensive than vinyl.

BioPoly

Polyline carries the EcoEndure sleeve which is made from a polylatic-acid based polymer (PLA). PLA film is made from plants like sugarcane and corn. That makes it compostable and is entirely environmentally friendly since it starts as a natural product and ends as a natural product with no impact on the environment.

The next big distinguishing feature of disc sleeves is the flap or, in the absence of a flap, the opening.

Vinyl Sleeve with Pouch Flap

Short Flaps

Short flaps are usually about 1" in size and have a lick and stick adhesive strip. Some of our CD envelopes have a peel and seal adhesive which seems to hold closed better. Peel and Seal strips are an excellent choice for adding a CD or DVD to another boxed product, where the disc will be shaken around.

Pouch flaps

The flap covers the entire sleeves and functions as a pouch to hold a standard size CD booklet.

No Flaps

Disc sleeves without flaps are less expensive than their flapped counterparts. They are also a good choice when you have a lot of discs to pack. Ask yourself, how will you pack your disc?

Flush cut – perfectly even opening, designed for autoloaders.

Uneven opening – Easy to open, which makes them an excellent choice for hand loading a lot of discs.

Getting the best quality from your vinyl album or binder

1. Always remember you need to allow your packaging materials acclimate to room temperature. So, when you restock, give your product time to rest before you put it to work. If you are having trouble maintaining a steady stream of stock, try calling your Polyline sales rep for help. They can find order patterns you may have missed or they may be able to find a good solution to keep your supplies at a steady level.
2. Protect your vinyl packaging from sunlight and other sources of UV light. Vinyl is sensitive to UV rays, so prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause white vinyl to turn beige over time. (We like to think it gives them character.) You can prevent vinyl from tanning, by protecting your product from sunlight and other sources of UV light. If you are using vinyl binders or albums for archival purposes, you may want to opt for a darker color.
3. Look for vinyl cases with a thick vinyl overlay, as opposed to a thin poly one. This way, if your vinyl packing is exposed to changes in temperature, the overlay is expanding and contracting at the same (or similar) rate as the rest of the package, preventing wrinkles.
4. Look for vinyl packages that allow you to use a single-sheet insert, instead of three separate sheets. This will save you time and money. Ask for a sample of the product before you make your purchase. Some manufacturers place a strip of paper in the binding to keep the overlay from becoming adhered to the rest of the binder. Other manufacturers use different techniques. (Some of these techniques work; others don’t.) The easiest way to check if you’ll be able to use a single-sheet insert is to turn your vinyl binder (or album) over and open it all the way. If the overlay along the spine pops up, it will allow a single-sheet insert.

Help prevent cracks in your vinyl packaging products

There are few media packaging options that offer the luxurious look and feel of Polyline’s vinyl albums or binders. The rigid vinyl interiors ensure the media product is well protected, while the pliable vinyl exterior provides a satisfying sensory experience that makes the packaging a downright pleasure to hold. They are also shaped to resemble a hard-cover book, making them the ideal packaging solution for study materials, seminar materials and books on tape.

It is the pliable nature of the product’s exterior, however, that has caused isolated instances of cracking – particularly during hot summer months or cold winter months.

“We’ve found that cold weather affects it more,” said Michael Schlobohm, COO of Polyline. “PVC – the base material for all vinyl compounds – is brittle by nature. Extreme changes in temperature will cause the softer vinyl to expand and contract, which could create cracks along the spine.”

This exposure to temperature change happens during shipping, when the cases of vinyl albums and binders are placed into trucks and cargo-holds that are not climate controlled. To maintain the quality of your vinyl binders and albums, just allow the product to slowly return to room temperature before using it. Schlobohm both recommend leaving the vinyl products in their cases (in the location they will be used) for 24- to 48-hours prior to using them. That should provide them enough time to become acclimated to room temperature.

“You also have to consider these temperature issues could affect you even if the weather in your location is moderate,” said Nilda Reillo, team leader and trainer in Polyline’s customer service department. “We ship from California and Illinois. So, while it could be 70 degrees in Florida, it could still be only 20 degrees here in Illinois.”

Another lesser seen problem with vinyl albums and binders has also been associated with temperature change: wrinkling. Wrinkling is most common when the overlay is made of poly or is very thin. When the vinyl packaging materials are exposed to extreme temperatures the vinyl and the thinner overlay are expanding and contracting at different rates, explained Schlobohm. It is this different expansion rate that is causes the wrinkles.

“The vinyl album we’re using now has a thicker overlay,” said Reillo. “Thicker is better: no wrinkles.”

Again, allowing the materials to rest at least 24 hours in the packing area prior to using the vinyl products is the best way to ensure quality. It requires a little extra planning, because customers need to plan for this rest period when they are restocking. The polished finished look of the packaging is well worth the wait however.

“Whenever we have a customer who is really trying to impress a client, we recommend vinyl,” said Reillo.

How do you know you are getting a "real" Amaray brand DVD case?

Polyline is very particular about how and when it uses a product’s brand name. So, when Polyline uses the term "Amaray," we always mean an Amaray brand case as opposed to an Amaray-style case. But how can you be sure you are getting a true Amaray brand case?

1. Check the product description or ask your sales rep if the DVD case can be used on an automated line.
Because Amaray DVD cases are made from 100% virgin material, the cases are strong enough and consistent enough in size that they can be used on any automated line.

2. Check the shipping weight.
Because recycled plastics weigh less, Amaray DVD cases are heavier – around 67 grams per piece.

3. Look for the logo.
Ask for a sample of the DVD case you plan to order. Amaray cases have a unique, pattended push-button hub. And near this hub, you’ll find a stylized A logo embossed into the case. (The "A" doesn’t stand for Amaray. It’s the logo for "AGI" as in "AGI Amaray" and "AGI Media," the current patent holders for the hub design.) If you search further, you’ll also find the word "Amaray" embossed inside the case. This is usually located on the case’s binding.

4. Smell the difference.
If you are daring, you can also try sniffing the DVD case. Recycled plastics have a distinctive scent – kind of like burnt rubber. The more recycled content a DVD case has the more noticeable that scent becomes.