Since I stopped ACDSleeve in 2018 I’ve had some awful jobs (one of which I walked out of after one day) but in between the awful jobs I found a great job where I learned a huge amount about structural packaging design, print and manufacture, taking what I had self taught myself from ACDSleeve and increasing my knowledge and skills. This is the basis of where ACDSleeve mk2 will start from.

I got made redundant from that job, eventually found another job working on soul destroying briefs which went nowhere, which pushed me to rethink what I want to do.

Also, Brexit, Covid, Trump…perhaps not the best time to be resetting up a once failed business.

Despite announcing setting back up in December 2024, things have taken much longer than anticipated to get going. Finding studio space took 6 months, and setting that up another couple of months, then getting back to designing and figuring out ways to produce everything in-house has been a lot of work. Rebuilding this website has also been a slog, but, it’s pretty much there now.

I never thought in December 2024 that I’d be able to produce everything in-house, so the time has been incredibly important.

All being well everything will be online and ready to go in June 2026

For the time being they’re a work in progress. I want to try and make everything as plastic free as possible, and the vacuum formed hubs are tricky to replicate. I’ve figured out a way to make the single pop up plastic free but it needs a bit more testing. The Double Pop Out is another story…

Despite them being what put ACDSleeve “on the map” I never did all that many orders of them as they had to be incredibly expensive due to how they were produced, all being well being able to make everything in-house I should be able to rectify that.

Hopefully, yes. My skills in structural design having massively improved coupled with having the facilities to print/cut/crease in house, if you have an idea for something made in card I can probably help.

There are restrictions, size for instance, but if you consider the size of a 12” gatefold laid flat, which I can produce in-house, then that’s an indicator.

Corrugated work is limited to E-Flute thickness (1.5mm) and can’t be printed in house.

Pretty much, but massively expanded, with the scope to grow over time.

Sure, I’ve done a few design only projects already which are being mass produced on the other side of the world. Get in touch with what you need and I’ll figure out some costs,.

Yes!

They’re coming back soon, rebranded as DIY Blanks, along with cassette and vinyl options. They’re next on the to-do list

No. While I figure everything out I’m sticking to short runs, quantities above what’s priced up on the site are doable, but prices wouldn’t come down too much due to being a one man operation.

This has been a big sticking point for me, as much as I am not keen on the slight cracking which can develop in the print along creases on uncoated board, which I don’t hide, I am keen to not use plastic as much as possible this time around.

I am aware that all music formats are made in plastic, but offcuts of board covered in plastic can’t be recycled here and will end up in landfill.

This isn’t something I offer as standard, but due to the set up it is doable. It would be for a fee due to the work involved on set up, which could go against the final order cost.

A digital proof will be sent ahead of production to check layout is correct.

Sure, send me an email

At the moment, no. The first time I did this the UK was still part of the EU, making international postage an expensive, but possible, now it’s looking to be a lot of work and much more expensive. It’s something I’ll have to look into once I’m more set up.

Saying that though, get in touch if you’re interested in working together, there’s always exceptions to the rules.