Frequently Asked Questions

We're a team of engineers, artists, musicians, producers, label owners and music fanatics based in Arcadia, CA, serving the LA music scene and artists around the world. We're audiophiles and equipment nerds first, and we care about the details others skip. Our records are pressed on a fully automatic press by trained operators, and every record is inspected by a real human.

Both, and we love it that way. Our goal is to make vinyl accessible to independent artists, small labels and worldwide touring acts. Our minimum order is 100 units.

Making a record involves cutting a lacquer, plating stampers and printing art, and those setup steps cost the same whether you press 10 or 1,000. Printing like jackets and labels also runs in minimums of 100. Under 100, the per-record cost gets steep enough that it wouldn't be a good deal for you.

Most of the time our records are all pressed right here in Arcadia. Many "cheaper" plants are actually brokers who send your work overseas, which means longer timelines and less attention to detail. We work with trusted partners for specialized steps like stamper plating and jacket printing, and we manage the whole process so you have one team to talk to.

The vinyl community in SoCal is very tight and from time to time we do use high quality partner facilities to meet client timelines, but we still oversee the production of your package and this is rare for us.

12 inch, 10 inch and 7 inch.

Not at this time. We focus on vinyl records exceptionally well, but we will soon be incorporating picture discs, and we can always recommend a vendor for cassette tapes.

12 inch vinyl weight is 140g or 160g, available on request. Both 33 and 45 RPM are available and the choice is yours. If you're not sure which is best for your music, we're happy to help with recommendations.

Fill out the quote form on our website here.

Yes! These samples are for a single 12" LP and include lacquer cutting, 2-step processing on stampers, test pressings, setup, custom printed labels and jackets, white paper sleeves, hand packing, and quality control at every step.

Black vinyl

• 100 for $2,359 ($23.59 each)
• 250 for $2,949 ($11.80 each)
• 500 for $3,712 ($7.42 each)
• 1,000 for $5,265 ($5.27 each)

Colored vinyl

• 100 for $2,554 ($25.54 each)
• 250 for $3,399 ($13.60 each)
• 500 for $4,587 ($9.17 each)
• 1,000 for $6,990 ($6.99 each)

Hi-melt or hand-poured

• 100 for $2,754 ($27.54 each)
• 250 for $3,899 ($15.60 each)
• 500 for $5,589 ($11.18 each)
• 1,000 for $8,990 ($8.99 each)

Taxes and shipping are not included, and these are examples that can change without notice. Request a custom estimate for your exact job.

The first few lines of every estimate are setup, and they're the same whether you press 100 records or 1,000. Small-run printing is also pricier per unit, for the same reason. After about 1,000 units, art printing costs flatten out. Pressing more records is the best way to lower your cost per record.

We press a premium product and give every job personal attention, so we don't discount the quality. We do have ways to help you hit a budget: recycled vinyl, generic jacket options, generic labels and more. Tell us your budget and we'll build around it.

Your estimate includes your specific job specs, sales tax where applicable, standard boxing of your final order, and shipping of your test pressings.

Please review it carefully: if it isn't on the estimate, it isn't part of the order.

Not included:

• Shipping for the final run and Epson proofs
• Vinyl mastering (unless requested and paid for)
• Changes to your mix or base audio
• Graphic design (we can refer you to third-party designers)
• The 3% credit card fee (ACH or Zelle avoids it)

Your deposit invoice is 75% of every line item, so an order of 300 records shows as 225 on the deposit invoice. Your estimate is your total order, and we use it to create your work order.

Three things need to be completed before we can start your job: your 75% deposit, your signed Pressing Agreement, and your completed Client Intake Form. Once we have all three, we consider your job set up.

From there it goes through asset submission, lacquer cutting, stamper plating, test pressings, your approval and final payment, pressing, packing and delivery. You will get digital proofs for art and test pressings for audio, so you approve every step.

We can't start your job until the deposit, agreement and intake are all done, even if your assets arrived early. Once your job is set up, each submission is reviewed in the order it was received. If something is missing, or your files don't match your order or specs, we'll reach out for clarification before moving forward.

A matrix number is a unique identifier for your recording. We etch it into the inner area of your record during lacquer cutting so every pressing can be verified and tracked. Make yours 5 to 10 characters, like AB12345. Many labels number their releases sequentially (LABEL001, LABEL002).

