Tips for Best Quality
A few easy steps will help ensure you get the best quality printing for your disc label and inserts. Be sure to observe the following suggestions for best results:
Make sure your image is high enough resolution - 300 dpi is recommended to make sure your images and text come out sharp and clean.
If possible, save the images you want to upload as .bmp files. We can also accept .jpg files, but .bmp format produces higher quality results. To save your file as .bmp, select Save As in your design software and select .bmp as the file type it’s available.
Be sure to upload your images in RGB format (not CMYK). In Photoshop, you can adjust the format within the Image menu by selecting Mode > RGB.
When using the Photoshop templates, be sure to turn off all mask layers and guidelines before you upload the completed designs. For disc labels, this means your image will appear square prior to upload. Note: designs for disc labels should be at actual disc size (4.75", 1417 pixels).
Resizing an image - especially enlarging much past 100% of original size, will typically result in blurrier DVD or CD printing. It is best to avoid resizing images if possible.
We strongly advise that any text on your uploaded images be a 6 pt font size or higher. If the font is under 6 pts, though it may be legible on screen, we cannot guarantee its legibility after it is printed. Sans serif, thicker typefaces – especially at smaller sizes – will produce better results than fine lined, serif typefaces.
To automatically center your image design on the label or insert, you can simply use the checkboxes to "Keep Layer Centered Vertically" and "Keep Layer Centered Horizontally" on the bottom of the surface designer page. Be sure to click the “Update" button to center the image.
For Black Only disc: Use black only artwork if possible - color and greyscale artwork will not produce satisfactory results. If your design includes large solid areas of black (e.g. solid black background or large blocks of black), you should use the "full color" disc option to ensure best results. Also, due to the process of “black only" printing, we strongly recommend that you turn anti-aliasing OFF. (In Photoshop, when using the Type tool, be sure the anti-aliasing option is None.) If you don’t turn anti-aliasing off, your order could be subject to delays.
Once you have uploaded your image and added it to your design surface, make sure you use the zoom feature to carefully examine the quality, location and resolution to be sure it’s what you are hoping to get.
When you are done, save your project to ensure that it's there when you come back next time.
Uploading Images
If you have your own graphics that you'd like to use to design your CD and DVD label artwork, go to the Create Project page, and select the button for CD or DVD within the “disc options" panel. Choose color or black only and click the image of the disc or the “design" link to enter the surface designer.
Click the "My Artwork" button on the left of the page, and then click the "Upload art" button in the "Add My Artwork" section on the bottom of the page. Note that you’ll need to be logged into an account to do this.
Next, browse to the location on your PC's local storage (hard drive, removable or shared network volume) of the image file you wish to upload, and click the 'Upload Art' button to add it to your artwork files. The window will close and the upload will happen in the background. Please be patient. When the upload is complete, your image will appear in the Disc preview.
Once uploaded, your images will be stored in your online graphics library and can be used as components of your artwork on your disc surface and/or your case insert.
Note: only RGB images of .bmp and .jpg formats saved at 300 dpi or less can be uploaded.
Note: This function currently works best when using Internet Explorer on Windows PCs. On MAC OS, you should use Internet Explorer or SAFARI with OS X v.10.3 or better.
If you want to create a custom image that will cover the entire DVD or CD disc surface, you can download one of our Photoshop templates (available via the templates link at the top of the page) to design the CD or DVD label surface art offline. If you want to cover the entire disc, the printable area is a 1417 pixel diameter circle with a 288 pixel diameter center hole. (For silver knockout, use a 437 pixel diameter center hole.) Our templates include mask layers for the different disc types. Please turn off mask layers before uploading. If you don’t use the templates, format your graphics with the disc dimensions in mind, but simply upload a square image.
Once an image is uploaded and added to your CD or DVD label design surface, you should use the zoom feature within the surface designer to examine the quality and make sure it is of the proper resolution and fits properly on the disc surface.
The Upload tools for adding content to your discs cannot be used to upload images to print on the disc surface. Uploads of graphics to print on the CD or DVD surface must be done within the disc surface or case insert sections of Create Project using the "Upload Art" button.
Supported Software for Image Creation
You can use any graphics program you like so long as you can export the file as a 300dpi .bmp or .jpg file. Our graphic upload process only supports these file types. If you are unsure about how to check the resolution or file type for your file, please check the Help section of your software program or contact us.
We recommend using Photoshop or a similar program if possible. Templates for label creation are available in Photoshop format. Alternative programs include PaintShopPro, PhotoDesigner, GIMP, etc.
