Step-by-Step Guide to How Digipaks Are Made: Custom or Pre-Packaged

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TL;DR: A Digipak CD uses folded cardstock and an internal plastic tray to create a lightweight, retail-ready alternative to a jewel case. Its production combines careful artwork setup with precise printing, cutting, folding, tray placement, and optional disc assembly.

• Four-panel digipaks provide a compact book-style layout, while six-panel versions add room for lyrics, credits, photos, or promotional content.
• Print files should follow the provided template, extend artwork into the bleed area, keep essential details within safety margins, and use high-resolution CMYK color.
• Manufacturing includes printing on thick cardstock, die-cutting the package, scoring fold lines, and attaching the plastic tray.
• Packaging-only orders arrive without discs, while pre-packaged orders may include disc printing, data duplication, insertion, barcodes, and shrink wrapping.

A digipak CD is a premium packaging option made from thick, folded cardstock with an internal plastic tray designed to secure the disc. This format replaces traditional plastic jewel cases by offering a lightweight, tactile alternative that functions much like a softcover book.  

Creating digipaks involves printing custom artwork onto heavy paperboard, die-cutting the unique outer shape, scoring the fold lines, and adhering the plastic disc tray to the interior panels. Creators and corporations choose this method when they want a retail-ready product that maximizes visual real estate while minimizing shipping weight. 

Let’s take a look at how digipaks are made. 

What are the primary formats available for digipaks? 

Most digipaks are manufactured in either four-panel or six-panel configurations depending on the layout requirements of your release. A four-panel layout mimics a classic book cover, providing four distinct surfaces for front, back, and interior graphic design elements. Selecting a six-panel option adds an extra fold-out section, which provides ample space for song lyrics, liner notes, copyright credits, or promotional imagery. Four panel digipaks are available as single disc or two disc configurations. Six panel digipaks can hold, one, two, or three discs depending on the configuration chosen. 

You can order these as empty custom packaging to house media you already own, or choose a complete CD digipak package where the printing and disc duplication occur alongside final structural assembly. 

How do you prepare artwork when learning how to make a digipak? 

When preparing files, you’ll be asked to use a specific layout template which are available from our templates section. This digital file establishes the exact boundaries for panel dimensions, spine thickness, and folding scores.  

When designing your layout, your background graphics must extend past the trim line into the designated bleed zone. That prevents raw white edges after mechanical cutting. Keep critical elements inside of the safety margins to prevent them from getting caught in a fold or sliced off during production.  

Submitting your final files in CMYK color mode with high resolution ensures crisp details and accurate color rendering on the physical cardboard. 

How are digipaks printed, cut, and assembled? 

Production starts by transferring your approved digital layout onto large, rigid sheets of thick cardstock using professional press equipment. Once the ink sets, a mechanical die cuts the individual packages out of the master sheet while simultaneously pressing dull creases into the paper to indicate where the folds will occur. These precision score lines ensure the panels align perfectly when the finished case is closed.  

Automated machinery then applies targeted adhesive to affix the clear plastic tray to the specified interior panel, finalizing the structural shape. 

What is the difference between custom packaging and pre-packaged digipak CD orders? 

Custom packaging orders are shipped flat or pre-folded without any physical media inside, leaving you to insert your own discs at a later date.  

Pre-packaged orders combine packaging fabrication with professional disc duplication and automated insertion. We print your face artwork directly onto the disc surface, burn your digital data into the media, and snaps each disc into its designated tray. This full-service approach can also include secondary retail finishing touches like barcode application and protective shrink wrapping, giving you a finished product ready for immediate distribution to fans or clients. 

Blank Media Printing delivers exceptional print clarity for both packaging-only and full-assembly disc projects. Get a quote for your media project today.