Placing your order
You can place your order using this website:
- select options from drop-down menus above,
- add a package to the cart and proceed to checkout,
- fill in your billing and shipping details and pay with PayPal.
If a package is not sufficient, you can always contact us for a custom quote.
Along with the order submitted through the cart, we will need the following to start your order processing:
- audio master uploaded to 8merch.wetransfer.com (if it is submitted in a digital format) or sent to our office (if submitted in a physical format),
- artwork files uploaded to 8merch.wetransfer.com
- completed Tracklist Form
- completed Copyright Declaration Form
Design templates
Here are the templates files for this package. Please prepare the artwork files according to them:
- Labels [ pdf | indd ]
- Inner Sleeve [ pdf | indd ]
- Outer Gatefold Sleeve (both sleeves open) [ pdf | indd ]
Processing your order
Once your order is submitted, we check audio and artwork files you have provided us with. You receive digital proofs for all printed parts and after you have approved them, we will start the pressing and printing process.
Obviously, if there are any errors in the supplied files, we will notify you about that and instruct you what shall be corrected. Please check Artwork Preparation Guideline below to learn more about how to correctly prepare the files as well as read through the most common mistakes.
Normally an LP order is fulfilled within 14-18 weeks (plus 2-3 weeks for test presses), counting from the day of all files approval and received payment. Please note that these are only estimates and the final turnaround time will depend on the quantity ordered and specification of the packaging. Additionally, these lead times may vary significantly, depending on the current workload and market situation and can both be shorter or longer. You can always drop us a line to check what is the current lead time.
After your order is fulfilled, we carefully pack it and ship to a desired destination. We ship worldwide via both standard and express delivery services and we can also drop ship to multiple location directly from our warehouse.
Last, but not least, at the end of the process, you will also receive a nice bonus from us – a set of professionally taken photos of your product, which you can use for commercial and marketing purposes.
Submitting audio master
- Master can be submitted as a production-ready copy on CDR or DVDR. While submitting a physical master, please label it clearly “MASTER” on the disc surface, accompanied by artist name and release title.
- Master can be submitted as a zipped package with WAV files – each track clearly numbered and titled. Such a package must be delivered with md5 checksum.
- You are strongly advised to keep a backup copy of the master.
- Master submitted to 8Merch must be prepared as a final release – we will replicate it to the total number of ordered copies.
- Please note that we offer professional mastering services, in case you are in need of them. Please contact us for detailed pricing.
Audio specification
The following maximum playing times are recommended for a 12″ Vinyl Record:
- Up to 14 minutes at 45 rpm and up to 24 minutes at 33 rpm;
- for DJ applications up to 9 minutes at 45 rpm and up to 15 minutes at 33 rpm.
These specifications are only general guidelines! Longer playing times require a reduction of the cutting level, and may necessitate alteration of the characteristics of the audio material.
Artwork specification
Here is the essential checklist before sending files to print:
- Colours are CMYK or greyscale
- All images and bitmaps are at least 300 dpi
- Text is not smaller then 5 pt
- All fonts are converted into shapes or front files are supplied with artwork files
- All small letters in black are in K colour only (0C 0M 0Y 100K)
- There are no printing marks or templates lines on top of the artwork
- Booklet pages order is clearly marked in file names or there is preview included
- Bleed and safety margin are correctly preserved
- Barcode is in vectors and K colour only (0C 0M 0Y 100K)
- Text are read twice. After digital proofs approval artwork changes are charged with additional fee
CMYK colour scheme
CMYK is the colour scheme we use for printing your artwork. Everything we print is converted into four basic colours (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK/Key). It’s highly important to provide artwork already prepared in this scheme since converting may cause unexpected changes in colours.
CMYK are four colours. That’s why we use 4/0 term. Basically it means that the print is made on the front side of the board. Standard greyscale is 1/0 print since we use only one, black ink. There is also 4/1 or 4/4 print used when print on both sides of cardboard is needed.
Please note that recommended ink coverage for coated paper is 350%.
For uncoated papers we recommend 250%.
Artwork with different settings might significantly differ from on-screen preview.
Bleed area
Bleed is an area with extended background artwork beyond the cutting line. It’s the area trimmed off after print during the assembling process. Most of cutters have tolerance of 1-3 mm and even slight move of the paper or cutter is possible.
It’s important to extend background and images to cover additional area of 3mm outside the cutting line so the cutter shifts are not noticeable on the final product.
Safety margin
Safety margin works like bleed but it covers area inside cutting lines. All important elements like barcode, text layers, pictures have to be kept 3mm from the crop line in case of slight moves of paper or the cutter.
IMPORTANT! For artwork based on frames safety margin is bigger and it’s 5mm.
Vector artwork
In opposite to bitmaps vectors are scalable without the quality loss. In packaging design it’s recommended to convert all text layers and barcodes into vectors to achieve the best outcome quality. Otherwise small letters or barcode stripes might be illegible.