Note to Adobe Illustrator users: Illustrator is a vector-based program, but you will still need to save your image as a 300 dpi bitmap to upload it. Our hardware has an output resolution of 300 dpi. As long as your bitmap image looks clear at 100% view size, it will look just as clear on your disc.
Note to CD sticker label design users (like Roxio Stomper, Avery, etc): You can use your label designer only if your software allows you to save your image as a .bmp or .jpg file.
Note to Quark users: It is not possible to upload quark files directly. You can save a Quark file as .eps and then import into a program like Photoshop or Ilustrator to save again as .bmp. Alternatively, you can -- combined with Adobe Acrobat -- write to PDF, which can then be rasterized in Photoshop to a .bmp file. Note that these alternatives potentially could result in minimal image degradation.
Note to Microsoft Office users: You cannot upload a Word or Powerpoint file. You may be able to select an image from within the document, copy it, and then paste it into Microsoft Paint or a similar application to convert it to a .bmp or .jpg file, but you will achieve better results using a professional graphics program. We recommend using the online tools within Create Project section instead of these multi-step solutions.
Note: The resolution of an image is inherent to that image. You cannot load a 72 dpi image - such as an image optimized for a Web site -- into an application such as Adobe Photoshop and expect it to be sharper by simply increasing the image resolution to 300 dpi. The clarity and sharpness of the image will always depend on the resolution in which it was created.
Uploading Images
If you have your own graphics that you'd like to use for your inserts, go to the Create Project section and select the button in the "insert options" section indicating the type of insert you want. Then click on the image of the insert face (on the top part of the screen) that you want to design to enter the surface designer.
Click the "My Artwork" button on the left of the page, and then click the "Upload Art" button in the "Add My Artwork" section on the bottom of the page. Note that you'll need to be logged into an account to do this.
Next, browse to find the image file you wish to upload on your computer, and click the 'Upload Art' button to add it to your artwork files. The window will close and the upload will happen in the background. Please be patient. When the upload is complete, your image will appear in the Insert Designer preview.
Once uploaded, your images will be stored in your online graphics library and can be used as components of your artwork on your disc surface and/or your case insert.
If you want to create a custom image for the insert, you can download one of our Photoshop templates (available via the templates link at the top of each page) to design insert art offline. Our templates include mask and instruction layers for the different insert types. Please turn off all mask layers before uploading.
Note: When you design the DVD or CD inserts with our templates, the red cut lines on the insert template show you where the trimming/cutting of the paper will occur. Because this trimming process is slightly variable, make sure that your background (although no important text or graphics) extends past the cut line (to the edge of the template) to avoid the risk of white (non-printing) areas framing your insert artwork. Additionally, for best results, you should keep all important design elements (text, etc.) inside of the blue "safety" line . The online view of the surface designer displays a large red area which combines both the bleed and safety area.
Once an image is uploaded and added to your DVD or CD insert, you may need to center it with the automatic centering tools. You should also use the ZOOM feature within the insert designer to examine the quality and make sure it is of the proper resolution and fits well on your insert.
Jewel Case Inserts include 2 Panel (4/4) , 4 Panel (4/4) and Tray Cards (4/0 & 4/4). 2 panel inserts have a front and a back panel (the back panel shows on the inside back of the case front, visible when the case is opened.) 4 panel inserts have a front and a back as well as inside left and inside right panels. The "inside" panels of the 4 panel insert are folded out of view unless the insert is removed from the jewel case and opened. Tray Cards may be produced with either one-sided or two-sided printing.. In the one-sided (4/0) option, only the single panel is viewable through the clear outside plastic back of a standard jewel case, along with two 5" by ¼" spine panels (left and right, displayed on the two ends of the jewel case.) 1-sided Tray Cards are placed under a standard black plastic tray (in which the disc sits). 2-sided Tray Card (4/4) are printed on both sides and come with a clear transparent tray. Spine text is not available for the inside of tray cards.
DVD Style Inserts include both the Outside Case Slip (4/0) which is the outer case cover and an Inside Insert which comes in both 1-sided (4/0) and 2-sided (4/4) options. When purchased with cases, the DVD Inside Insert is assembled within the case clip on the inside door.
The Upload tools for adding content to your discs cannot be used to upload images to print on the inserts. Uploads of graphics for inserts must be done within the case insert sections of the Project Assembler (Create Project) using the "Upload Art" button.
