Picture Disc

A Picture Disc (English, Slice ') is a special form of the record, in which, contrary to the usual black color a picture is incorporated on the surface. The first picture discs appeared in the 1970s as an evolution of colored and transparent records. Picture discs are still produced today in small editions.

Picture discs are manufactured by an adhesive film is placed in the press machine on the Stamper from the A side (lower side ) and then the paper image for the page A. Then comes the 150 ° C hot mass placed on and in this mass is still the picture for the B side with the adhesive film and the Stamper B ( stampers are an integral part of automatic presses ). After that, pressing and cutting the Quetschrandes of the finished record done. Only the pressure in this case is automatic, all other steps must be performed by hand. A Picture Disc requires at least one minute for the production, which means that a maximum of 60 pieces per hour can be produced (rather less). Therefore, the short-run.

Often comes in these plates next to the usual black and colored plastic are also used to support the action. The images used range from mere images of the album covers to optical illusions that are caused by the rotation of the disk on the turntable. The 1979 album The Worker of the English group Fischer-Z for example, shows the image of a train on a circular railway track that constantly moves in a circle when playing the disc.

Despite the fact that picture discs due to the complex manufacturing processes and materials used, usually a lower quality sound than conventional records, they are very sought after by collectors. For one, they often represent a large graphic and artistic performance, on the other picture discs appear most often in a much smaller circulation than the ordinary pressures of black polyvinyl chloride.

• Record