In 1994, NEATO published a CD-R project on over 2,000 CD's. NEATO realized there was no cost effective, professional way to label short production runs of the CD-Rs.

A scan of the market provide three options:

1. a $3,000 screen printer that required special discs and printers;
2. using a standard address label, which could throw off the balance of the disc; or
3. handwriting on the discs with a pen, which looked unprofessional and could possibly damage the disc and data.

None of these options were very appealing. Knowing there had to be a better way, the NEATO production staff set about to find it.

It all started with an old Mr. Coffee machine.

Three things were needed: die-cut labels that fit perfectly on disc, templates to create and design the labels, and a centering device. The labels took some back and forth with a local printer to get the specs right, and after that software was written using a team of Graphic software developers. But the centering device-now therein lies the "Yankee Ingenuity."

The closest circular platform device at hand was a Mr. Coffee filter base. They found a round metal disc and drilled a hole to match precisely the diameter of a bob, similar to a spinning top, which would hold the CD to be labeled. By placing the metal disc (simulating the label) on the filter base and then lowering the CD-toting bob through the hole, the label was applied perfectly every time. Both visitors and staff would watch in awe as the production crew labeled thousands of discs (actually, about 20,000) with this simple, non-technical device. They would exclaim "neat" or "NEATO!" with every disc. Voila--the concept of NEATO had been born. Over 5,000,000 CDs - and now DVDs - have been labeled using this rudimentary coffee filter-version of what has become the NEATO Labeler System.

The NEATO Kit includes everything a user needs to design, print, apply and package professional-looking CDs and DVDs. It features the NEATO-FACE™ design software and templates for popular graphics programs (Mac/PC) to make it easy for individuals to create labels on their computer. Both color and black & white digital images are included in a variety of categories for use as background are. The kit also comes with precision die-cut labels, jewel case inserts and Print&File envelopes (labels, inserts and envelopes are laser and/or inkjet printer compatible). The kit's patented NEATO applicator allows users to apply labels in just seconds. Jewel case inserts include a four-page booklet and tray liner with two spines, which are perforated for easy separation and scored for accurate folding. And, the latest addition to the NEATO family and Print&File Envelopes - the economical environmentally-friendly alternative to jewel cases.

For anyone burning their own CDs or DVSs, either for internal or external distribution, the challenge has been labeling and packaging the finished product in a professional, yet economical manner. At $79.95, NEATO fits into any budget, yet produces results that look like you spent a fortune. And, with the explosion of the CD-ROM and DVD-ROM market, the need for NEATO reaches all types of consumers: data-intensive companies like law firms and insurance companies, musicians, multimedia artists, and home users. Nowhere else is there and all-in-one solution to your labeling and packaging problem.

The NEATO Media Labeler Kit is being sold to large and small companies across the globe. Microsoft, Apple Computers, The Grateful Dead, the New York Knicks, Walt Disney Corporate Studios, Dramworks SKG, Lucent Technologies, and Viacom are all putting the product to use. In fact, NEATO-labeled CDs are being used on Space Shuttle missions and aboard the Mire Space Station. To top it off, Imaging Magazine named NEATO a 1996 Product of the Year before jewel case inserts and Print&File envelopes were added!

What was once a simple device designed to make a company's products look better is now an international company with offices in the US, Europe and patents in over 20 countries. Now that's a story!