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JARS OF CLAY - FRAIL AUTHENTICITY GUIDE

Taken from the Jarchives messageboard, with permission from the author stand_1998

What is the Frail CD?
* background information
* direct reference to the existence of the Frail CD on the 1996 release Jars Of Clay Interactive - The Complete Jars Of Clay Experience: "audio selections from Frail, the critically-acclaimed demo project"
Why create this guide?
* to help would-be Frail CD purchasers know what to look for in an authentic release
* to clear up all the false information and speculation that is scattered throughout the internet
* to help stop the sale of many factory-pressed fraud CDs known as the "black ring" or "CHRISTIAN CD 021227"
Facts confirmed by Jars of Clay lead singer, Dan Haseltine:
* there were two pressings by Disc Makers
* only 1500 units were created
* the frauds had the black ring around them
Authentic CD Attributes:
* factory-pressed disc (ie. CD data side is silver)
* disc has an inner-ring CD matrix: DIDX 021227 (visible on front and back)
* the text on all printed materials is clear and crisp
* half-tone (black and white) images
What About the "black ring" CD?
* even though it's a pressed 'silver' CD, it's fake and was confirmed by Dan
* many quality issues and fake/duplication errors (see images below)
 
Images comparing an authentic CD to the fake "black ring" CD:
note: images scanned using calibrated (IT8 targets) Epson Perfection V600 at 600dpi

Comparison 1: disc art resized to 72dpi



no black ring
CD matrix: DIDX 021227
sharp and defined text
black ink feels raised


black ring surrounding jar logo
missing CD matrix
text is blurred
black ink feels raised

Comparison 2: disc art 600dpi cropped to copyright text



jagged edges in jar logo
sharp and defined text


jar logo missing detail, rounded edges
text is blurred

Comparison 3: disc art 600dpi cropped to catalog number



sharp and defined text


text is blurred
different font (e.g. "R")

Comparison 4: disc art resized to 150dpi cropped to CD matrix



DIDX 021227


no CD matrix
upper-left jar logo doesn't connect
blank where CD matrix should be

Comparison 5: data side of CD resized to 150dpi cropped to CD matrix



factory-pressed disc
mirror-image of front CD matrix


factory-pressed disc
different CD matrix

Comparison 6: album art resized to 72dpi



half-tone (black and white) image
sharp and detailed


green hue due to RGB printing
full of artifacts

Comparison 7: album art 600dpi cropped to part of "J"



no artifacts
sharp and detailed


different print pattern
coloured artifacts

comparison 8: liner notes 600dpi cropped to upper-left catalog number



sharp image
sharp and defined text


RGB printing method
top-left corner missing part of image