Once the audio is mastered, it is sent to a cutting engineer who uses a specialized lathe to cut the audio onto a lacquer disc. The cutting lathe has a heated stylus that etches the sound wave directly into the lacquer, creating a spiral groove from the outer edge to the center of the disc. This groove is a physical representation of the sound wave, with variations in the groove corresponding to different sound frequencies and amplitudes.

Modernizing Our Manual Presses

In vinyl production, galvanic processing (electroplating) creates the metal stampers used for pressing records. The lacquer master is coated with silver, then electroplated with nickel to form a metal master. From this, a metal mother is made, which can be electroplated again to produce multiple stampers. These stampers are the final tools used to press vinyl records in production. The process ensures durability and accuracy for mass replication.

Before we begin the main production run, we create 10 test pressings, commonly referred to as TPs. These test pressings serve as a quality reference to ensure the final product meets our high standards. We will send these TPs to you for approval before we proceed with the full pressing of your records.

Our automatic pressing machines extrude the vinyl material into a 'puck' or 'cake.' This puck is placed between two stampers, along with the labels of your choice. The hydraulic press then squeezes everything together while steam melts the vinyl and water cools it. This process takes about 30 seconds. Any excess vinyl around the edges is trimmed off, and the records is left to cool for 24 hours to ensure it remains flat before packing.

Once the records are cool, they are packed by hand according to your preferences. The most common packing method involves placing the record in a white paper inner sleeve, followed by a 3mm spined outer sleeve, and then shrink-wrapping it. For double albums, a 5mm spined sleeve or a gatefold sleeve, which opens like a book, is required.

For a more cost-effective option that still allows for customization, a 'disco' sleeve can be used. This type of sleeve does not have a spine, eliminating the need for an inner sleeve. Additionally, there are clear plastic inner sleeves available, and Japanese bags can be used instead of shrink wrap. These Japanese bags are resealable, providing excellent protection and convenience.