In order for you to have an understanding of what is involved once you present your production materials to GMP, this section outlines the various stages involved in producing your discs

Glass Mastering
After the integrity of the input Media is verified the glass mastering process can commence. A glass disc coated with photo resist is exposed to a Laser Beam Recorder (LBR) which photo-chemically etches the digital information onto the glass disc. Every aspect of this process is monitored and analysed.

Galvanics
Once the glass master has been prepared, a layer of nickel is sputtered and then electroformed to the glass disc and the etched digital information is captured in the nickel stamper, an exact mirror image of the original glass master. The nickel stamper is then carefully separated from the glass master and prepared for use as a production template for replication.


Replication

Moulding
The prepared stamper is then placed into a mould on a plastic injection moulding machine which will proceed to create the discs. Polycarbonate is injection moulded at extremely high temperatures against the stamper and a clear disc is produced containing the digital information.

Metalising
The disc must then be coated with a layer of reflective aluminium in a process known as metalising. The aluminium layer allows the pitted digital information contained on the disc to be read in CD Players and Drives by creating reflectivity of the disc surface.

Spin Coating
A protective lacquer is then applied by centrifugal process and UV cured to prevent scratching or the formation of surface defects.

Screen Printing
Once spin coated, the disc is then screen printed in accordance with the client artwork. Each screen printed colour is rapidly cured by UV light so that the next colour can be printed without smudging or colour blending.
Artwork is supplied to GMP on colour separated positive film from which individual screens are prepared. The disc can be screen printed in up to 6 colours depending on the artwork requirements.