Record sleeving

Have always done it that way, I was unsure if the OP was asking about outer poly liners that encase the whole album - that’s another question in itself!

It’s the way that makes sense, unless one is a DJ! :slight_smile:

I wasn’t exactly sure what the question was either, so I offered what I had in the hope that it might be useful - and it was easy as there has just been this discussion in the vinyl accessory thread, so I stole my own photos.

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The Nagaoka sleeves are excellent it’s just a shame they changed the 102 design to one where the sleeve seems slightly longer than the inner its placed into unless I’m imagining it. Will try to post a comparison at some stage.

LOL, it was you with whom I just had the same topic in the vinyl accessories thread :joy:
As I said there, I think I have only new ones and I don’t have this problem :man_shrugging:
(and the little bit that sticks out is actually helpful in getting the record back into the poly)

I was actually asking about outer poly covers.

I bought some inner bags similar to those shown, only I’m a cheapskate (on a budget) so got some like that from Covers33 to go inside printed inner sleeves.

Where the record has just a plain white or black sleeve I’m simply replacing them with a new one (also from Covers33).

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This discussion branch may or may not help:

Interestingly covers33 have some LP mailing envelopes/boxes which may be of interest in the future and something I wondered about in this thread:

I bought x500 of the Blake Sleeves (had to purchase from NED) with adhesive flaps of them. A mixture of LP and 2LP. They have revolutionised the way I store and handle vinyl.

I remove all inner sleeves from the record sleeve, place the record sleeve in the Blake Sleeve and then place the inner sleeve behind the record sleeve with the opening facing upwards.

This way, all I have to do is flick through my records, fold the flap back and then remove the record without having to handle the inner or record sleeve.

The Blake Sleeves really make the artwork “pop” too.

Ah. My cardboard covers go into the outer poly covers with the open side of the cardboard first. This way, the back/spine of the cardboard cover is not obscured by plastic and I can see/read what it is when it’s in the shelf

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It’s interesting though as I think the inner poly covers are self-explanatory.

With outer poly/Blake covers you have four orientation options - if you have the flap at the top side of the album you have to take the album out of the outer cover to get the record at +90 degrees out.

If you have the flap on the +90 degree right hand edge you can get the record out after opening the flap without removing the whole album, though you might want to do so to view gatefold lyrics/attached booklets or artwork.

My word we’re a sad bunch :joy:

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I thought so but in the other thread there was at least one person who had not :slight_smile:
For the outers, I simply can’t stand it if I leaf through the records on the shelf and can’t see anything, so for me it’s the only option to have the open side forward.

Yeah it’s a sad hobby LOL

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I use poly sleeves (the so-called Blake sleeves) on my more valuable (or just plain old) records. I use the ones without a flap. I slide the record in bottom edge first, so that the opening of the poly sleeve is pointing upwards when the record is sitting vertically on the shelf with the spine outermost.

I have a good many old ECM records, where the cardboard on the jacket is delaminating. What I do with those is trim 3 or 4 mm off a Blake sleeve and slide the spine in. I then slide the combination into a second Blake sleeve in the usual way. The inner Blake sleeve then becomes permanent protection against further delamination.

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Another fan of the “Blake” type sleeves here.

I have lots of the old PVC ones too that I’m gradually replacing with Blake sleeves due to the issues the PVC can cause with over time and if they get warm.

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So when you put the Record in a cover, do you have the opening at the side or the top?

i.e. to play, record comes out of cover, inner comes out of sleeve, record comes of inner & poly.

A mate describes this process as the inverse of ‘musical presents’, the unwrapping happens before the music starts!

Don’t like anything sticky being close to the Record sleeve.
I think it was some Simply Vinyl releases came with a stuck down flap, and the danger was the flap goes inside the sleeve and sticks to the cardboard.
I do use gatefold sleeves also, but these can be quite tight to get onto a record.

My present problem is I want something to protect the MoFi box sets (S&G Bridge, Miles KoB, Pink Floyd DSOTM, etc. plus the wonderful release I got from Super Sense, the Live Recording of Gregory Porter on Acetate.

If the sticky strip is on the flap then that can be a problem. On the Blake sleeves the sticky strip is on the sleeve itself and I’ve never had any issues with them.

I place the album in its poly outer sleeve with the spine at the opening side.
That way I can read the spines far easier (looks a lot better on the racks too).
Also when it’s pushed back on the shelf it doesn’t slide’ out of the sleeve with a floppy piece of poly sticking out!

This is clearly a matter of personal taste. Personally, if the outer sleeve has a flap, I place the opening perpendicular to the record’s artwork sleeve opening (so the outer sleeve has to be removed to access the inner sleeve and disc). If the outer sleeve has no flap, I align it with the artwork sleeve so I can slide the inner sleeve and disc straight out without removing the outer sleeve. The key, to me, is to protect the album spine.
The most critical issue with record sleeves (inner or outer) is to ensure that PVC is avoided at all costs (disc damage from ‘off gassing’). Polythene, Polyethelene, HDPE and Polypropylene are apparently fine in this regard, so I will only use sleeves made of these materials.

I can’t make a photo right now, let me try to describe. Note that I am right-handed:

  • I put the outer poly sleeve to my left-hand side, the opening facing to the right
  • I put the original cardboard cover to my right-hand side, opening facing to the left and the front cover art facing downward. I.e., the cardboard cover’s back spine (where it’s usually printed with artist, catalog number etc) is facing to the right
  • Then the cardboard cover goes into the poly sleeve in the described orientation
  • End result is that the printed spine aligns with the opening of the poly sleeve, so it remains readable

Oh no! :worried:
All my vinyl is in either single or gatefold PVC sleeves and after reading this it sounds like I need to change them ASAP! :grimacing:
As I am going to have to change a considerable number what would be a reasonably priced option and where from?
Thanks… :+1: