Creating Pad-Print and Laser Engraving Art Using Canva

Posted on December 15, 2019 by George

If you need to create artwork using an online design service like Canva, here’s how you can go about it.

Our platemaker and Laser engraver operates at 1000 pixels per inch so we’ve created the pad print and laser engraving template as 5 x 5 inches with 1000 ppi resolution (5000 x 5000 pixels). The template files are found on our template page. For Canva you will need the JPG template like this one.

In Canva you can create a document of 5000 x 5000 pixels, then import this template image and resize it to fill the entire canvas. Your cassette art must be done only in BLACK, no colors. Change the transparency of the template to see what you’re doing.

When you’re done, delete the template image, and then download the art.

Receive bonus points from blank tapes and exchange them for gift certificates!

Posted on September 10, 2019 by duplication.ca

Receive free Duplication.ca items just by shopping at Duplication.ca!
When you order blank tapes you earn bonus points, one per individual tape. You can convert those points into a gift certificate to use on anything at the online store! That includes cassette cases, printed CD jackets, or vintage tapes, just to name a few.

All you have to is enter My Account and click on the Bonuses tab. Convert your points into a certificate, spend it on whatever you need for your next DIY release. You can even gift to a friend for any special occasion!

We’ll be adding bonus points to more items in the shop soon, so keep your eyes peeled.

Order blank tapes with your choice of shell colour and length today!

Cassette Store Day sale: save 15% off cassette duplication orders!

Posted on August 30, 2019 by duplication.ca

Cassette Store Day is coming up, and we’re going to celebrate it in style at Toronto’s only cassette boutique, the Dupe Shop! We’re aiming for wall-to-wall stock of brand new cassettes, so we set up a fantastic limited time deal to make cassette duplication even cheaper.

Order fully packaged cassette duplication by September 8th and receive 15% off your order! In exchange we’ll stock up to 5% of your order quantity (or minimum 3 tapes) at the Dupe Shop to sell during Cassette Store Day 2019.*

All you have to do is add the coupon code CSD2019 at checkout and we will manually adjust the 15% discount upon receiving the order. Beyond that, it’s the same great cassette duplication service, including high-quality recording and FREE SHIPPING to the United States and Canada.

Click here to pick from dozens of shell colours, packaging options, and save 15% off cassette duplication!

*Eligible orders must comprise of duplication and packaging, including cover artwork. Dupe Shop stock quantity will be added to your total amount (i.e. if you order 100 cassettes, you will receive all 100 cassettes and we will duplicate an additional 5 for the Dupe Shop.) You will not be charged for the additional Dupe Shop quantity. All leftover items from Cassette Store Day 2019 will remain as sellable stock. Discount will be applied before taxes and shipping. Discount cannot be combined with any other sale or deal.

We’ll be partying hard at the Dupe Shop all Cassette Store Day, keep an eye on your on the Facebook and Instagram pages for announcements!

The Dupe Shop
1185 Bloor St. West
Toronto, Ontario

August 2019 Cassette Round-Up

Posted on August 12, 2019 by duplication.ca

Up in Canada there are only so many months that are optimal for picnics in the park, long hikes, and hanging out on balconies. Fortunately we’re in the thick of it now, and our outdoorsy activities have been soundtrack by some truly stellar music we discovered through cassette duplication orders and stocked at Toronto’s Dupe Shop. Here are a few standouts from the past month!

Veach - Quiet People Other Places

Veach – “Quiet People Other Places” c46

This is a choice cassette to pluck off the shelf during a rainy day. Side-length longform tracks consisting of guitar strums and pads rotating in and out via modular synthesis. Relaxing and meditative, it’ll make you feel pretty good about being cooped up for the afternoon.

Various Artists - VLSC Vol. 1 cassette

Various Artists – “VLSC Vol. 1” c76

A wide-ranging look at Atlanta’s club scene. Features some heavy hitting deconstructed techno, juke, Balearic house, and even some acid. All good compilations act as a gateway, VLSC Vol. 1 serves as a worthy introduction to the electronic south.

