VE Associates, Inc.

Can you believe half the year is over already? At VE, we are proud of what we have accomplished for our clients so far this year; meeting all of their DVD replication and DVD packaging needs on time and on budget. As we break this weekend and observe the 4th of July holiday (closed on the Monday the 5th), we can also be proud to move forward with the rest of the year confident in our processes and ability to provide excellent customer service, art direction and project management; which is the key to our continued success. Have a happy 4th of July, be safe, and remember that we are here for you and ready to help you with your next CD or DVD project!

Have you ever looked at a picture of the sky on your computer screen, which is light passing through your monitor in RGB color mode, and admired how blue it can look? Then, you print that same image and wonder how or why it printed so purple? It’s because the 4 main ink colors used to make all colors in the printing process are Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black - or CMYK. This is a completely different color mode than RGB. RGB is the “true” spectrum of color, and contains all ranges of possible color through light. By contrast, the strongest dominations of inks that can be mixed and applied to a physical surface such as paper or plastic, exist in the 4 main colors of the CMYK color mode. This mode is greatly limited in color options by comparison to the RGB color mode, however it is the standard for mixing all of the colors needed for photo printing in the printing process. So, going back to the blue sky, if you convert the image to CMYK, and look at the color values and see that you have a high concentration of Magenta, then you’ll understand why it printed so purple. Magenta is a dominant color, and on the monitor/screen may look blue-ish, but when printed… well you know the rest. So here’s the printing tip of the day: Understand that blue is one of the most difficult colors to acheive well in the printing process - So if you want something to print blue that’s in CMYK color mode, make sure to have a very low percentage of Magenta in your color values and your chances of printing blue will be much higher! Stay tuned for more tips…

As more and more industry standard cameras, software, editing suites, etc. make their way into the general consumer’s homes at affordable prices, we are seeing more and more independent films, independent documentaries that are interesting, fascinating and educational. Isn’t this great? We love seeing what different people really care about! We are seeing documentaries and films on a range of topics from offroading & street racing, to herbal remedies & the purified water industry, etc. But what do all of these films and documentaries have in common? - They all need to be made into a working and professionally authored DVD for replication and distribution. Our client’s recognize the importance of this step; having invested a lot of money into their projects, they do not want an end product that doesn’t deliver. Leave it to the professionals and let VE create, replicate, print, package and ship your next project and experience the difference in working with a company that truly is your one-stop-shop for all your DVD needs.

When ordering CDs and DVDs for replication, there are 2 types of proofs you can choose from. First, there is what is called a “soft” proof; or a PDF proof. This PDF proof is emailed to our clients free of charge and is not considered to be a color proof, but rather a proof to ensure that all of the elements are there, the lay out is correct and there are no typos. This method is suitable for most designs and is a necessary step even if the second type of proof is ordered. The second type of proof is called a “hard” proof; or an art check disc. This is an actual printed disc that can be used to ensure the color is correct when matching to other printed materials. This method includes a cost and several extra days in the production schedule.

In an effort to be more eco-conscious, VE Associates offers a wide variety of eco-friendly DVD & CD packaging options. One such product that happens to be popular in the marketplace are eco-friendly DVD sleeves for any DVD duplication or DVD replication project made from recycled paper stock. Also, using 100% recycled plastics, VE is offering eco-friendly CD & DVD digipaks. Go green with VE today!