Optical disc packaging

It is a three-piece plastic case, measuring 142 by 125 by 10 millimetres (5.59 in × 4.92 in × 0.39 in), a volume of 177.5 cubic centimetres (10.83 cu in), which usually contains a compact disc along with the liner notes and a back card.

Two opposing transparent halves are hinged together to form the casing, the back half holding a media tray that grips the disc by its hole.

The ends usually have the name of the release and the artist, and often label or catalogue information printed on them, and are designed to be visible when the case is stored vertically, 'book-style', on shelves.

[1] Another publication[4] quotes Doodson describing that he "specified polished ribs as they pick up the light and shine" and states that the resulting appearance led to the name.

[9] Jewel cases for CDs released early in the format's life featured frosted top and bottom spines as opposed to the ridged ones more commonly used.

[10] "Super Jewel Box" is a more advanced design that offers amongst other improvements a greatly strengthened hinge area.

It is not uncommon to find CDs housed in custom cases, tins and boxes of varying shapes and sizes.

[12] Some DualDiscs are packaged in jewel cases of a somewhat different design from the CD version; the inside edge is rounded instead of flat, and the physical position of the disc is moved slightly toward the spine to make room for a latch mechanism.

[14] Slimline jewel cases first became popular for CD singles sold in Japan and Europe, and have become a common space-saving packaging for burned CDs.

They generally do not have room for a full package insert booklet, only a slip of paper for a track listing or cover art, showing only through the front of the case.

[15] In the U.S. and Canada, the jewel box of a music CD was originally packaged for retail sale in a large cardboard box called a longbox in order to fit in store fixtures designed for vinyl records, offer larger space for display of artwork and marketing blurbs, and deter shoplifting.

[19] A chiefly Japanese packaging addition is the inclusion of an obi strip, a J-card–esque paperboard slip wound around the left side of the case to show details such as the price, artist, etc.

[21] The envelope can also be made out of spun-bonded polyethylene (trade-named Tyvek) which is stronger and lighter than paper and is resistant to moisture.

[23] A digipak or digipack (generic term)[citation needed] is a rectangular cardboard package with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a disc attached to the inside.

[25] Similar in concept to Digipak, an FLPpak consists of a wrap-around outer shell made of cardboard, bonded to a plastic CD tray.

(These end-caps are extended far enough that, when laying on a flat surface, the plastic top and bottom edges will suspend the front or back above it.)

Second, by incorporating a latching closure into the right edge of the tray, avoiding the need for an extra component such as a slip cover to keep the package from coming open.

Packages of this type which were manufactured by Ivy Hill can also be identified by the FLP logo moulded into the bottom-left and top-right corners of the disc tray.

An artbook/earbook is a type of packaging that has a hard cover (like a hardbound book) and is typically (but not always) around 11 1/4" to 11 1/2" square and contains a several-page booklet inside.

While used in a somewhat limited capacity in the west, where the jewel case remains the most popular form of CD packaging, mini LP sleeves are common for reissues of older albums in Japan, with their typically high level of faithfulness to the original vinyl record packaging making them sought-after among collectors.

For these reasons, mini LP releases—particularly Japanese ones—enclose the CD in a protective sleeve made from matted plastic or rice paper.

Another disadvantage with mini LP sleeves is that, like digipaks, they are significantly more vulnerable to wear and other forms of damage compared to standard jewel cases and are more difficult to replace.

One advantage of mini LP sleeves is that album covers that were originally textured, such as Back in Black by AC/DC or Fear of Music by Talking Heads, can retain the texturing on the CD release, as well as being able to replicate other nuances of the vinyl packaging such as unusually shaped packaging or artwork intended to span the whole of a gatefold (e.g.

It was originally a brand that had its own logo and was used by bands such as Blur, but as years progressed, many other artists started to use their own version of the packaging.

It is taller and thicker than a Jewel case, and is made of much softer, less brittle plastic (polypropylene rather than polystyrene), so it does not break as easily.

The printed flap is made of thin paperboard which wraps around the left edge and across the back of the tray, to which it is glued.

They are sold by various companies as replacements for disc owners who are environmentally friendly and can be differentiated from other cases by their opaque appearance.

It is used in memorabilia sets such as collector's editions, and commonly printed with full-color artwork, varnished, and embossed to provide additional visual dimensionality.

Blank CD and DVD media are often sold in bulk packages called spindles or, less formally, cake boxes.

This type of packaging consists of a round, clear plastic cup that mates bayonet-style to a base with a central post that holds a stack of discs (both made from polypropylene); dummy discs made of clear polycarbonate with no recording surface are often packed on the ends of the stack to avoid scratches from contact with the hard plastic of the packages.