French Vanilla - How Am I Not Myself? cassette

French Vanilla – “How Am I Not Myself?” c32

Upbeat contemporary post-punk with some killer squeaky no wave saxophone to drive it over the edge. In the same ballpark as the self-titled B-52s LP and Girls At Our Best without the UK falsetto. Great tape if you like feeling funky and tough at the same time!

Nighttime - Hand in the Dark cassette

Nighttime – “Hand in the Dark” c42

Soft but powerful vocals that reverberate along lakes and marshes. Haunting like UK folk horror productions, and reminiscent of the 60s psychedelic folk movement. If you liked Midsommar (and how could you not!?) you’ll like the vibe of this cassette.

CFCF - Liquid Colours cassette

CFCF – “Liquid Colours” c44

A revisionist look at corporate y2k-era IDM and jungle music, tailor made to soundtrack your Calvin Klein purchases, or day at the relaxation spa, or even choosing your souped-up car in a Sega Dreamcast game. Conceptually fascinating, sonically amazing. Serious album of the year contender.

Want to see what other awesome albums make their way through Duplication.ca? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, we’re posting amazing looking cassettes everyday!

There are a ton of cassette shell colour and packaging options over at our cassette duplication calculator. We duplicate in high-speed or HiFi real-time with superb quality assurance to make sure your tapes sound great.

C heck out our cassette duplication calculator for an instant quote and FREE SHIPPING to the United States and Canada!

Black Cassette Shells Back in Stock!

Posted on July 30, 2019 by duplication.ca

We’ve restocked on black cassette shells!

The classic black cassette is back at Duplication.ca. These shells are normal-bias with a 5-screw design and light red leaders. Now choose between tab-in or tab-out models!

If you’re the DIY type, grab our blank tab-in cassettes from the online shop to get started with your home duplication setup. Is professional dubbing your thing? Then check out our cassette duplication page for tons of design options, an instant quote, and most importantly, free shipping to the United States and Canada!

Summer Sale! 15% off everything in the online store until July 21st 2019

Posted on July 15, 2019 by duplication.ca

We’re on Summer Mode at the Duplication.ca offices! The sun and fresh air has us in such a good mood we thought we’d celebrate with an old fashioned summer sale. **Use the coupon code summervacation to save 15% off anything on the online store ! Sale ends Sunday July 21st at 11:59 PM EST.**

So excited that you don’t know where to begin? How about our hottest sellers, our blank tapes! These cassettes are loaded with normal-bias tape, or chrome tape for the audiophiles who want that extra boost in volume or quality. There are dozens of colours to choose from, including the brand new Egg Shell model pictured above! Blank tapes are perfect for the DIY aficionados who don’t mind spending time manually recording on their living room tape decks.

Next up is our huge selection of cassette cases! At Duplication.ca you’ll find a wide variety of classic Norelco cases, which come in an assortment of opaque and tinted colours, now including Red Tint. If you’re working on a box set, try our double-Norelco cases or even our fully printed slipcases. DIY-heads can grab blank O-cards to design at home!

We don’t just specialize in audio cassettes, Duplication.ca is the place to go for blank media and to find the highest quality CD-R and DVD-R discs on the market. You can find replacement Jewel Cases, blank Digipaks, and tons of printed cardboard sleeves and packages for your band’s next release.

Speaking of printing, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to provide the music community with printed vinyl jackets that are both high quality and won’t break the bank. Check out our 12″ record jackets, printed on full colour CMYK at a whopping 24pt thick using our offset press. We also print innersleeves so you can keep your records in good (and stylish) condition. Not to mention our replacement polysleeves and mailers, perfect for record collectors and resellers.

Don’t forget to use the coupon code summervacation to save 15% on your next order! The sale ends on Sunday July 21st at 11:59 PM EST.

Discount applied before taxes and shipping. Sale code applies to online store purchases only. Cannot be combined with any other discount.

