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All
Orders Must Begin With A Quote
All CDwest.ca orders must start as a quotation, because a
quote details the product and pricing in a way that virtually
eliminates any chance for confusion and misunderstanding later
on in the process. All in all it just makes everything a lot
easier!
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Order
Forms
If
you are not providing your own company purchase order (which
must include your signature) you must submit the appropriate
CDwest.ca Order Form for the product you want.
Make sure you already have your Quote Number before you start
the Order Form (if you don't have a Quote Number please
contact us and we'll provide you with one).
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How
Long Does An Order Take?
Here is the time-line you can expect for an order on a
"standard" turn-time:
1. Order Processing: Your order form details will be entered
into our system by our Order Processing personnel and you will receive an e-mailed
acknowledgement of this fact. This e-mail may include
questions we need to have clarified and could also give you notice of
any missing items or problems that prevent us from proceeding
with your order.
2. Payment Processing: Your order then goes to our Billing
Department to have your payment processed. You will receive an e-mailed acknowledgement of this
fact and be provided with an Order Confirmation that
summarizes your order details and confirms the costs. This
is a summary and not an invoice. If there is anything that
doesn't look right to you please contact us right away.
3. Pre-Press: After your payment is processed our Pre-Press
Department is notified that your artwork files are available to be reviewed. You can expect to have
electronic proofs (.PDF file format) e-mailed to you within
two business days. If there is a problem with your
artwork files that prevents us from generating your proofs you
will receive an e-mail from our Pre-Press Department with
an explanation and a request for your assistance.
So in review, and taking for granted that your order is
supplied with all required materials and there are no issues
that cause a "hold" to be placed on your order:
Allow one business day for Order Processing/Payment
Processing, and allow two additional business days for
generation of .PDF proofs.
After your proofs have been approved we are ready to begin the
actual production of your order. "Standard"
production turn-times for products up to 10,000 units are as
follows:
- Bulk discs: 5-7 business days after all approvals.
- Discs in standard sleeves: 7 business days after all
approvals.
- Discs in jewel cases with paper inserts: 10-12
business days after all approvals.
- Discs in printed sleeves: 15 business days after all
approvals.
- Discs in digipak: 15 business days after all
approvals.
Note: Turn-times are based on regular business days, and the
production time-line begins after we receive your written
proof approvals (a clearly worded approval via e-mail is
acceptable). Proof approval cut-off time is 10:00am Pacific
Time on any regular business day. Proof approvals received
after the 10:00am Pacific Time cut-off deadline are deemed to
have been received by the next regular business day. As stated
in our Terms Of Business, the
"standard" turn-times
are estimates and are not to be considered as a guarantee.
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Is
Your Order A Rush Or Deadline?
If you have a "Rush" or "Deadline" date
for your order we need to know about it before you
place your order so we can review our production schedule to
see if we can fit it in.
For us to determine if we can accommodate your request we need
two vital pieces of information from you:
1. What date will all production materials be in our hands
(before 12:00 noon Pacific Time)?
2. What date do you need to have the order in your hands?
If it is determined that we can accommodate a rush/deadline
request it is now the sole responsibility of the client to
supply all required production materials in proper working
order as per the specified date and time, and that proof
approvals will be made on-time as instructed by our Pre-Press
Department. Failure to do so will jeopardize your ready-by
date.
Important: On most "Rush" orders it is imperative
that the order has no delays or "holds".
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What
Is A "Hold"?
If we come upon a problem that prevents us from processing or
manufacturing your order we place a "hold" on the
order and notify you immediately. Due to the very custom
nature of CD manufacturing and the number of different
processes involved, a "hold" can be placed on an
order for a variety of reasons.
Here are a few examples of common "hold" issues:
1. Missing production materials.
2. Order Forms don't match the quote.
3. IPR Form is not supplied or is incomplete.
4. Artwork is not supplied to our specifications/requirements.
5. Client's master is corrupt.
6. Client has not responded to a request for
information/clarification.