Once your job is set up, we send you an email named for your job: Job# // Matrix# // Project Name. Please always reply all on that thread so the whole production team stays in the loop. Starting new threads or emailing multiple people separately is the easiest way for something to get lost. A single point of contact on your side also keeps things smooth, and we promise to respond to everything!

Our payment portal offers Affirm. If you finance, we invoice 100% up front instead of the 75% deposit, because you'd need separate loans for the deposit and the balance. Financing is handled by those providers, not Onyx. However, your job must be paid in full prior to pressing.

Yes! We do represses as long as your stampers haven't left our facility and we've deemed them to be in good working condition. Reprints skip the test pressing process, so they're paid 100% up front. Ask your rep to set up your repress.

Most standard jobs take 6 to 8 weeks, and large runs take 10 to 12.

Please plan for a buffer for contingencies and shipping. Timelines are never guaranteed and snags can happen. We do have a very high rate of on-time fulfillment, and we'll do everything we can to help you hit your date.

The number one reason for delays is failure to carefully follow our submission guidelines for art and audio.

Your clock starts when all your assets are submitted in the correct form: cut-ready audio that meets our audio specs, and art built in our templates that meets our art specs. Getting records in under 4 weeks is nearly impossible, so please build in time for shipping and release logistics. Rush fees apply to any job requested in under 6 weeks, and even then we can't guarantee the date.

We process submissions in the order final files are received, so a corrected file re-enters the queue when it arrives. We'll stay as flexible as we can, and we'll share an updated timeline as soon as we can. Using the right templates and following the specs the first time is the best way to avoid delays.

• Follow the Art and Audio Submission Guidelines carefully.
• Use the templates that match your order.
• Pay invoices and approve proofs promptly.
• Keep one point of contact and reply-all on your job thread.
• And be patient: the more calls and emails we answer about a job, the less time we have to move it forward.

Five things:

• Final payment made
• Test pressings approved with a signed form on file
• Art production complete
• All materials in stock
• An open slot on the production schedule

When our fully automatic press gets humming it makes a record about every 26 seconds, and about 100 records in under 45 minutes. It has no exhaust fumes, so it's an environmentally friendly operation. Automatic pressing also means no one manually pulls records off the stampers, which protects stamper condition and prevents flaws on your records.

WAV or AIFF, stereo interleaved, 24-bit preferred (16-bit accepted), at 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz or higher. Please don't send MP3, AAC or other compressed formats, because compression robs your record of detail.

Does that sound like French to you? Contact the person who mixed or mastered your album, or contact us for help.

For a cut-ready master, send one continuous file per side (Side A.wav, Side B.wav, and so on) rather than individual songs, unless we've asked for them.

If we're mastering your release, the rules flip: send individual song files in running order (see the mastering question below). Mastering services are charged separately and must be on your estimate prior to audio submission.

We're audiophiles first, and we want your record to reflect the work you put into your music. Longer sides require narrower grooves, which means lower volume, weaker bass, more distortion and a higher risk of skips. Physics is a thing, and it can't be avoided. If your music runs long, a double LP can give it room to breathe. Our engineer will tell you plainly if a side is too long.

Leave headroom: peak around -3 dBFS, no digital clipping, and preserve your dynamic range. Heavily limited "loudness war" masters tend to translate poorly to vinyl.

A vinyl-specific master is always the best choice. Streaming and CD masters are often heavily limited and can cause distortion, inner-groove issues or reduced playback quality. We're also happy to review your audio before cutting begins if you're concerned about how it might translate to vinyl.

We always recommend it. Our genre-specialist engineers have 30+ years of experience mastering this medium, and since they also cut lacquers, they can hear how your sounds translate as they go. Digital masters are also available. Mastering isn't included unless requested and paid for.

Send pre-masters, not finished masters. Leave -3 to -6 dB of peak headroom on every track, with no brickwall limiting, clipping or distortion. Export 24-bit WAV or AIFF at one consistent sample rate across the whole project (44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96 kHz). Send each song as its own file with the final intended fades, named in running order (01 - Track Name.wav).

Include a mastering notes document with your artist name, album title, track order, side assignments, any custom spacing between songs, songs that should segue, optional reference tracks, and notes on tonal balance, dynamics or artistic intent.

Our mastering engineer will sequence the album, optimize levels, adjust EQ and dynamics where needed, and prepare the final lacquer-cutting masters for vinyl while keeping the character of your music.

