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The CD Pressing Process
Posted by Matt (matt) on May 24 2008 at 9:02 AM
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The CD pressing process is very simple in principle, but complex in the detail. The first stage is to use the data on the CD-R audio master to control a laser beam recorder which copies the data to a photo-sensitive layer on an optically flat glass disc — this is the 'glass mastering' process. This special disc is then developed in much the same way as camera film to leave an etched surface carrying the microscopic pits of data. These glass discs are expensive to produce, the recorder is an expensive precision instrument, and the whole process has to be performed under scrupulously clean conditions, hence glass mastering is an expensive element of CD replication.
The etched glass master is not used to stamp discs itself, but is used to create a metal stamper through a process called electroforming. A layer of nickle is effectively grown onto the disc, transferring the etched pits on the glass into bumps in the metal disc to produce a 'father' disc. For very short CD pressing runs, this father can be used as the direct stamper, but it is more common to produce one or more 'mother' discs from the father, and then several 'sons' from each mother. The sons are used as stampers to produce the raw plastic CD discs. The stamped raw plastic CDs are first metalised to produce a reflective layer, and this is then protected with a lacquer. The lacquer layer is then printed over and the finished discs are loaded into jewel cases, wrapped and boxed.

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The CD Pressing Process

The CD pressing process is very simple in principle, but complex in the detail. The first stage is to use the data on the CD-R audio master to control a laser beam recorder which copies the data to a photo-sensitive layer on an optically flat glass disc — this is the \'glass mastering\' process. This special disc is then developed in much the same way as camera film to leave an etched surface carrying the microscopic pits of data. These glass discs are expensive to produce, the recorder is an expensive precision instrument, and the whole process has to be performed under scrupulously clean conditions, hence glass mastering is an expensive element of CD replication.
The etched glass master is not used to stamp discs itself, but is used to create a metal stamper through a process called electroforming. A layer of nickle is effectively grown onto the disc, transferring the etched pits on the glass into bumps in the metal disc to produce a \'father\' disc. For very short CD pressing runs, this father can be used as the direct stamper, but it is more common to produce one or more \'mother\' discs from the father, and then several \'sons\' from each mother. The sons are used as stampers to produce the raw plastic CD discs. The stamped raw plastic CDs are first metalised to produce a reflective layer, and this is then protected with a lacquer. The lacquer layer is then printed over and the finished discs are loaded into jewel cases, wrapped and boxed.