Longtime users of our outstanding cassette duplication services have no doubt noticed that a “double hit” option appears when selecting pad print artwork. We often receive questions from clients asking what “double hit” pad print entails and when it’s appropriate for their artwork. Here’s a breakdown:

“Single hit” and “double hit” applies to how many times we machine-stamp the cassette with your artwork, “single hit” being the standard. So as you may have already surmised, applying a double hit stamp will give your ink colour more opaqueness and vibrancy. This is especially important when you’re stamping a light ink color on a dark color cassette shell, such as white ink on a black cassette. The more, the better.

There are a couple of caveats to this approach. First, since more ink is laid down, thin lines may appear thicker or narrow gaps between the artwork may be filled with spreading ink. If you have thin lines in your pad print artwork, you may want to forego a double hit. Secondly, there are a number of inks that aren’t particularly opaque to begin with, and a double hit won’t change the ink vibrancy against a dark cassette shell. These inks include Brilliant Blue, Magenta, Yellow Lemon Citron, and Violet. (Orange is also not very opaque when used with single hit, but actually benefits greatly with double hit.)

The solution here isn’t to just settle with single hit, but to request a white base layer instead. Let’s say you want magenta against a black cassette shell: we will first lay down your artwork using white ink, and then again using magenta ink. This allows the magenta to pop out and shine against the black cassette shell as if you were printing it on a white cassette shell. White base layers are available by special request, at $25 CAD plus $.18 per hit, allowing for much more vibrant pad print at a low individual cost increase.

When sending us artwork for print, it’s necessary to add bleed to your image. For those who are not familiar, bleed is the area that goes past the template or trim lines. Failure to include bleed in your artwork may result in the possibility of small, unprinted edges appearing if there is any shift or movement in the printing press during the printing process. Yup, this is true even with massive professional printers that are big enough to take up a whole room. The fix is to add a bit of artwork beyond the template or trim lines, that way if there is a slight movement it will be imperceptible in the final printed image.

Some templates may already have bleed or “cut” lines! If so, you can simply fill the image up to the bleed lines.

How much artwork bleed should I add?

All you need to do is add about 0.125″ or 3.5mm of bleed to your artwork. If your artwork background is white or transparent, you don’t need to worry about bleed.

What’s the difference between bleed and the type safety area?

While the bleed is to supposed to extend beyond the trim or template lines, a title safe area is a way of ensuring your text won’t be cut off when printing. What’s the fix? Don’t place text or logos right up to the edge of the image. Make sure text is a minimum of 0.125″ away from the template/trim lines.

Show me an example of bleed.

Okay, so let’s start with an example of the wrong way to submit artwork:

This J-card template has the image correctly placed in the title safe area, but you can see the green background doesn’t extend past the trim line. The J-card template includes an additional black box for bleed, but since the designer left it empty there’s a risk of white edges when printed and trimmed.

Here’s the correct way to submit artwork:

See how the artwork is extended ~3.3mm beyond the trim box? Now we know for certain that there won’t be white edges after trimming.

Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any questions regarding printing. We have tons of printed products for cassette, CD, vinyl, and more available in our online store. Don’t leave the printing to the amateurs— we know printing presses inside out, and how to make your album look their absolute best!

Light blue cassette restocked.

SKU TONRLIGHTBLUESW

Added RECYCLED white cassette labels. SKU CASS-LABELREC

This new label variant is made with recycled paper. It’s a bit less bright than the standard label stocks. Available in the online shop and with duplication orders.

Chrome tapes added to the online shop

C-20 Chrome in clear cassettes

https://www.duplication.ca/c-20-basf-pure-chrome-notch-tabs-in-with-grey-liners-loaded-with-high-chrome-notch-tape.html

C-85 Hi-Def Wasabi Bridge

https://www.duplication.ca/c-85-Fluorescent-Green-tabs-out-wasabi-bridge-loaded-with-chrome-tape-sku12798.html

C-100 Chrome

https://www.duplication.ca/c-100-Clear-with-black-liners-tabs-out-with-loaded-with-chrome-tape..html

See more in the Pre-loaded Type II blank tape category

Pre-Loaded Type 1 Normal Bias Blank Tapes

SKU12894 C-10 Magnolia SW (Tabs-OUT) loaded with HI-FI Tape
SKU12888 C-10 Transparent with Grey Liners (Tabs-IN) loaded with HI-FI Tape
SKU12904 C-11 Clear with Black Liners (Tabs-Out) loaded with Fox Tape
SKU12893 C-15 TINR Black (Tabs-OUT) loaded with Fox Tape
SKU12889 C-16 Red Tint with Screws (Tabs-OUT) loaded with HI-FI Tape
SKU12891 C-19 Smoke Tint Sonic (Tabs-OUT) loaded with HI-FI Tape
SKU12892 C-20 Blue Tint Sonic (Tabs-OUT) loaded with HI-FI Tape
SKU12902 C-22 Smoke Tint Sonic (Tabs-Out) loaded with HI-FI Tape
SKU12903 C-33 Clear with Black Liners (Tabs-Out) loaded with Fox Tape
SKU12896 C-38 Clear with Black liners (Tabs-Out) loaded with hi-fi Tape
SKU12897 C-41 White matte (Tabs-Out) loaded with hi-fi Tape
SKU12900 C-42 Red transparent screw GRUNGY (Tabs-Out) loaded with fox Tape
SKU12898 C-45 Clear with Grey Liner (Tabs-Out) loaded with hi-fi Tape
SKU12899 C-47 Red transparent screw GRUNGY (Tabs-Out) loaded with hi-fi Tape
SKU12890 C-50 TONR GOLD SW (Tabs-OUT) loaded with HI-FI Tape
SKU12901 C-73 Frost with Grey Liners and Screws (Tabs-Out) loaded with HI-FI Tape

See more in the Pre-loaded Type I tape category