Verbuse said:
why would yall duplicate cd-r? just get them manufactured
Because manufactured (or pressed) CDs need a "stamp" or plate made.... I believe they make them out of glass - this would be the "master" that all subsequent CDs are made. To make one cost's big $$$$$ after the initial cost it's reletively cheap.
Kinda like back in the 80's when you wanted to sell T-Shirts at your concert... the local silk screen experts would charge $40.00 for each "screen" (which usually meant each color used) so to figure out how much each shirt REALLY cost for the first run would be with a calculation like this:
((# of shirts X Cost per unit) + (#of shirts X (# of runs X Cost per run)) + (# of colors X Cost per master screen)) / 100
So if you wanted 100 shirts printed with a 3 color image. And each shirt cost $0.50ea and the print company charges $40.00 per screen + $0.60 per "run" then:
your equation would look something like this:
((100 X $0.50) + (100 X (3 X $0.60)) + (3 X $40.00)) /100
= ($50.00 + $180.00 + $120.00) / 100
= $350.00 / 100
= $3.50 per shirt
That gives you your cost per shirt for the first order... now for all subsequent orders you don't need to pay for "master screens" because you already own the ones you had made...
So a second order for 100 shirts would look like this:
((100 X $0.50) + (100 X (3 X $0.60))) / 100
= ($50.00 + $180.00) /100
= $230.00 / 100
= $2.30 / shirt
When having things manufactured you ALWAYS lose money on your first run (order) because there's the added cost of having the master plates made etc... I remember when we cut our first album (on vinal) the master plates cost us $700.00 (And that was considered cheap at the time) -- I have no idea how much a master plate would cost for a CD press, but it can't be cheap.
So for small runs, CDRs are the way to go... unless you are ordering like 500-1000... and have the money to spend.
- Tanlith -
hehehe