Digipak research

Definition of Digipak:
Digipaks are a type of CD packaging made out of card stock or other heavy paper/cardboard material. Digipaks can flip open like a book, or it can have three parts, so that one portion of the packaging opens to the right and one to the left, with the CD in the center portion. Usually, the portion of the digipak that hold the CD is made of plastic like a traditional jewel case CD - the plastic part is simply attached to the paper background.
There are several types of digipaks available, with a range of different number of panels in each. The usual type consists of 4 panels but this can quite easily become either 6 or even 8 panels per pack.

I have a couple examples of them at home, with a four panel and a 6 panel one. The 4 panel Coldplay - Viva la Vida digipak has several signifiers, the first and most obvious being the use of a foreign language in the title of their album. This signifies a cultural variety to the band, and the signified font gives the cover a messy yet artistic feel to it. The dark colours signify gloomy and difficult times, where as the splash of colour signified on the flag creates a juxtaposition of colours.

Another example i have is The Maccabees "Given To The Wild", which is a 6 panel case, larger than the previous digipak. The obvious signifier is the fire across the wild grass, this signifies a sense of wildness to the cover, thus tying in with the album's title of "Given To The Wild". There is also a mysterious object in the centre third of the cover, thus signifying an abstract side to the band, through the randomly placed, unknown object.

Originally a digipak is made of 300gsm card with either a glossy or matt finish. It can have a variety of colours, with different finishing effects such as spot varnish, lamination and embossing. Based on a standard four panel digipak, the dimensions are 139.5mm x 6mm x 125.5mm, and the number of panels within the pack can vary from 4, 6 or 8. This type of packaging is usually for mainstream or leading artists, however more recently it has been used for upcoming artists and alternative/indie styles of music. Which is why this sort of packaging is perfect for our band, as we are produce alternative/indie music. They are also priced at a reasonable rate and are an extremely versatile type of packaging and it can be made to accommodate a booklet of information if wanted by the artist.