wewow.co.uk - Experts in CD/DVD Duplication, Replication and Eco-friendly Media Packaging

Product Spotlight- WowWallet with window (wedding)

This month our product spotlight is the WowWallet with Window (Wedding)

This is perfect for photographers wanting small quantites, and something that can be edited to suit each client.

The pack includes:

• Professionally printed disc, with your branding/contact details on.
• Wowwallet with window which is made out of white recycled board.
• A pack of blank pre die cut booklet sheets which YOU print as and when you need them, on your own printer so you can make each one individual to suit your clients needs.


Want more information?

Visit our website or call us on 01274 301410

 

Introducing the Seedcard

We are pleased to announce a new product called SeedCard!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The SeedCard is a bespoke business card printed on 100% recycled board and filled with rocket (lettuce) seeds,  (other varieties to become available), developed to make you memorable with your clients and prospects, 

Just think, every time your prospect tends the seeds they could think of you! Your SeedCard Business card could leave a very long-lasting impression.

 Hope we have sown a seed of interest; please ring our sales team for more information on
01274 301410

Using QR codes to add value to a music CD release

Add interactive, bonus content to your CD or poster by using QR codes.  This post is part of a series by wewow, helping you to optimise your CD or poster artwork using interactive QR codes.

Maximise your CD artwork and packaging

If you’ve decided to avoid printing hundreds of CD booklets to accompany your CD packaging, perhaps because of budget or environmental concerns, you may find yourself struggle to fit all the information you want onto your CD and packaging.

This is where QR codes come into play; include a QR code on your CD artwork and your fans will be able to quickly scan the barcode and get access to bonus information about the CD and the band.  This might be lyrics for the CD tracks, tour dates or even a pre-composed tweet so that your fans start to spread the word!

Make the most of your gigs

Live music is an important opportunity for you to create new fans and get them hooked on your music.  There are a number of ways that you can use QR codes to encourage your fans to interact with your band at gigs.  By printing your QR code on large posters displayed around the venue you could;

• Link a QR code to song lyrics so that your new fans can sing along.
• Allow fans to buy your latest CD or download on the spot.
• Get fans to tweet about how good the gig was!

These are just a few suggestions as to how QR codes can be used to create new fans, get your music heard and add value to your CD releases and gigs.  All you really need is a bit of creativity and the possibilities for using QR codes will be endless!

If you need a helping hand adding QR codes to your CD artwork, CD packaging or posters contact wewow and we will be happy to help with QR code generation and artwork placement.

What is a QR code?

QR codes are a fantastic way for your band to add interactivity to your EPs, albums and even to your gigs!  This is the first in a series of blogs by wewow, aiming to help you use QR codes to add value to your CD releases.

What is a QR Code?

A QR code is a matrix barcode which can be read by camera phones; some phones now come with a QR barcode reader whilst others allow you to download a special app for the job.

A QR code can contain all manner of data including;

Link to a website

Bookmark a website

Make a phone call

Send an SMS/Email

Google or Bing Map

Youtube Video

Tweet on twitter

The possibilities for using QR codes to allow your fans to interact with your CD or poster, by linking a code up to bonus content and printing it on your artwork, are endless.

QR codes are not a new phenomenon (they were invented in 1994 by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave), but the possibilities are yet to be fully explored by bands and musicians.  That’s why we are offering free QR code generation and artwork placement this month – just contact us to find out more! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code for more info.

Approving artwork for CD, DVD & packaging print

Approving artwork for CD/DVD printing, paper parts and packaging is vital to ensure that the finished product is of a professional standard.  wewow provide digital PDF proofs as standard and can also supply cromalin/wet proofs upon request.  Digital and/or wet proofs should be checked thoroughly by clients before approval is given so we have compiled a short checklist to guide you through the process. 

You should be confident that;

Text

1. The correct fonts are displayed on proofs.
2. Text is properly aligned.
3. There are no spelling/grammatical errors.

Colour
Please be aware that PDF proofs are not an accurate reflection of colour as digital proofs are displayed in RGB colour on a computer monitor.  Please request cromalin/wet proofs if you concerned about colour output (this may be chargeable).

1. Spot pantone colours are stated correctly.
2. For CD/DVD print a white or silver based should be specified on the proof.
   A silver base will generally be indicated by a 2^nd page on the PDF.
3. Matt or gloss finishes should be specified on proofs, where applicable.
4. PDF proofs should be checked with overprint preview switched on.

Layout

1. All images & text are displayed and placed correctly.
2. Artwork is aligned to tick marks.
3. Text and logos are a minimum of 3mm away from the trim line.
4. Page numbers are correct & you are confident that pages are laid out in the correct order – particularly if the artwork is set up in printer’s pairs.

wewow’s expert reprographics team are on hand to offer artwork guidance so please feel free to contact us should you have any questions or concerns.