The Duplication.ca Guide to Cassette Box Sets and Double Cassettes

Posted on July 4, 2019 by duplication.ca

Do you have an album so big that one cassette alone could not possibly handle it? Double cassette releases are always exciting, but how do you go about packaging them? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

Multi-Cassette Box

This sleek design works like a Norelco case with the two cassettes sitting side-by-side. Its longer length makes it size comparable to that of a CD case, making it easy to store and easy on the eyes. An extra large double-sided J-card allows you to go nuts with the artwork, pack in as much detail and information as possible!

View the double cassette boxes on the online store

Our triple cassette boxes are even longer in length but keep the same width. Unlike the double cassette boxes they do not have posts.

Click here for triple cassette boxes

Cassette Albums

If you’re a fan of the classic audio book packaging style, look no further than our cassette albums. These packages contain a transparent wraparound film for you to slip in a larger trapsheet in lieu of a J-card. We even have albums that hold up to EIGHT CASSETTES, if you can believe it.

View our wide selection of cassette albums here

Double Norelcos

Double Norelcos are exactly as they sound– two Norelcos joined at the hip! They open on both sides “butterfly style,” meaning it facilitates two J-cards. This is perfect for releasing two separate albums that require different artwork in one package.

Click here to order Double Norelcos

If you’re planning a run of 100 units or more, take advantage of our special offer. 100pcs for $60 CAD / $45.50 USD!

Printed Slipcases

Last, but certainly not least, we have our cardboard slipcases. These 15pt boxes can hold up to four cassettes with Norelco cases, which make them ideal for career retrospectives. They’re printed and assembled in-house, so not only do they go under our rigorous quality control, but we pass the manufacturer-direct savings on to you.

Take a look at our Printed Slipcases options

At Duplication.ca, no cassette release is too big or too small for us to handle! Don’t forget that in addition to great packaging and printing solutions, we offer high-quality cassette duplication services so your cassettes sound amazing on any stereo. Free shipping to the United States and Canada!

DUPLICATION.CA HAS A QUICK 4-WEEK TURNAROUND TIME FOR CASSETTES!

Posted on July 2, 2019 by duplication.ca

Sometimes the hardest part of recording and designing your latest cassette release is the waiting! It’s tough standing by the door, watching the mail carrier walk by your apartment with no packages in hand. At Duplication.ca we do everything we can to get your cassettes shipped as quickly as possible while not compromising the quality of our recording, printing, and packaging. We’re proud to be able to lower our standard turnaround time to an estimated 4 weeks before shipping! The standard shipping cost remains the same: FREE to the United States and Canada!

If you’re about to leave on tour or you’re just too excited to wait, we have a variety of rush options which guarantee that your cassettes will be out the door or ready for pick-up in a matter of days. Choose from 15 business days all the way to our ultra quick 5 business day turnaround.

Hot tip: if you want to ensure your cassettes will be put into production immediately, double check your audio and artwork files and upload them when you place your order! We only begin production once all the files have arrived and are ready for processing.

C lick here to p lace your cassette order and receive your tapes in a matter of weeks!

Hot Cassette Shell Colors for Summer Releases

Posted on June 20, 2019 by duplication.ca

ED. (Elektric Dreams) Pool Party cassette duplicated by Duplication.ca

When it comes to summer activities like barbecuing in the backyard, floating in the pool, or chilling in the park, you’ve gotta have your jams by your side. At Duplication.ca we’ll make your cassettes look as hot as they sound! Here are some awesome cassette shell colour suggestions for you to duplicate the hottest summer album or mixtape!

Blue Tinted w/ Square Hubs
Normal-bias • Tabs out • Red leaders • Soft window

Calm like a blue ocean, this is a great shell for you to slow down R&B cuts and create a killer vapor beat. Just don’t bring your tape deck too close to the tide.

Platinum Silver
Normal-bias • Tabs in • Clear leaders

The type of cassette for when you’re decked out and ready to party all night. It’s the visual equivalent of Diamond in the Back by Curtis Mayfield. Your cassette deck will never look classier!