Track titles, side assignments, exact running order, exact time of each track, and total time per side.

For example:

Side A
1. Track One - 4:32
2. Track Two - 5:41
3. Track Three - 6:08
Total Time: 16:21

We preserve your spacing exactly as submitted.

Very wide stereo bass can cause tracking problems. Keep very low frequencies centered, avoid excessive sub-bass, and avoid extreme stereo effects below about 150 Hz.

Listen carefully, start to finish, for clicks, pops, digital distortion, dropouts, glitches, unintended silence, incorrect fades and wrong versions or mixes. Also confirm your track order, titles, side assignments, spacing and metadata. The files you submit become the production masters.

It's possible but costly. Once lacquers are cut, any change means new lacquers and new metal parts, which adds cost and delays. Please triple-check everything first.

Every record starts with a lacquer. A cutting engineer takes your final audio and cuts it in real time onto a lacquer disc, one groove at a time. This step cannot be skipped.

After your lacquer is cut it's sent to plating, where a negative of your music is made, custom fitted to our machine. You'll get one stamper per side.

Plating is how we turn your delicate lacquer into the metal stampers that press your records. The three options differ in how many metal copies are available.

One-step: The first metal part pulled from the lacquer becomes the stamper that presses your records. The catch is that there's no going back: if the stamper is damaged during pressing, a new lacquer cut is needed to make a replacement. One-step is like driving without insurance. It's fine until something happens, and then it gets expensive and slow. That's why we don't recommend it.

Two-step (our recommendation, always): The first metal part is re-plated into a "mother," which can be used to make more stampers in the future. That mother is your safety net. At Onyx, 2-step is our standard and includes a back-up for issues and your first set of stampers. It runs up to approximately 1,000 records and makes future represses possible.

Three-step: For very long runs, the original plate is kept as a "father," which can make multiple mothers, and each mother can make multiple stampers. We offer it for larger runs.

Technically, the policy is 18 months, but as long as storage lasts, we have no plan to clear them out, and we will of course contact you before we do at the last available contact information on file.

Yes, you own them. Just request it from our team, and keep in mind we can't repress with stampers that have left our building.

Over 30 standard colors.

Clear and translucent: Clear, Clear Blue, Clear Coke, Clear Green, Clear Orange, Clear Pink, Clear Red, Highlighter Clear Yellow, Translucent Emerald Green, Translucent Orange and Translucent Violet.

Opaque: Maroon, Pink, Red, Sky Blue, Turquoise, Blue, Bright Orange, Dark Green, Deep Purple, Duckie Yellow, Green and Jade.

Also available: Virgin Black, Electric Seaglass Blue, Glow-in-the-Dark Blue or Green, and Naturals.

They're custom swirls and blends that make every record individually unique, with one-of-a-kind patterns that occur naturally during manufacturing. They're perfect for limited editions, tour exclusives and promotions, with unlimited color combinations. Liquid-filled vinyl is also available by special request for collectors.

Slightly, though most listeners won't notice. Virgin black always has the best audio quality. If you want color and are concerned about sound, pick a bold clear or opaque color and avoid white, glow-in-the-dark and sparkle hi-melt.

Yes! When we switch colors, it takes about 20 to 30 pressings before the vinyl stops picking up hints of the previous color. We call these "transitional" records. Clear, translucent and white vinyl are especially sensitive.

We're happy to include transitional copies at no extra charge, and many clients love the swirls and treat them as limited editions. If you want fully separated colors, we can add an extruder cleaning fee for each cleaning required.

These need an extruder cleaning to get consistent records, so there's a cleaning fee. Otherwise you can accept transitional copies at no charge. If every record must be 100% clear or white, ask us to add the cleaning.

Yes: bio-vinyl (a greener vinyl with the same quality), recycled vinyl on request, recycled generic chipboard jacket options (hole or no-hole), and a selection of reusable poly bags.

They're your chance to hear and correct issues before the full run. Every order includes 4-5 test pressings, with more available to purchase. They're pressed on black vinyl with Onyx white labels and reviewed in-house before shipping. They confirm your audio sequence and sound quality.

Your remaining balance is due when you approve them, and we need a signed approval form before we press your full run. Shipping on test pressings is included.