Important: Be aware that a "hold" may delay the
estimated ready-by date for your order... even if your order
is on a "Rush" or "Deadline".
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Shipping
Unless otherwise expressly stated in writing, all quotations
and quoted prices are F.O.B. our site in Surrey, British
Columbia Canada. This means that shipping is not included in
the quoted price.
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Taxes
Unless otherwise expressly stated in writing, applicable tax
is extra and not included on quotations or quoted prices:
- Goods invoiced/shipped within British Columbia (Canada): PST
and GST are extra.
- Goods invoiced/shipped elsewhere in Canada: GST is extra
- Goods invoiced/shipped into the United States: Canadian tax
is not applicable to your order.
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Required
Production
Materials
1. CDwest.ca Order Forms.
2. Master disc and back-up copy.
3. Intellectual Property Release Form (and accompanying proof
of licensing if applicable).
4. Artwork files.
5. Payment.
As stated in our Terms Of Business,
"The Customer acknowledges that
their order cannot commence until all required production
materials are supplied to Precision Disc in proper working
order as per the requirements and specifications as published
by Precision Disc on CDwest.ca.
Furthermore, the Customer acknowledges that any delay in providing production
materials as per Precision Disc's requirements and
specifications will in turn delay the start date for the order and all ready-by dates agreed upon, whether written or oral, may be delayed."
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Order
Cut-Off Time
For an order on a standard
turn time the cut-off time to receive your production
materials is 12:00p.m. Pacific Time (that's noon) on any
regular business day. Orders received by that time will begin
order processing that same day. Orders received after the
cut-off time will be processed on the next business day.
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Are
Turn-Times Guaranteed?
As stated in our Terms
Of Business, "Every effort will be made to fill orders within the timeline quoted at the outset of the project, however, ready-by-dates
(whether written, oral, or implied) are not
guaranteed and are not contractual. The Customer acknowledges
that due to the inherent nature of manufacturing custom-made
products, unforeseen delays can occur and Precision Disc Manufacturing
Corp. (and CDwest.ca) assumes no responsibility for any damages or
consequences growing out of or owing to any delays."
CDwest.ca strongly recommends that product related releases, events,
travel plans or performances are not
booked/scheduled until the product is in the Customer's possession and meets with their approval.
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Supplying
Your Master Disc
For
CD orders please supply TWO copies of your Master on CDRs. All
client-supplied Master copies are considered to be received in
‘final form’ which means you have reviewed them thoroughly
and confirm they are formatted properly and ready to manufacture
exactly as supplied.
Remember, the discs we produce will be exact clones of the
Master copies you supply to us so make sure you review your
Master and copies in their entirety.
Important: Never send us your originals... just send us
copies. Ensure you keep your original production materials for
safety and back-up purposes. Also, do not supply other files
(such as artwork) on the same CDR as your music (unless you
actually want your CDs manufactured that way).
Standard format for CD Audio:
- File Format: WAV or AIF
- Bits per sample, per channel: 16
- Sample rate: 44.1Khz
- Channels: 2 (stereo)
- Maximum audio duration is 74 minutes.
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When you make your Master ensure it is formatted as an
audio/music disc, and not as a CDROM (which is data).
Important:
Additional
important master disc information.
If you're making your own Master test it on all sorts of
different play-back units, both old and new, just to make sure
your files are formatted properly for the widest possible
compatibility. This includes audio playback, CD Text,
multimedia, and anything else that is present on the Master.
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Return
Of Your Production Materials
It
is not standard policy to return your supplied production
materials with your order. If you require the return of these
materials you must indicate it at the time of order on your
Order Forms. In the event that you request the return of your
supplied production materials after your order has left our
facility, we will make them available for you to pick up at
your expense.
