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A jewel case is the original
compact disc case that has been used since the compact disc was first
released in 1982. It is a three-piece
plastic case,
measuring 142 mm × 125 mm × 10 mm, which usually contains a compact disc along
with the
liner notes and a back card. Two opposing
transparent halves are hinged together to form the casing, the back half
holding a media tray that grips the disc by its hole. All three parts are made
of injection-molded
polystyrene. The front lid contains two, four, or six opposing tabs to
keep any liner notes in place. The liner notes typically will be a 120 mm ×
120 mm booklet, or a single 242 mm × 120 mm leaf folded in half. In addition,
there is usually a back card, 150 mm × 118 mm, underneath the media tray and
visible through the clear back, often listing the track names,
studio,
copyright
data and other information. The back card is folded into a flattened "U" shape,
with the sides being visible along the ends (often referred to as the spine) of
the case. The ends usually have the name of the release and the artist, and
often label or catalog information printed on them, and are designed to be
visible when the case is stored vertically, 'book-style'.
The back media tray snaps into the back cover, and is responsible for
securing the disk. In its center is a circular hub of teeth which grip the disc
by its hole. This effectively suspends the disk in the middle of the container,
preventing the recording surface from being scratched. Originally, the media
tray was constructed of a flexible black polystyrene, but many newer trays use a
more fragile transparent polystyrene. This allows the reverse of the back card,
which is usually used for additional artwork, to be visible. One of the first
albums to include a transparent media tray was the
Phil
Collins's
Both Sides
album, released in 1993, but the format did not became common until around
1995-1996.
Jewel cases are occasionally used for DVDs as well as CDs, but generally not
for those that contain major film releases. Blank
Blu-ray
Disc and HD DVD
media are also most commonly sold in standard-width jewel cases as of early
2007.
The success of the CD jewel case design stems, in part, from its common form
factor. Given the restriction to a common form, manufacturers have sought to
compete on cost (rather than via product variation). A form of destructive
competition has followed. Although the original 1980s and 1990s CD jewel case
were of a higher quality and stiffer design, most jewel cases on the market
today are considerably lighter and less durable than the original design. In
part, this has been to cater to automated packing machines that prefer lighter
boxes. In the worst cases, the rear cover is so spongy, it may be easily bent by
hand. Dissatisfaction with lower quality cases provided by recording companies
has produced a market for higher quality replacement cases. |
