Vinyl Pressing Process
Want to know how Vinyl Records are made?
Here's the step by step Vinyl Pressing process.
Once we receive your audio (visit Tips for Vinyl Pre-Mastering→), there are 3 main steps:
Step 1: The Lacquer Master
It starts with an aluminum disc that is around 14 inches in diameter- slightly larger than the finished product- that is coated with a veneer of lacquer. Once the lacquer hardens, the record is then assiduously scrutinized for any and all imperfections, such as dirt, pits, or juts. Even the most minor imperfections are not tolerated.
Following inspection, the master disc is now ready to be cut. In terms of sound quality, cutting the lacquers is the most important part of the vinyl manufacturing process. Similar to a record player needle, the sound from your recording is passed through a sapphire-tipped cutter and is etched on to the disc. The music is recorded in real time from start to finish, which creates one continuous groove in the record.
The lacquer master is now ready to act as the mold for the metal stamper.
Step 2: The Metal Stamper
The next step is to create a stamper from the master. The master is sprayed with silver nitrate, creating a new stunning silver disc with the grooves intact. In order to stiffen the disc, it is submerged in a solution of nickel and an electrocharge fuses the nickel to the silver. This new disc is now a perfect ‘negative’ of your lacquer master, with ridges instead of grooves. This is your metal stamper…
The metal stampers are mounted into press, where 100 tons of pressure is applied to vinyl “biscuits”, to a searing 380 degrees Fahrenheit, creating your stunningly beautiful vinyl records.
A note about labels: We sear our labels right on during the pressing stage. They are, in fact, ‘baked’ prior to press to ensure no moisture content remains. There’s NO Stickers here!
Step 3: Printing and Packaging
We can print, fold and glue the jackets much more quickly than we can press the vinyl records, so they are ready well in advance. This allows packaging and shrink-wrap to be completed in only a day or two after the vinyl records come off the press.
Your beautiful vinyl records are now ready to impress your fans! It's taken 6-8 weeks from start to finish- that's the fastest turn around time in the industry! We'll get in touch to arrange for pickup or shipping.