12K PACKAGING CHANGE

[taylordeupree]

hi everyone

i figure this would be a good place to discuss this....

i'm considering a packaging changing from the 12k digipack that i've been using for so long. i love the digipack.. it's clean and crisp and has served me well... but i'd love to find something that doesn't have plastic in it.

do any of you own the re-issue of "northern" ? this is the package i'd like to consider moving forward. it's very heavy-weight gatefold. the 24pt paper is sufficiently heavy that there's a nice spine that doesn't collapse from use.

the problem with this package is that it's nearly twice the price of a digipack. if i went with these i'd probably have no choice but to raise the base price of 12k cds from $14 to $15.

the nicer (?) packaging, the lack of plastic, and the fact that i haven't raised 12k cd prices in a decade, despite increased shipping charges, makes me wonder if this is a do-able option.

obviously, no one likes price increases, especially when you can just go out and steal the music for free... but, i'm wondering what your opinion is on this....

so i think i'll start a poll...

please chime in!

[Le Berger]

Posted on twitter that it could be a deterrent, but turns out, a dollar difference probably won't be for the great majority of already convinced followers who purchase the CDs. If a buck makes you go download the torrent instead of buying the album, methinks you weren't that into it to begin with...

+ no plastic, who can argue with that?

You're already putting out some special packaging / format at times (the box set with Marcus, Twenty Ten, etc.) which is fairly daring in the current market. Obviously I have no clue how well you're doing on those margin wise / how fast they go, but assuming those reach your audience and reap in enough cash flow, I have a hard time imagining a dollar difference would suddenly make people flee.

I revise my earlier position and say go for it!

(and the poor shmucks like me can still wait until end of summer sales and the like)

[taylordeupree]

thanks for the feedback... yeah.. $1 isn't that much.. and it would cover the cost of the new packaging... the idea is to have the releases pay for themselves.. and maybe have a bit left over to do special things like crazy Kirschner disc sets, tshirts, postcards, etc...

i'm going to sleep on it for a few weeks... get feedback, etc...

the new packging type is nice.. i'd even change the design layout...

my only hesitation is that it would be the first steady 12k package that didn't show the disc when it was opened! i love the disc designs.. they have remained those white discs with the unprinted border and knocked-out art for a very long time...

but.. that's a minor thing...

[steinbruchel]

raising the price wouldn't stop me collecting every future 12k release.
as long as it's quality stuff 

i love the digipack but can understand the desire for no plastic.

i would consider using environmental friendly ink for the printing process. maybe it would also be an option of being able to use different paper specifications? the new format would probably also be more open for variations and experiments then the standard digipack design.

i also really like the label design of the discs but don't think it's a major fact of necessarily seeing it when opening the packaging.
you'll anyway have to take the disc out of the sleeve in order to play it and then you still can appreciated the design.

most important for me is that the music will still be released as an object. mp3 files just don't do it for me (especially designwise). even if i must confess that i really have no space at home anymore for more stacks of stuff...

[seaworthy]

Any small price increase wouldn't put me off and I doubt it would seriously discourage other either.

I really do like the packaging for the Northern re-issue too so I wouldn't be too disappointed with a move to that style. However, having said that, apart from the plastic issue, I don't really have a problem at all with the current packaging.

[taylordeupree]

i suppose the plastic issue is one of the lesser issues.. like someone on twitter said... the shipping, manufacturing, etc etc all contributes to a carbon footprint.. as well, i think the releases would still have to be shrinkwrapped...

i just really like the feel of that packaging.. it's more tactile... more new 12k than old 12k..

i would also re-design the whole layout.

i don't know.. maybe i'm just getting itchy for a change... and a move towards a less "stock" package..

please keep the feedback coming..

[Koda]

I'd buy that for a dollar.

[rginns]

I personally love the fact that in such a tough time for cottage industry labels in the digital age, we're still talking about the importance of having something that's tangible, that has a meaning and you appreciate the feel of that particular product whether it be plastic, card, paper or a tin box. I love the Northern reissue and it does represent a shift in the overall design for 12k releases I feel, and it wasn't that long ago that you desired a change to the packaging. The packaging you're considering Taylor is still so 12k and stays true to its many values, minimalism, simplicity, design, look + feel. As for the $1 change, man that's so generous, everybody who appreciates great music, design and packaging will support 12k regardless but who said money was the most important thing when it comes down to enjoyment of a product. I say as long as you have the luxury of talking about physical releases whether it be cd or vinyl in the digital download world then I'll continue my support all the way. Afterall the most important value of a record is the artwork and design and is most important to ones experience of music, and with it a labels identity. Go for it and good luck.

Rich.

[mdoudin]

I appreciate your idea, Taylor. I think the Northern Reissue is a beauty. Nontheless, I liked the old design but totally understand your will to change from plastic to organic (which totally fits 12k's direction these days). For a new design, I suggest to print some images on the inside - I'd like to see the inspiring 12k drawings of the digipacked cd's as I open the packaging (I am a fan  of minimalism - but I like my 12k cd's .
Anyway, I would of course support your ambitions and pay 1$ more, which isn't much for good music and an environmentally maintainable packaging

[mdoudin]

oh and btw, the Northern Reissue material still smells like good old card - and I love it.

[Guy Birkin]

Without having seen the Northern reissue, it's difficult to decide whether the proposed format is preferable to the current digipak. But having said that, I have great faith in your aesthetic judgement, Taylor, and if you're considering this change I think you should go with your instinct. If your packaging costs are doubled, then it is very generous to increase the sales price by only $1.

Aside from issues of sustainability, my problem with plastic is mainly with the central part that holds the CD - those fragile plastic bits can break, so I prefer those spongy discs (as used in the Deupree + Fischer box lid).

In short - go for it!

[mdoudin]

I love the foamy knob of the deupree/fischer box, too

[darren mcclure]

an extra dollar is totally fine.  i guess 12k's designs have evloved a lot over the years, so now's as good a time to continue that development as ever.

i actually really like the current designs, but would be cool with the northern style as it's also really nice.  just two points:

1.  how does colour print look on the northern package?  the northern cover is white and grey, so i wonder if colours will look as good as the current pakaging, which i think are very well represented, much more so than the digipak that came before it.

2.  will you be using embossed typeface like you did for northern?  i thought that looked very nice, but does it cost extra?

[steinbruchel]

i thought that looked very nice, but does it cost extra?

everything in life costs extra 

[taylordeupree]

no embossing... unfortunately... that's another few hundred dollars per release...

the current digipacks use a matte varnish, the older ones + the northern package are on uncoated paperstock.

printing is a bit sharper on the coated and matte varnished stock .... where the uncoated stock absorbs a bit more and makes lines and colors softer.

i haven't decided which direction to go in... but i am drawn to that uncoated stock... even if it is (or maybe because it is) a bit softer.

if i do go down this road, the whole thing will get a redesign. not just a package change.