CD, DVD, Blu-ray and USB Duplication, Replication & Printing Services

Industry Glossary

Please select a letter

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
View All

B

BD-ROM (Read Only Memory): A replicated—or manufactured—Blu-ray disc.

BD-R (Recordable): Blu-ray recordable disc which can be written to once.

BD-RE (Re-writeable): Rewritable Blu-ray recordable disc that can be used by adding and/or removing content as needed.

Blu-ray: An optical storage medium that can store up to 50 gigabytes of data. It is commonly used for extensive data storage or high-definition (1080p) video. Blu-ray refers to the blue laser in the drive used to read the disc.

Blu-ray Duplication: The process of transferring original data from a variety of sources onto a Blu-ray Recordable disc (BD-R) to form the microscopic optical marks that contain the digital information.

Blu-ray Manufacturing: Process of copying original data from a master source to a disc by means of "stamping" or "pressing" the digital information, in the form of optical marks called lands and pits, into the raw polycarbonate disc material. The polycarbonate is then metalized to make it reflective producing a BD-ROM. Data is static information.

Blu-ray Replication: Process of copying original data from a master source to a disc by means of "stamping" or "pressing" the digital information, in the form of optical marks called lands and pits, into the raw polycarbonate disc material. The polycarbonate is then metalized to make it reflective producing a BD-ROM. Data is static information. See "Blu-ray Manufacturing".

C

CD (Compact Disc): Flat, round, optical medium that can store up to 700 megabytes of digital data or 80 minutes of audio. Data is read from a CD using a laser.

CD Duplication: The process of transferring original data from a variety of sources onto a CD Recordable disc to form the microscopic optical marks that contain the digital information. Data can be static or dynamic and unique for each disc copied.

CD Manufacturing: Process of copying original data from a master source to a disc by means of "stamping" or "pressing" the digital information, in the form of optical marks called lands and pits, into the raw polycarbonate disc material. The polycarbonate is then metalized to make it reflective producing a CD-ROM. Data is static information.

CD Replication: Process of copying original data from a master source to a disc by means of "stamping" or "pressing" the digital information, in the form of optical marks called lands and pits, into the raw polycarbonate disc material. The polycarbonate is then metalized to make it reflective producing a CD-ROM. Data is static information.

CD-R (Recordable): Compact disc that is manufactured with a dye layer that is later "burned" by special laser recording devices in order to store digital data.

CD-R/DVD-R Duplication System: Recording technology designed to copy large quantities of recordable discs without the manipulation of dynamic information.

CD-R/DVD-R Publishing System: Software-driven recording technology that allows data to be transferred to a recordable disc in customized forms from a variety of computer generated, digital sources with the option of customized graphic color printing.

CD-ROM (Read Only Memory): Compact disc that is formed using injection molding during the manufacturing process with digital data that cannot be changed on the disc after production.

D

Digital Printing (disc printing): Economical printing process used to apply ultraviolet curable inks to the lacquer surface of a disc. Digital printing applies cyan, magenta, yellow, black and white during the print process.

DPI (Dots Per Inch): A measurement system for determining the resolution of an image. This number refers to the number of physical dots of ink (or, in the case of a computer screen, pixels) that are in one inch of space.

Duotone: Two overlapping halftone screens of different colors that are printed on top of each other. The result is a monochromatic image.

Duplication: The process of transferring original data from a variety of sources onto a Recordable disc to form the microscopic optical marks that contain the digital information. Data can be static or dynamic and unique for each disc copied. Final product is a CD-R or DVD-R.

DVD (Digital Versatile Disc): Optical media disc with a storage capacity of up to 17 gigabytes, depending on the disc's physical characteristics.

DVD Duplication: The process of transferring original data from a variety of sources onto a DVD Recordable disc to form the microscopic optical marks that contain the digital information. Data can be static or dynamic and unique for each disc copied.

DVD Manufacturing: Process of copying original data from a master source to a disc by means of "stamping" or "pressing" the digital information, in the form of optical marks called lands and pits, into the raw polycarbonate disc material. The polycarbonate is then metalized to make it reflective producing a DVD-ROM. Data is static information.

DVD Replication: Process of copying original data from a master source to a disc by means of "stamping" or "pressing" the digital information, in the form of optical marks called lands and pits, into the raw polycarbonate disc material. The polycarbonate is then metalized to make it reflective producing a DVD-ROM. Data is static information.

