From 300 units or more, your master will be replicated rather than duplicated. DVD or CD replication is a quicker and more cost effective option for the larger quantities than CD or DVD duplication. On the other hand, from 1 to 300 units your DVDs or CDs will be duplicated rather than replicated. This is a quicker and more cost effective option for the smaller quantities. Those replication processes are usually simple, effective and painless when they are done by an experienced company.

Your data, whether software, music or marketing presentation, is transferred to a glass master which is used to create a metal stamper, the stamper is then mounted onto the disc moulding machines. The disc replication process works in two stages, first polycarbonate plastic pellets are injection moulded into the shape of your completed disc, and then molten aluminium is sputtered to the back surface of the disc creating the reflective layer that makes the disc work when read by the player's laser. Your information is stored on the disc as pits in the polycarbonate surface.

After the compact disc has been replicated properly, the CD/DVD replication company would then silk screen print/litho print directly onto the face of the disc. The printing can be done from one to six colours either using CMYK process or pantone. Either you supply your artwork or the graphics and design department of the company you have chosen will work with you to create your own design.

The next step would be the packaging of your CDs or DVDs. Not all the companies providing CD replication and DVD replication would be able to come up with a packaging solution for your discs. It can be sometimes very difficult to find one that does everything at a good cost and long hours of research are often necessary to find one.