At Purple Media Vinyl Pressing Plant, we believe clarity is key to creating high-quality records. To assist with your project planning, we’ve gathered the most common queries we receive from our clients. Please review our Vinyl Production FAQ below. For personalized support or specific quotes, contact us anytime at info@cdvdmaker.com.
FAQ #1: What is Reverse Board Printing?
Answer: When printing onto paperboard (think jackets, wallets, etc), the entire design is printed on one side of the board and then folded and glued to create a double walled package with a pocket. To offer these items at a reasonable price, we use a paperboard sheet that is coated on just one side (C1S) and is left uncoated on the other so the printed side is on the coated and the inside of the package is uncoated.
As described above, some people like printing on an uncoated sheet as it gives off a moody vibe so it may be what you are looking for if you want no trace of gloss whatsoever. Your design is printed straight onto uncoated paper stock – no gloss, no finishing coat – just ink and paper. Unfinished stock creates very different results than coated stock due to how the ink is absorbed into the paper during the printing process. If you would like to work with unfinished stock, make sure you or your designer has experience designing for uncoated print as there will be “dot gain” that darkens up the design and makes proofing totally unpredictable. Most newbies are disappointed with the look of their graphics when printed on uncoated stock because they don’t properly compensate for this dot-gain-darkening phenomenon. We warn you now, you are responsible for knowing how to design for printing on uncoated stock and we can’t credit you or redo your print if you are unhappy with the outcome so ask a lot of questions and plan for the worse. But, if done right, it can look really cool and create a vibe that coated printing can’t offer. If you’re worried that you’re going to eff this up, we suggest printing on coated paper + a matte coating over the top. You get color accuracy with a nice dull-ish satin finish that is a good compromise between the two processes.
FAQ #2: What are test pressings and why do l need to listen and approve them before Purple Media will press my finished records?
Answer: What you hear when playing your test pressings is what you’ll hear on the final pressed copies, so listen to them carefully upon arrival.
When you receive your test pressings, this is what it’ll ask you to check:
- Sound quality
- Catalog / Selection number is etched into lead-out groove correctly
- The A/B side inscriptions in the run-out groove matches the side splits on your track listing
- The songs are in the correct order and the visual markers are in the right place
- The rotation speed (RPM) is correct
- Are there any loud pops, ticks or other annoying sound issues, if so:
- Are they on ALL the copies? If they’re not, it’s ok. Tests are made from a brand new fresh newborn stamper. The first 10ish records off a new stamper can be a little noisy. But here’s the thing- when we press records we toss the first 10ish records and eliminate that factor. Long story short, if you have one good test pressing out of 3, you are going to get clean production copies.
- Do you hear them on more than one record player?
All 12” test pressings are pressed on black vinyl with an average weight of 180 grams. Your final order will be pressed on the color and weight requested on your purchase order.
Note: if your order is for color vinyl, your test pressings will be pressed on black vinyl.
FAQ #3: Does a 180g 12″ sound better than a standard weight record?
Answer: Depends who you ask.
Facts:
Our heavyweight 180g vinyl is pretty badass and we love it.
The stampers/plates used for 180g records are the same as regular weight records.
The groove depths are the same.
On most turntables and for most recordings, they should sound identical.
The extra mass of an 180g records keeps it from making any micro movements while the stylus is thrashing back and forth in the grooves during playback. The audible effect is more apparent on fancier systems.
FAQ #4: What is a locked-groove?
Answer: A locked groove locks the needle in place. There’s one on every record at the end of the side to prevent your stylus/needle from surfing onto the center label at the end of a side.
You can also add a locked groove at the end of a song for fun. For example, it can be used to hide bonus tracks by requiring the listener to pick up the stylus and manually advance it to the next track. Make em work for it.
FAQ #5: What is an endless audio loop?
Answer: It sounds like a fever dream about your ex but in this context an endless audio loop plays a piece of music over and over again until the user picks up the needle. Generally, an endless loop is approximately 1 to 2 seconds (not that endless). Most engineers will do their best to get it perfectly dialed in, but there may be a slight click as the end of the loop meets up with the start of the loop. Proceed at your own risk. While we take every precaution to make a clean transition, it can sometimes take a few tries to nail it just right since there is no way to QC the loop (meaning play it) without ruining the lacquer cut.
The most popular example of this effect can be found at the end of “A Day in the Life” on Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” where a loop of someone (surely while high on LSD) utters the phrase “never could see any other way.” over and over in an endless loop. Good times.
FAQ #6: My record does not have any silence between tracks. Can l still have visual song markers on my record?
Answer: Indeed you can. Most people think that what they are seeing between songs is a silent groove when, in fact, these are just grooves spaced further apart. During the lacquer cutting process, the mastering engineer uses the track timing or PQ sheet you provide and tells the lathe to add groove spacing at the end of each track. It spreads out the groove and that’s what you are seeing when you look at the surface of your record. The grooves of the song are close together and the space between each song is further apart. An extreme version of this can be seen on the innermost part of the record called the deadwax.
