Digipak: What is a digipak?

By definition, a digipak is: "a type of packaging for CD's or DVD's, typically made from cardboard with an internal plastic holder for one or more disks." They are made out of paper or card with matt or gloss varnish with a plastic fixture that holds one or more discs, it is a sleek packaging solution and available at lower prices. A standard 4 panelled digipak has a finished size of 139.5mm x 6mm x 125.5mm

The most common CD digipak is the one with four panels which opens like a book, however, the digipak with six panels is also popular as it provides a larger canvas for artwork and text information about the CD. Furthermore, due to the use of cardboard, the number of panels is endless as there are 8 and even 10 panelled digipaks.

The digipak is an alternative to the common jewel case that grew in popularity among record labels and artists in the early 2000's. The digipak style is often used for special edition CD's or premium packaging for DVD's, however, digipaks are less resistant to abrasion than jewel cases, meaning it shows signs of wear quicker. 

Manufacturers want to reduce the environmental impact of digipaks by  introducing recycled components into its trays: one has announced a tray made from recycled bottles, which eliminates the need for the brittle "teeth." Another case eliminates the plastic tray altogether and instead, replaces it with a paper tray made from sugar cane and egg cartons.