What Is The Difference Between CD or DVD "Duplication" and "Replication"?

There are two ways to make copies of your CD or DVD masters: Duplication and Replication. While the result of these two methods is the same, (you end up with copies of your original master), the processes are completely different.

CD and DVD Replication (pressing) is a method used when you need to mass produce a CD or DVD, usually starting with 500 copies and up. The process is also called “Pressing”. This is achieved by creating a glass master copy of your disc which is then placed inside a metal stamper. The polycarbonate substrates (new plastic moulded discs) are pressed against the stamper making a copy of the original. This is the same process in which Hollywood DVD Movies and CDs by major recording artists are produced whereby the disc graphic is applied directly to the surface using a silkscreen or offset process.

While this method affords for great numbers of CD or DVD copies to be manufactured, it is not cost effective for short-run orders.

CD and DVD Duplication (burning) is what we all do on our computer towers with recordable blank media. This process involves recording tiny pits that are arranged to represent the binary code of the recorded material. A laser beam is used to read the binary code off of the reflective surface of the disc. The light beam is either reflected back from the flat surface or dispersed when the beam strikes a pit. This process utilizes multi-bay CD/DVD duplicators to create the copies and can be more cost effective for orders under 1,000 units.

With this process, the disc graphic is either printed using a CMYK Digital Colour Process utilizing peel-and-stick adhesive labels OR a direct-to-disc thermal colour process. There is also the option to thermal print via a black only monochromatic process (text and simple graphics only) onto the silver top of the disc.