In designing the CD label, consider this center area of the disc carefully.

Center hub of CD showing mirror band, knockout ring measurements and clear plastic area.

Here are a few pointers:

• Do not print a picture or text over this area without a background color.
• Decide which spec you will use (46, 37, 26) and then lay out the label so the design is well balanced.
• Ask to make sure the spec you use is available at the factory to be used.
• The 46 mm spec will work at every factory in the world that we know of.
• Some factories require a knockout ring from 37 to 33 mm, and others require the knockout between 26 and 23 mm. For replicated discs, we generally need the knockout between 23 and 26 mm, as shown on the top right picture of this page. We call that spec26-18.
• On reorders after several years, it is possible that the spec could change. The 46 mm spec is best to avoid delays if you think your product will have a long life.
• CD-R printing: For quick-turn and small-run CD-R silkscreening (that is silkscreening on recordable CD-Rs), we must have no printing inside 37mm. Use spec37 or spec46. Also avoid designs that require tight registration of the colors.