CD Cover Artwork, What is Industry Standards? Help!
Mike
I am still kinda new to desktop publishing, and I have the chance to
design the artwork & layout for a CD of a local band. Lets say I have some
photos, artwork, and I know what text I need. What should I use to put it
all together? Quark? PageMaker? When I do my own CD covers at home for
minor personal stuff, I use only Photoshop, but I want to do this right
for the band.
Secondly, what do I need to know about getting this stuff printed
professionally, and preparing the files to get printed.
As you can see, I need a lot of help!
Has anyone done this, and can anyone give me some pointers??
Thanks....Please email at evil...@aol.com.
CYA,
Mike
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andrew
As far as which programs to use, it depends on personal choice as well as
what you intend to produce.
Carol Ott
your printer may require something different. I assume the band is using
DiscMakers or Oasis -- a CD replication place. They should be able to
provide you with the specs.
--Carol
"Mike" <evil...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:tcmfg62...@corp.supernews.com...
Odysseus
>
> I am still kinda new to desktop publishing, and I have the chance to
> design the artwork & layout for a CD of a local band. Lets say I have some
> photos, artwork, and I know what text I need. What should I use to put it
> all together? Quark? PageMaker? When I do my own CD covers at home for
> minor personal stuff, I use only Photoshop, but I want to do this right
> for the band.
Use Photoshop for photos and 'tonal' graphics, but export the files as
EPSF or TIFF and do the layout in an illustration or layout program for
text and vector art to look their best. Which program you use is largely
a matter of taste, and of what will be accepted by whomever is doing the
film. I would use FreeHand or XPress myself, but CorelDraw, PageMaker,
InDesign or Illustrator would also be appropriate.
If you use XPress or PageMaker and the printer wants a 'font-free' file,
an extra conversion step will be required; the other programs can turn
type into outlines before exporting EPS. PageMaker's exported EPSF can
be harder to work with than the others'. But if the printer will accept
a 'native' file any of these programs should be fine.
> Secondly, what do I need to know about getting this stuff printed
> professionally, and preparing the files to get printed.
There are a lot of variables here: will you be getting the printing done
through the outfit that presses the CDs, or are you arranging it
yourself? The only thing I can suggest is to get specifications from the
printer detailing what they want or expect. Otherwise, all I can advise
is to construct the document like any other high-quality offset-printed
piece. Remember to include bleeds, if the design runs to the edges of
the paper, and be careful to get your measurements correct as CD inserts
must be trimmed and folded to tighter tolerances than brochures and the like.
> As you can see, I need a lot of help!
> Has anyone done this, and can anyone give me some pointers??
Feel free to ask any specific questions that come up ...
--Odysseus