As standard policy we will archive client-supplied production
assets for a period of 12 months after the order has been
completed, however, we cannot guarantee the safe-keeping of
these materials and waive any responsibility for their damage
or loss. At the end of the 12 month archiving period CDwest.ca
may dispose of any unclaimed/remaining production assets or
materials.
Remember: Never
send us your original copies of your production materials -
only send us copies of the originals so you always have your
own back-ups.
Note: It is not standard policy to release replication
stampers or printing films. Should the Customer request that
these production related assets be released, CDwest.ca
reserves the right to refuse the return of the assets for
additional production work due to the potential of the assets
having been damaged while out of our care.
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Supplying
Your Artwork Files
Important: Artwork issues
are the #1 reason for order delays and the potential for extra
charges so please ensure your artwork files are supplied on
CDwest.ca design templates and they conform to our
specifications and requirements.
Client-supplied
artwork is considered to be received in ‘final form’ and
ready to manufacture as supplied, as per our specifications
are requirements.
- Artwork Specifications
- Design Templates
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Artwork
Upload
Artwork files that are not supplied to our specifications and
requirements will cause the order to be placed on
"hold" until the files are made press-ready. This
could cause a delay in the start of your and may also
jeopardize any "rush" or "deadline" dates
if applicable. Extra charges can be incurred if CDwest.ca is
asked to perform modifications to files in order to make them
press-ready, but any charges would have to be approved by you
in writing before any work takes place.
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Adding
A Barcode
A
barcode may not be the most exciting 'extra' we can offer, but
it might just be one of the most useful! If you want to
have your CD sold in a retail setting there's a very good
chance the store will require you to have a barcode for their
inventory and check-out systems.
Typical
barcode size: 1.5" wide x 0.5" tall
If
CDwest.ca provides you with a barcode the ownership of the
code is not transferred to you because the 'prefix' of the
barcode is a number that is registered to our company. To
register your own barcode will cost several hundred dollars,
so our free barcode works very well for many indie artists.
Keep
in mind that there may be some situations where you will need
to own your own barcode - for example, some major retailers
may require you to provide proof of barcode ownership. In a
situation like that you would need to have your own barcode.
Need
more info? In Canada you can contact www.gs1ca.org
for more information and to purchase your own barcode.
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Proofing
Options
CDwest.ca provides three standard proofing options for your
order:
Option "A" - Electronic (.PDF) Proofs:
- This is the 'default' proof option if no
proof option has been selected.
- This proofing option is included in your
quotation (no extra charge).
- Consists of one round of .PDF proofs sent
via e-mail.
- $25 charge per additional round of .PDF
proofs proofs.
- For confirmation of the physical layout
only. Not for colour reference.
- Written approval of proofs is required.
- Provides warranty for physical layout
only. There is no color warranty with PDF proofs.
Option "B" - Hard-Copy Printed Proofs:
- This proofing option must be specifically
selected.
- There is a charge for hard-copy proofs -
please contact your customer service
representative for
pricing.
- Hard-copy proofs for disc and
print/packaging designs are colour-calibrated
digital print-
outs (they are not Production Proofs ) for review
of design layout and colouration.
- Electronic (.PDF) proofs must be approved
in writing prior to generation of hard-copy
proofs.
- For confirmation of physical layout and
colour only.
- Up to 5% to 10% colour variation between
hard-copy and finished product may be
unavoidable due to tolerances inherent with offset printing
processes, and this
is considered to be industry
standard and acceptable.
Option "C" - Files Are Submitted as Pre-Approved, No Proofs Required:
- This proofing option must be specifically
selected.
- The Customer supplies pre-approved
artwork files therefore by-passing pre-flight and
proofs.
- No proofs supplied. No layout warranty.
No colour warranty.
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Hard-Copy Proofs
versus Production Proofs
Hard-Copy Proofs: As stated in our proofing options noted
above, "hard-copy proofs for disc and print/packaging designs are colour-calibrated
digital print-outs for review of design layout and colouration."
