The jewel case is the standard CD packaging option, and is the most commonly-used. A jewel case has a clear plastic cover with a slot for holding a booklet or artwork. The back part of the jewel case is made of clear plastic and designed to hold a paper artwork lining. The back part also has a tray insert that holds the disc. The insert can be clear or colored. There are also versions of jewel cases designed to hold multiple discs.
Slimline cases are half as thick as standard jewel cases. The front cover is similar to that of a standard case, but the back part of a slimline case is a one-piece plastic tray. The slimline case has a slot on the front part for a booklet or artwork. While slimline cases are smaller and easier to ship, they do not have as much room for artwork.
One common type of folding paper case is the digipak. A digipak is the same size as a standard jewel case, but has a printed cardboard exterior and a plastic tray glued to the inside. Other types of folding paper cases may not have a tray inside; rather, they use inserts on the flaps of the case to hold the CD and booklet.
Disc sleeves are the thinnest and cheapest form of disc packaging; however, they lack aesthetic features and don't protect the CD as well as other styles of packaging. Sleeves are square-shaped and marginally larger than a CD. They use a flap on one side of the packaging to hold the disc inside. Sleeves are commonly made out of paper or plastic. Plastic sleeves are usually transparent, and some paper sleeves feature a see-through plastic covering on one side. There are also cardboard sleeves that tightly grip the disc without using a flap.
There are dozens of other types of special cases. Two of these cases are the Discbox Slider and the JakeBox. The Discbox Slider is a thick cardboard sleeve that incorporates a flap that can be pulled out to expose the disc. The JakeBox is similar to a digipak, except it uses a pop-up-book-like mechanism to lift the CD from the case.