THE PROCESS
Bringing a record to life has a lot of moving parts, but we make the journey easy. Check out our process below so you know exactly what to expect, from pre-production to the moment your records ship. While every custom project has its own rhythm, you’ll never have to wonder what’s next. We’ll be right there with you through every stage, keeping you informed every step of the way.
STEP 1: SELECT YOUR ORDER
- Determine your needs. We’ll work with you to customize your order, offering you the freedom to personalize every element of your record. Every record is as personal to us as it is to you, so we love to collaborate on how to best meet your needs.
- Following order selection, we’ll generate an invoice and you’ll pay a deposit.
- We’ll send you templates for artwork and audio format guidance that you’ll need to submit.
STEP 2: PROVIDE ARTWORK AND AUDIO
- Using artwork templates we provide, you will submit artwork for jackets, inserts, and inner sleeves as needed.
- You will also provide audio files. We highly recommend ensuring your audio files are mastered for vinyl. Need help with mastering for vinyl? Reach out and we can set you up.
- We will review artwork within the provided templates and submit for printing.
- We will review audio and submit for lacquer cutting.
STEP 3: APPROVE ARTWORK PROOFS
- We’ll send you artwork proofs for your approval ahead of sending out items to print. Nothing is printed without your final approval.
- No proofing process needed for audio (except when Montclaire provides vinyl pre-cutting masters).
STEP 4: LACQUER CUTTING AND STAMPER PLATING
- Your audio will be cut into a lacquer disc.
- The lacquer disc is then shipped to a plating facility where it undergoes an electroplating process to create nickel stampers.
- The stampers are shipped to us and that is what we use to press your record!
STEP 5: TEST PRESSING (OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED)
- Test Pressings serve as the audio “proof” for the production of your record.
- We use the stampers to press a short run of records. We ship five of those records to you for your approval on the record. Once we get your approval, we move into the next step in production.
STEP 6: PRESSING YOUR RECORD
- We will begin pressing your record once we have all print materials on hand and test pressings have been approved.
- At this point the remaining balance of your order will be due.
- We visually inspect and listen to your freshly pressed records throughout the entire pressing process to ensure it is up to our standards.
STEP 7: ASSEMBLING YOUR RECORD PACKAGE
- Final QC inspection. We visually inspect every record that is sleeved.
- Your records are sleeved into inner sleeves and jackets. We also visually inspect every inner sleeve and jacket. No rips, tears or weird print issues.
- Finally, we either shrink wrap or sleeve the jackets into poly bags.
STEP 8: PACKAGE ASSEMBLED RECORDS FOR SHIPPING
- Production is complete!
- We’ll need to have shipping addresses by this step to get your records mailed out quickly.
- Using the shipping address provided, we will generate a shipping invoice at this step and share it with you.
STEP 9: PAY SHIPPING INVOICE AND RECEIVE RECORDS
- Once you pay the shipping invoice, your order will be on its way!
QUESTIONS?
Nacogdoches, TX
© 2026 Montclaire Pressing, LLC