Software Packaging Options

Software Packaging Options

Initial impressions matter. Whether it's packaged software on a store shelf, or a box shot on a website, products that look professional and instill confidence in the consumer will sell better. In fact, studies show that simply adding an image of a box shot to an order screen can increase sales! Images help sell software.

All software packaging is not created equal. How should developers make their packaging stand out and create a professional image without incurring an exorbitant expense? MicroISVs have adopted a variety of solutions to satisfy their packaging needs. As an alternative to having your software discs commercially duplicated and your packaging commercially produced, we have described a handful of other packaging solutions that small software companies may want to consider...

CD/DVD Images

Regardless of how you brand your software CD or DVD discs, the end result will look better if you use a colored background for the disc face, and bleed the edges.

1. Disc Labels
Press-on disc labels are difficult to align and center on the disc, and are somewhat less professional-looking than labels printed directly to the disc surface. That said, press-on disc labels with a company name, logo, and software title is still far better than a silver faced blank disc.

CD/DVD Label Software and Labels

2. Silkscreening
Blank discs with silkscreened labels are normally produced in bulk, and 1000 is often the minimum quantity. The quantity restrictions can create issues and unwanted expenses for a small-volume software company. For ambitious developers who decide to go this route, it is a good idea to keep the label rather generic (i.e. don't include a version number on the disc face), as updates and version changes can become expensive when discs printed with older version numbers become obsolete.

3. Thermal Labeling
Thermal label printers are disc surface printers that use a combination of heat and pressure color to adhere the label image to the disc surface. In some cases, the colors used for thermal labeling are limited. Thermal printers are fairly expensive, but once you have the equipment you can produce high-quality CDs and DVDs on demand.

4. Inkjet Printing
Inkjet printers that are capable of printing directly to the disc face are another alternative. Inkjet printers have full-color capacity. However, be aware that discs printed with an inkjet printer will often "run" and smear if the surface becomes damp or wet. This is, however, a very economical solution for on-demand and small quantity production, as blank discs with printable surfaces are not much more expensive than standard blank discs.

Packaging The Discs

1. Paper Sleeve
Paper disc sleeves come in a variety of colors and styles. They are typically square envelopes with a flap and a clear plastic window, which makes the disc partially visible.

Sleevetown
Meritline