Art work and packaging

We've not had the luxury of time during this project. Sandra and I messed around with recording for a long time, but we needed the deadline of her going on a trip to really get our arses in gear. As a result we're working to the last minute, so for printing of CD's and artwork, we can't take advantage of the myriad of offers out there that will pakcage up your stuff. After spending a lot of google-time and even telephone time talking to companies about costs lead times etc. I realised that I was trying to rush job 500 CD's when there is no way Sandra was going to travel round Europe carrying 500 Cd's in cases with her. I decided 100 Cd's we're burnable by hand and then focused on the art work. 

As always the art work is by kenneth for www.keep-it-creative.com It's excellent being in the position to offer him "professional"  projects, cos normally I'm badgering him for last minute changes to open mike posters etc. 

The art work is based on Sandra's guitar. We had "creative differences" as to how it should look. Kenneth and I wanted simplicity, Sandra wanted complexity. After long video conferences on skype,  we eventually settled on this:

We had solved the issue of CD burning, but we still needed album covers/cases. For this we opted for bulk printer drukland.nl. They had a 3 day delivery and it all looked good. I didn't read the small print though and by 3 in drukland counting is 12 in normal counting. Great prices, great online service, great product variety. DO NOT use if you are in a hurry. In an attempt to run my music endeavours like a business I didn't lay down and take it and after 40 emails back and forward in a mixture of Dutch and English that contained such temporal gems as "Friday IS 3 working days after Monday. Sir!"  I have 10% off my next order. The drawback is that Sandra left Amsterdam with spindle of 100 CD's and the covers are in the post to Madrid where she'll pick them up.

Other than an afternoon loading a CD drive and an afternoon folding and pasting covers, 625 CD's cost:

625 blank CD's - EUR187.50(These are off the high street and could be much cheaper)

625 album covers - EUR178(www.drukland.nl)

Price per CD -  58 euro cents...

If we charge my recording, engineering and mixing time, the price obviously goes up and then you have Kenneth's graphic design time... but 58 cents is a lot less than it used to cost me to make copies of CD's with covers...