Glossary


• catalogue number
is the manufacturer's reference number and it is printed on the record label and on the sleeve

• company sleeve
a standard non-picture sleeve with the record label name/logo printed on it

• deep groove
it is a physical attribute: a stamper production that creates a circular “groove” on the label

• die-cut sleeve
a sleeve that's been cut with a standard centre-hole or a cut-out shape

• embossed sleeve
a three-dimensional design raised up from the cover surface that becomes tactile

• EP
an extended play disc that has four or more tracks, it usually comes in a picture sleeve

• flipback sleeve
a sleeve with card flaps that fold from the front to the back of the cover

• foldout sleeve
a sleeve which opens out, normally to reveal a poster

• gatefold sleeve
a sleeve that opens out like a book, more commonly the opening is on the outside and the record is retrieved from the outer edge of the sleeve, some may have the opening on the inside and the record is retrieved from the inner edge of the sleeve (internal pocket gatefold sleeve)

• inner sleeve
protective sleeve held inside main cover that houses the record (advertising inner, company catalogue inner sleeve)

• internal pocket
gatefold cover where the record is pulled from the middle on the inside; external pocket is the usual gatefold style cover

• insert
item that appears as part of a record packaging such as a lyric insert, postcard or poster (double sided lyric insert, one/single side lyric insert)

• label
the paper circle that found in the center of record, containing information printed on it and embedded into the vinyl during pressing

• laminated sleeve
sleeve with plastic coating (front laminated sleeve, fully laminated sleeve, outer laminated gatefold sleeve, all-over laminated gatefold sleeve)

• lead-in groove
​the silent area at the beginning of a record

• lead-out groove (dead wax or run-out groove)
the area between the end of the grooves on a vinyl pressing and the center matrix, usually containing a die cut printing of the matrix numbers and the catalogue number

• matrix number
is an alphanumeric code scratched or stamped into the run-out groove area of a record that identifies a particular pressing from other pressings of the same item

• matt sleeve
a sleeve without reflective or shine properties

• pinched spine
when the top & the lower spine are pinched, normaly pinched spines are present in the single sleeve

• poster sleeve
a sleeve that folds out to reveal a poster

• pressing
the process of making a vinyl record from the negative master using a record cutter

• smooth label
the label that has a smooth finishingspinethe edge of the record sleeve, where the information (artist, title, cat. number) are usually printed

• stickered sleeve
a sleeve that has a sticker on it as an integral part of its packagingtax-codefactories marked their products with encised or raised code letters in the run-out area of the record, or with printed or raised on the label (for ex. “K/T” or “J/T”)textured sleevea sleeve that has a textured finishing

• textured label (rough textured label)
a label that has a textured finishing or rough textured finishing

• textured label with smooth rise-perimeter (or middle textured label)
a label that has a textured finishing in the inner circle and a smooth finishing in the outer rim

• tri-fold sleeve
a triple fold-out sleeve

• window sleeve
a cut-out in the sleeve to show the insert or the inner gatefold