Digipak (Research & Planning)

Introduction

As part of research in this topic we have to design a 'digipak' for out music. A digipak is a 'book style' CD cover. They were used by major record companies rather than a full plastic cover. A 'digipak' is often used for singles or special editions of CDs. Digipaks are becoming more and more popular in this day and age. They come in options of 4,6,8 and even 10 panels. Digipaks can also have economically advantages such as being able to be made out of recycled card.

Digipaks were created by MeadWestvaco and this product has become trademark. Digipaks have now become very popular now in the music industry. For the music genre we have decided to do As part of research in this topic we have to design a 'digipak' for out music. A digipak is a 'book style' CD cover. They were used by major record companies rather than a full plastic cover. A 'digipak' is often used for singles or special editions of CDs. Digipaks are becoming more and more popular in this day and age. They come in options of 4,6,8 and even 10 panels. Digipaks can also have economically advantages such as being able to be made out of recycled card.

Digipacks are a type of CD packaging made out of card stock or other heavy paper/cardboard material. Digipacks can flip open like a book, or it can have three parts, so that one portion of the packaging opens to the right and one to the left, with the CD in the center portion. Usually, the portion of the digipack that hold the CD is made of plastic like a traditional jewel case CD - the plastic part is simply attached to the paper background. An innovative approach to packaging CD-Audio, CD-ROM and DVD discs, the patented Digipak is designed as the perfect replacement to the traditional plastic jewel box. Digipak is a self-contained package that protects the disc. It is shatter proof and allows for greater graphic display and market impact. There are many configuration options for the Digipak. From a single CD folder to compilation cd binder or boxed set, no other packaging offers such limitless options for your CD project.

Jewel Cases & Digipaks

A jewel CD case is a compact disc case that has been used since the compact disc was first released in 1982. It is a three-piece plastic case. The CD jewel case has a tight and firm grip of the CD because of the tray’s 'teeth,' or, 'lock.' Because of this, even if the CD jewel case is turned upside-down, left, or right, the CD is held in place but when pressure is applied to the CD jewel case, the case will break first before the CD. If the case is made of thin cardboard, there is a greater chance that the CD would break or get damaged because the weight is directed onto it. There are a number of shortcomings with the format of the jewel case. The structure has a weakness in that the case is hinged on two brittle plastic arms, which often break if the case receives shock or stress. The teeth of the hub holding the disc are also prone to failure by snapping.

Tenacious D Digipak

This digipak is for the 2006 Tenacious D album/Soundtrack to the film "Tenacious D and the pick of destiny".On the front cover there is an image that resembles Michelangelo's famous painting "creation of Adam" as seen in the sistine chapel, but this time the characters are the band members and they are in the clouds. This is the band connoting they are like gods of rock. Also this has an image of the devil's arm reaching for the pick (of which the title talks about). on some of the cases for this album they have "explicit content" stickers due to the nature of the music) this is typical of the band as they are well known for their rude but funny songs.

In this particular pack there is a pack of tarot cards, a replica pick and an outside cover.
on the back cover there are production details a barcode, the track titles/numbers and another explicit content badge on some versions of the CD.

Deaf Havana Digipak

This digipack has only four sides which include a front cover a tracklist, a CD as well as a credits panel with a lyric booklet behind it. Each panel looks slightly different however they all fit into the same theme of a young boy dressed as an older man.

As all of the panels link together and the dark almost dull colours used link to some of the videos for song in this album. Rather than this digipak following a motif it starts a new one as the digipack to the deluxe follows the same theme as this is, only changing slightly because of the additional and re-recorded songs. The colours and general theme of the digipak also link to the theme and narrative of the videos and lyrics present in this album as well as linking to the views of the members of the band.

First Edit Of My Digipak

The digipak design consists of 6 panels, 1 for the front cover, 1 for the back cover, 1 is an extra panel which usual consists of an image of the artist either performing or posing. The remain 3 panels are taken up by the background image but the CD will be place in the middle panel of the background image.

I used an image of My group member Connor as the front cover and a picture of ferns i took which we used in the music video as the extra panel. The audience likes to have an image of the artist in a digipak, the audience wants to see the artists.

The front cover is the bottom right panel, the back cover is the bottom middle panel and the extra panel is the bottom left. This is so that you can open the digipak up un the typical fold out design of a digipak rather than opening it like a book.