They're pressed from the exact same metal parts, so any differences tell us something. If a skip or groove collision happens at the exact same spot on every copy, it points to a cutting or source issue, and we'd work with you on a recut. If only one copy has a problem, it's likely an isolated manufacturing defect like non-fill (molten vinyl not fully filling the stamper grooves). Pitch or speed differences are usually turntable speed rather than the cut.

Each test pressing gets both a physical and an audio inspection. We listen on a quality consumer-level turntable that mirrors your fans' home setups. We also avoid very low-end turntables, since poor tonearm adjustment, inconsistent tracking force and unknown needle conditions make it hard to judge the pressing instead of the playback gear.

Absolutely, just schedule your visit ahead of time. It's a line-level setup meant to mirror your fans' home turntables. Our personal rider requirements for DJ gigs are much fancier!

Tell us exactly where and what you hear, and we'll listen on our end. If it's a problem on our side, we cover the fix. If we can't find an issue on our end and the test pressing is declined, recutting, replating and re-pressing are billed to you and add roughly 3+ weeks.

Please check your test pressings promptly and report concerns in writing within 7 days of receiving them. Send the specific side, track and time, and a description of what you're hearing.

Every record is inspected by a human, every time, for dust, dimples, scratches and warps. We also check for correct matrix numbers, correct center labels on both sides, and correct color saturation. Artwork is reviewed for defects, print issues and construction quality before packing. No record leaves our shop that we wouldn't be proud to put our own music on.

You can, but we do NOT recommend it, because we don't know your music like you do. We won't know if the tracks are out of order or if you submitted the wrong version. If you must, you will sign a waiver and accept the audio as cut. We always review pressings for vinyl and pressing defects.

A 75% deposit starts your job, and the remaining balance is due when you approve your test pressings. We prefer ACH or Zelle.

Sales tax is included on your estimate unless you have a California reseller permit or an out-of-state address.

Possible, but likely with extra charges. After approvals, changes can still happen but delay your timeline and are often expensive. Upgrading a running order is free of charge, while downsizing carries a fee and has limits. Submit carefully so your records are right the first time.

Canceled orders are subject to a restocking fee, and after pressing begins, we can't offer refunds. Please see your Pressing Agreement for the exact terms.

Over- and under-production is common in the pressing industry. We allow up to 10% plus or minus, and you are only charged for the vinyl usage on any overrun.

Yes, it's REQUIRED. In your Pressing Agreement you confirm that the audio, artwork, text and other content don't infringe anyone's rights and that you're cleared to use them. If your release includes covers or samples, please make sure those are cleared before you submit.

Please check your delivery right away. Report any issue in writing within 7 days of receiving it. Verified manufacturing or material defects are replaced or credited.

Each box is packed snug and spaced top and bottom, labeled with your matrix number, quantity and color. Double boxing is available for a small fee.

Yes, from our Arcadia warehouse. We'll schedule your pickup, and an authorized person signs a record release form. If your order isn't picked up or shipped within 20 days of the agreed completion date, storage fees may apply.

Yes! Please give us specific contact information, and allow time for unpredictable customs delays. Customs and border costs are the customer's responsibility. Please familiarize yourself with international shipping regulations, as we do not take responsibility for meeting the requirements of your destination country.

Shipping goes through third-party carriers, so rates change constantly. We can provide an estimate, just ask.

We can't guarantee carrier handling, but we do everything we can to help. We highly recommend pallet shipping, double-boxing, or local pickup. Parcel shipping has insurance limitations.

It's possible but carries risks. Give us a specific venue contact, confirm that they'll accept the delivery, and leave buffers for shipping issues. We'll do our best to help.

We'd love to help you promote your work. Add your socials and your request on the Client Intake Form. Sometimes production needs our attention first, so content isn't guaranteed.

Talk to your client services rep. Depending on job size, schedule and production factors it may be possible, with some caveats.

We host an annual independent record fair, our community open house, tentatively planned for December 2026. Admission is free, all ages are welcome, and there are friends, vendors, food and open decks. Follow us on socials and Resident Advisor for the date.

Group tours are available case by case as our schedule allows, and individual tours are reserved for serious buyers and scheduled ahead of time.

High-quality vinyl and art production, hand inspection through packaging, and a dedicated customer service team. We're musicians and fans too, and we genuinely care that you end up with an extraordinary product for your art.

info@onyxrecordpress.com, 626-217-2617, onyxrecordpress.com, and @onyxrecordpress on social media.