subject: Cd Jewel Cases: An Overview [print this page] The plastic cases in which we see the CD is packaged are known as CD jewel cases. These cases essentially comprise of three parts and are made up of polystyrene. This material is molded by means of an injection and is given a clear plastic form which is available in different colors.
Among the three parts of the CD jewel cases, the first one is the front cover which when you open has pivots towards the left side and is enabled to hold the art in the front cover. Other things like booklets for pictures or for in case of any music album you can put even lyrics sheet inside this cover. These things are kept in place by the help of four tabs or protrusions which are present inside the front cover.
The back cover which is generally of the same color as the first part makes the second part. The CD tray is held up there. The interior of this cover is used for holding the track listing and any other art work which is inserted between the middle media tray and the back cover.
The media or CD tray is the third and final part which is linked with the back cover and is responsible of holding the disc right in place. It has a circular core tooth which further keeps the CD in place by clasping the CD hole. Besides, these further prevent the optical surface of the CD from getting scratches or getting damages which might result in the CD becoming unusable. Previously this tray was made up of polystyrene material but now it is being replaced by a delicate polystyrene material which is transparent. This enables you to see the other side of the print cover which is placed inside the second part, if the CD is removed.
One variation of CD jewel case is the slimline type, usually used for solo CDs. The slimline jewel cases are similar to normal CD jewel cases, but much thinner, and the front cover of the crystal case holds the album artwork with a lip on the right side instead of the usual four small tabs that hold the album artwork in a standard size CD case, which means the artwork can really only be one folded sheet at most or it would not fit.
But CD jewel cases also come with certain disadvantages like they can easily crack with a slight pressure especially in the case when there is no support underneath the front cover. As the cases are pivoted on the two plastic holds which are quite delicate this is a weakness of the design that makes it prone to breakage when it is under stress. Even the CD or DVD core teeth are prone to breakage. Another major issue is the grip which is used to hold the print out which carries the CD information. Most of the times this paper holds the paper so tightly that if you try to remove it may get torn or get snagged.
But, as it is one of the most inexpensive options for the purpose of packaging of CDs the album makers are attracted towards it. Although the price tends to increase with additional features like colored plastic, clear tray or slimline case although in comparison to that the cost of production increases slightly.