DVD-R: Recordable format of DVD that uses dye technology like the CD-R, but can hold more information than a CD-R and requires higher precision "burning" technology for recording. This media is supplementing and replacing DVD-ROM publications.

DVD-ROM: DVD that is manufactured similarly to a CD-ROM, yet can store more information. The ROM is currently the most commonly used form of DVD for distribution of multimedia publications.

Dynamic Information: Digital or graphic data on a disc that can be changed or manipulated for each disc produced.

G

Gamut: The range of colors that can be produced by combining a set of basic colors. Computer screens use the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) gamut. Combining all three colors at 100% produces White. Print work uses the CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK) gamut. Combining CMY at 100% yields black. A pure black is used for solid black areas because the results are superior to the "combined" black. The RGB and CMYK gamuts overlap, but not completely. Thus, an image designed in the RGB gamut may not be exactly reproducible using the CMYK process, and vice-versa.

H

Halftone: Continuous tone image that is reproduced by using variable-sized dots within a set grid.

M

Mirror Band: The highly reflective area of CD Media that is just beyond the stacking ring before the information area of the disc. The mirror band can fluctuate in size and often contains manufacturing information, such as the name of the company that produced the disc.

Moire: A pattern effect that occurs as a result of halftone dots on different screens interacting with one another. This effect, when desirable, is called a rosette.

O

Optical Media: Any form of data storage that is manufactured with polycarbonate material and uses a laser to read the stored digital information.

P

Pantone®: A company that produces color-matching technology. The Pantone® Matching System contains 3,000 colors that are specifically blended for an exact match each time they are printed.

Partially Metalized Disc: During the manufacturing process, a mask is applied to the equipment to prevent the adherence of metal to the edge of the disc. The result is a unique looking disc with a silver center and a clear polycarbonate outer ring.

Perfect Print™: Combines screen printing and thermal printing. First, an index mark is added to the artwork and screen printed onto a disc. Customized text, such as an individual name or serial number, can then be thermal printed in alignment with the artwork of the pre-screen printed disc. A sensor in the thermal printing process detects the index mark to ensure perfect alignment of the customized text to the artwork.

Pit Art: Pits and lands in the non-data area of a disc are used as pixels to represent a graphic. The result is a picture that appears on the outer edge of the disc.

Pixel (Picture Element): The smallest unit of data in raster artwork. A pixel is made up of color and placement information. Pixels grouped together form an image. Pixels are sometimes referred to as "dots."

Process Color: The combination of different concentrations of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black ink to produce an image.

Programmable CD-ROM: Compact disc that combines the mass production characteristics of a stamped CD-ROM with the customized, recordable capability of a CD-R.

R

Raster Artwork: Artwork that is defined by using an array of pixels that are arranged in a rectangular grid. Programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, generate raster artwork.

Replication: Process of copying original data from a master source to a disc by means of "stamping" or "pressing" the digital information, in the form of optical marks called lands and pits, into the raw polycarbonate disc material. The polycarbonate is then metallized to make it reflective. Data is static information. Final Product is a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.

Rosette: Desirable dot pattern that occurs when halftone dots are placed at traditional angles.

S

Screen Printing: Process that uses ultraviolet curable inks to apply text and graphics in a variety of colors and patterns to the lacquer surface of a disc. Graphic designs are static for a large number of copies. Screen printed discs can be used in conjunction with thermal printing (see Perfect Print).

Stacking Ring: The ring-shaped polycarbonate ridge found in the clear polycarbonate area on the underside (side from which data is read) of optical media. On the label side, the formation of this ridge often leaves a small valley. Screen printing cannot be done over this valley. Some media is manufactured without the valley and allows more printing flexibility.

Static Information: Digital or graphic data on a disc that remains constant for each disc produced.

T

Thermal Printing:Process of using a wax-based ribbon to apply text or graphics to the lacquer surface of a disc by means of heat and pressure. Thermal printing will not smear and is water-resistant. Dynamic or static information can be printed at the time of publication over previously screen printed graphics.

U

USB Drive (Universal Serial Bus): Also termed "flash drives", USB drives are removable storage drives that interface with computers through the host's USB port. Drive capacities can range from 128MB to multiple gigabytes.

V

Vector Artwork: Artwork that uses a mathematical language to describe color, shape, and placement information of the individual components of an image. EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) is an example of a vector-based output format.

W

Web Key: USB compatible device that automatically launches a predetermined website when connected to a computer. Web keys can only be written to/programmed once and are not rewritable like standard flash or USB drives.