Designing Artwork for CD & DVD Projects – Outlining Fonts

Our design team often get asked how to outline or embed fonts on artwork for CD and DVD printing and why this step in the artwork preparation is necessary.  Here is a quick step by step guide to make your life that bit easier:

Guide for Adobe Illustrator:

1. Open up your artwork in Adobe Illustrator and select all (Ctrl+A).
2. Select Type from the menu bar and Create Outlines (Shift+Ctrl+O)

Guide for Adobe Photoshop:

1. Open up your artwork in Adobe Photoshop and make sure your template layer is hidden.
2. Select Layer from the menu bar and Convert to Shape

Alternatively, you can save your artwork as a .jpeg file.

I sent a PDF document so why do the fonts need to be embedded?

Our pre-production process means that all artwork is opened up in Adobe Illustrator and set up for print or for the production of screens.  If fonts have not be outlined or embedded and we do not have the font you have used then the text will revert to our default font.  By outlining/embedding the fonts or supplying a flattened image, your original design will be preserved and the artwork will be printed exactly how you intended.

And the winner is...

Way back in September 2009, wewow launched a competition like no other.  We asked students, graduates and budding product designers to come up with innovative and sustainable packaging solutions CD’s, DVD’s or USB flash drives.

 

We received entries from far and wide and some of them really blew us away!  We are now pleased to announce that the winner is Sun Park, a post-graduate student from Central St Martins College, London.  Sun Park successfully combined design flair with sustainability to produce an innovative packaging solution. 

 

Entries came from far and wide and the short-listed design of Florin Alexa-Morcov from Romania was a particular favourite amongst the judges.  His design, ‘DisPlay,’ transformed CD storage into a unique interior design feature whilst utilizing sustainable paperboard and water-based glues. 

 

 

Commendations also go to; Andrew Rennie, who produced a distinctive packaging solution for CDs, providing an eye-catching alternative to jewel case packaging, Sarah Young, the designer of a unique USB packaging solution, ideal for promotional give-aways and Thomas Horwood-Luscombe for his unique DVD mailer design.

 

wewow announces packaging competition finalists!

In September we launched a worldwide search for students, graduates and budding product designers with innovative and sustainable packaging solutions for the optical media industry!

 

Having been inundated with entries, we were astounded by the high standard and creativeness of the designs.  We are now pleased to announce the short-listed entrants who have made it through to the final stages of the competition.

2009 Finalists
Thomas Horwood-Luscombe with 'Spilt Seed'
Florin Gheorghe Alexa-Morcov with 'DisPlay'
Sarah Young with 'we|box'
Sun Young Park with 'Logo Lock'
Andrew Rennie with 'SlidePak'

© wewow Ltd. 2009

 

We wish all of our finalists the best of luck and we look forward to crowning the winner on 29^th January 2010.

Go for Green with Wewow's Eco-friendly Printing

When producing an eco-friendly CD or DVD project, it is important to assess every aspect of the production process.  The good news is that wewow have done the hard work for you by designing packaging solutions so that every aspect of the package is as green as possible.

 

The printing of a CD or DVD packaging solution is sometimes overlooked as the emphasis is often on material and design.  However, wewow are committed to using vegetable based inks to produce all of their packaging products.  Not only do these inks draw upon natural and sustainable sources – vegetables – they massively reduce the amount of harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds), in comparison with petroleum based inks.

 

This autumn wewow have also introduced alcohol-free printing and their unique packaging solutions will now be printed on a completely alcohol free printer or on a printer which uses less than 5% (the average on most presses is 25%).  As with vegetable based inks, alcohol-free printing reduces the VOCs released into the atmosphere and it actually produces higher quality results, so you will find that the finished print has brighter and cleaner colours.

 

For more information, please contact us today on 01274 301410 or email us at info@wewow.co.uk

9.9.9…Eco-packaging emergency

Do you have an eco-packaging emergency? Don’t despair weEco.co.uk is here!

  

 

 

 

With the demand for environmentally-friendly media packaging solutions mounting, wewow Ltd. are launching a dedicated eco-division to major in the development of eco-friendly media packaging! On 9/9/9 wewow will launch weEco.co.uk.

  

 

 

As wewow’s packaging range continues to wow their clients, weEco will become the home of the best eco-packaging in the industry. With a portfolio which includes the hugely successful WowWallet and WowPak, weEco will be an unmissable showcase of wewow’s and weEco’s growing packaging range.

  

In addition to an impressive range of printable, eco-friendly media packaging solutions and ‘off-the-shelf’ products, weEco will offer a unique product design service.  Clients who are looking for a bespoke eco-packaging solution can commission weEco to design a new product, which will specifically address their environmental, commercial and design requirements.