Vinyl Record Pressing
A gramophone record commonly known as a phonograph record is made from polyvinyl chloride granules. Today’s vinyl records are made from a more malleable material than previously. Visual Media Records presses vinyl records starting at 100 units in 7” and 12” formats. We also use dyed polyvinyl chloride for the manufacturing of records, so the record can have any colour to correspond to the logo of the band or company.
12” vinyl record pressing
12”
Recording time
| 33rpm |
| 39:00 min |
| 45rpm |
| 29:00 min |
The 12-inch format of a vinyl record is often referred to as LP (”Long Play”) because it can play much longer than a 7-inch record. At 33+1/3 revolutions per minute on one side, an audio path of about 19 minutes can be recorded, while at 45 revolutions per minute, the capacity of one side of a 12” record is about 14 minutes.
Longer recording times can be achieved, however, they impair the sound quality. To ensure optimum quality, we recommend pressing 12” vinyl records for a speed of 33+1/3 RPM with an available playing time of 19 minutes per side.
A vinyl record has a printed label with a diameter of 100 mm only with a small hole (7.3 mm). 12-inch vinyl records are available at a standard weight of about 135–140 grams or the so-called heavy weight, with a weight of about 160–180 grams.
7-inch vinyl record pressing
7”
Recording time
| 33rpm |
| 13:00 min |
| 45rpm |
| 9:00 min |
7-inch vinyl records, also referred to as “45s” because of their playback speed (45 RPM – revolutions per minute). Due to their smaller size, the records have a limited capacity, therefore they are commonly used for singles. A 7-inch record, at 45 revolutions per minute, can fit material of about 5 minutes long on one side, while at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute, the capacity of one record is about 6.5 minutes. Longer playback times can be achieved at the expense of weaker sound, however, to ensure optimum quality, we recommend pressing 7” vinyl records for a playback time of 45 RPM with an available recording time of 4.5 minutes per side.
A 7” vinyl record can have a printed label with a diameter of 92 mm with a small (7.3 mm) or big (38 mm) hole. 7-inch vinyl records are available at a standard weight of about 42 grams, or the so-called heavy weight of about 70 grams.
Coloured vinyl
records
Apart from standard black discs, Visual Media Records offers vinyl records in 8 basic colours.
We also accept orders for transparent records, “marble” (a combination of black and white) records and special colours, based on the Pantone template. In the case of special colours, we cannot guarantee that the colour will be identical, but it will be as similar to the selected colour as possible.
Despite its high design standard, a coloured record may have worse (muffled) acoustic properties compared to standard black records. This effect is particularly noticeable at the beginning or at the end of a record, as well as between individual tracks.
Picture Disc
Picture Disc is a vinyl record with labels on both sides made from plastic film (covering the whole surface of the record) and grooves pressed in the film. In the case of a one-sided record, grooves are cut on a label only on one side. This record type is available only in the 12” format.
Despite the high standard of acoustic properties of recordings, the Picture Disc label layer may increase noise and disturbances. This effect is particularly noticeable at the beginning or at the end of a record, as well as between individual tracks.
Direct Metal Mastering (DMM) is the name of a process used in the manufacturing of analog fine-grooved records. The DMM technique was developed as a better alternative to the traditional process of preparing matrices used for vinyl record pressing.
In the traditional vinyl record manufacturing process, during the first stage, a lacquer disc is cut which is used for making more metal copies. Subsequent generations are called the “father” (negative), the “mother” (positive), and at the end we have matrices (negative) used directly for record pressing.
In the Direct Metal Mastering technique, the whole process is shortened. A properly adjusted head cuts a groove in a copper disc. The copper disc plays the role of the mother and is used for making manufacturing matrices. Cutting in copper helps to reduce noise and improve the precision of transferring information at higher frequencies, and to reduce mutual reactions of neighbouring grooves.
Once a matrix is made, on the next stage a mixture is prepared. Matrices are placed in a press and the groove pattern is pressed in a heated mixture. Before a piece of material is entered and pressed with the matrix, a label with description is pressed into the centre of the record. Records pressed in this way are immediately cooled down and sent to the final manufacturing stage where excess material is trimmed. Records are cooled down with water. It creates the “plastic hardening” effect.
Test press
It involves making sample copies. They allow publishers to check the overall quality of the design, the material used in production and, above all, the sound. Once sample copies are approved, we can start making the main edition. However, if test pressing does not meet guidelines, together with the publisher we identify potential irregularities and help eliminate them.
Labels
Central labels in pressed vinyl records, commonly referred to as “labels”, are in fact stickers (they are glue-free). They are printed on a special raw material, dried, and once dry, pressed onto a record. Due to the drying process and the effect of high temperatures, we do not print labels on shiny materials. It is important to note that as a result of this process, the pressed colours tend to be brighter. We print labels from the CMYK palette in one or full colour. We recommend that labels include information about the publisher and property rights. A 12” vinyl record has a printed label with a diameter of 100 mm with only a small hole (7.3 mm). A 7” vinyl record can have a printed label with a diameter of 92 mm with a small (7.3 mm) or big (38 mm) hole.
Quality control
The course of all manufacturing processes at Visual Media Records is monitored and registered from the moment an order is accepted in the internal system until the vinyl records are manufactured and delivered to the client. Received audio data and their usefulness in vinyl record manufacturing are carefully reviewed, and the delivered graphic materials
The course of all manufacturing processes at Visual Media Records is monitored and registered from the moment an order is accepted in the internal system until the vinyl records are manufactured and delivered to the client. Received audio data and their usefulness in vinyl record manufacturing are carefully reviewed, and the delivered graphic materials