There is a fee involved for Hard-Copy Proofs, and electronic
proofs must be approved in writing prior to proceeding to the
hard-copy phase.
Production Proofs: If you require a physical mock-up up of (a)
your print/packaging design, or (b) a disc including print
and/or content, you must request a "Production Proof". There
is a fee involved for Production Proofs, and electronic design
proofs must be approved in writing prior to proceeding to the
"Production Proof" phase.
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Viewing
Your Proofs
Important:
Electronic/.PDF proofs are to be viewed using Adobe Acrobat
Reader with "overprint preview" turned on.
The purpose for the proofs is to give you one last chance to
review your designs for layout accuracy before they go to
press, so any problems that don't get corrected in the
proofing stage will show up in your final product.
Electronic
(.PDF) proofs are never to be used to
evaluate color accuracy whether viewed on a computer monitor
or if you print them. If colour is a concern please order
Hard-Copy Proofs.
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Proof
Approvals
It
is the sole responsibility of the client to review all details
of the supplied proof(s) which includes (but is not limited
to) layout/design, page sequencing, dimensions, spelling, and
punctuation.
By
providing an approval in writing the client indemnifies and
holds CDwest.ca free from responsibility and liability for any
errors or omissions in the proofs that are not found and
corrected by the client. Furthermore, the client acknowledges
that the reworking and/or reprinting of materials due to
client error is at the sole expense of the client. Such costs
will be formally quoted in writing and must be approved by the
client in writing before any additional work can take place.
In order
to proceed with production the client must submit written
approval of the proofs via fax or e-mail. A specific and
clearly worded approval is required. Verbal approval cannot be
accepted.
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Making
Changes To Your Artwork
Client-supplied
artwork/design files are considered to be received in ‘final
form’. This means they are ready to manufacture as supplied
with no need for modification. Revisions, modifications or the
re-supply of files *may* cause the following:
1. A
delay in the start of your order.
2. A delay in completing your order – even if there is a
"rush" or "deadline" date for your order.
3. Extra charges.
Important:
One round of pre-press (reviewing your supplied files) and
electronic (.PDF) proofs are included in your quoted price. To
request changes or to re-supply design/artwork files after
receiving your proofs means that a new round of pre-flight and
electronic proofs must take place. Due to the work involved a
$35 fee will be charged for *each* new round of pre-flight and
electronic proofs (except in instances where the required
change is due to our error in generating the proof).
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Colour
Matching
Electronic
(.PDF) proofs are never to be used to
evaluate color accuracy because computer monitors don’t
represent color values accurately. CDwest.ca does not provide
color warranty for electronic proofs.
If color
correctness is a concern you must request hard-copy printed
proofs for final approval, however, due to variations inherent
with printing processes, a colour variation of up to 5% to10%
between the printed hard-copy proofs and the final printed
product may be unavoidable, and this is considered to be
within industry standards and acceptable.
For Spot
Color Screenprinting: Client’s must specify Pantone Solid
Coated (“C”) color values. Colors will be mixed according
to the PMS color value formula and cross-referenced to the PMS
Solid Coated reference guide.
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Client
Supplied Colour Samples
Client-supplied
samples can not be used for colour reference on gang-run CMYK
printed materials such as paper inserts, custom printed disc
sleeves, custom printed disc jackets, Digipak and EcoCase.
This is because these products are gang-run printed on a
press-sheet with other orders. To try and influence the print
colouration for one order will affect all other jobs on the
press-sheet. For colour warranty you must request Hard-Copy
Printed Proofs.
For CMYK
Offset Disc Printing: A client-supplied sample print (on disc
or on paper) can be accepted for color reference, but an exact
CMYK color match can not be guaranteed.
For Spot
Color Disc Printing: A client-supplied sample print (on disc
or on paper) can be accepted for Spot Color disc printing but
an exact match can not be guaranteed. We will select the
closest standard Pantone Solid Coated (“C”) color
available.
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