Feel Good Yellow
Normal-bias • Tabs out • Red leaders

Really, this tape is what summer is all about: kicking it with friends, good vibes, and forgetting that you have work tomorrow until it’s too late. Pop it into your 4-track and record an improvised jangle pop demo with your buds.

Scorching Red Tinted
Normal-bias • Tabs out • White frosted leaders

If you really want to turn up the heat, try out these red tinted tapes. When placed against a light source they look like smouldering molten lava. Pairs well with 100mph convertible synthwave tracks and Chromatics-style disco guitar.

Glitter Tapes
Normal-bias • Tabs out • Leader colours vary

Whether it’s Fourth of July, Canada Day, or any opportunity where you can shoot off fireworks and keep your neighbours up all night, let it be soundtracked by our glitter shells. We have a wide variety of glitter colours— red, blue, white, green, silver, gold, and some of them all mixed together!

Feeling inspired? Take a look around our cassette duplication page for more packaging options and shell colours! We duplicate our cassettes with a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz, meaning no bass slap or squealing synth will be spared.

Click here for an instant quote and to receive FREE SHIPPING to the United States and Canada

If you’re looking for blank tapes for home duplication or to put together the best BBQ mixtape anyone has ever heard, then head over to our online shop. We load blank cassettes to your exact desired audio length and with your choice of colour.

Visit our Blank Cassettes page today

Straight Outta Duplication.ca: Beat Tapes for your Boombox

Posted on June 12, 2019 by duplication.ca

From 80s NYC rappers to the modern day Ableton beat makers, cassette culture and hip hop will forever be fused. There are few things in the world that bring us more joy than popping a tape in our Nakamichi decks and listening to the chill snare hits and loop-digging samples of a hip hop beat tape. With our real-time duplication services and high-bias chrome tape the bass hits live loud and proud on cassette tape, allowing for a range of 20Hz to 20kHz.

Here are a few of our favourite hip hop and beat tapes that we’ve been blasting through the office!

Astro Mega - The Ends duplicated at Duplication.ca

Astro Mega – “The Ends” c26

Loop digging lofi hiphop beats duplicated to high-bias chrome cassette. Zone out and listen to the record pops and crackles dancing deep in the mix. Astro Mega is a Toronto local so this makes for great Game 6 half-time music during the inevitable Raptors win.
Available at the Dupe Shop

Recognize Ali - Islam duplicated at Duplication.ca

Recognize Ali – “I Self Lord And Master” c50

If you want an alternative to the Soundcloud mumble rappers look no further than Recognize Ali. When he says “that this that soulful boom bap sound” on ‘Liftin Me Higher’, he’s not lying. Limited edition cassette comes with obi-strip.

Cyrus Tha Great - CCC Vol.1: Beats Inspired by the film - Straight Outta Compton duplicated at Duplication.ca

Cyrus Tha Great – CCC Vol.1: Beats Inspired by the film “Straight Outta Compton” c11

Exactly as described, this cassette is overflowing with instrumentals and scratchwork in tribute to the legendary gangster rap crew. Has an awesome Roy Ayers sample on Side A. Truly dig the Akira style artwork and hand-numbered obi-strip.

Various Artists - Home Grown duplicated at Duplication.ca

V arious Artists – “Home Grown”

Inner Ocean Records has an impressive and prolific back catalogue of beat tapes and instrumentals, and this compilation of record digging beats is a stand-out among stand-outs. Deep bass and killer vibes, each track differentiates itself from the last.
Available at the Dupe Shop

Pout - Nylon Tears duplicated at Duplication.ca

p o u t – “Nylon Tears” c26

Blending R&B, pop, and trap beats, this 2017 cassette still gets regular play at our Dupe Shop store in Toronto. Some tracks are filled to the brim with rapid snare hits and reverb-heavy saxophone, while others feel skeletal and atmospheric.
Available at the Dupe Shop

Do you have an album you’re aching to release on cassette? Take a look at our cassette duplication calculator to see all of our awesome shell colours and printing options. Our obi-strip and cassette etching options make for great limited edition releases.

C heck out our cassette duplication calculator for an instant quote and FREE SHIPPING to the United States and Canada!