How to Create a DVD Cover in Adobe Photoshop
If you shoot home movies and want to share them with friends and family, you might try creating custom DVD covers in Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop has all the tools you need to design great covers.
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Instructions
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Open Photoshop and go to "File>New." Set your document dimensions to 11 inches wide by 7.5 inches high, with a resolution of 300 pixels per inch. This size gives you 1/8 of an inch of bleed on each side of your document.
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Open the "Info" palette by going to "Window>Info." You'll use this to place guides precisely.
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Select the "Move" tool (black arrow) from the tool palette.
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Set the guides to indicate your work area by clicking on the rulers on the top and left of your screen and dragging the guides onto the work area. Drag a guide from the left ruler to the horizontal value .125 inches and another to 10.875 inches. Then drag a guide from the top ruler to the vertical value ("Y" in the Info palette) .125 inches and another to 7.375 inches.
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Set two more guides to indicate the spine area of the cover. Drag a guide from the left ruler to the horizontal value 5.25 inches, and another to 5.75 inches.
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Go to "File>Open" and select the artwork or photograph to be used on the DVD cover.
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Resize the artwork window and DVD window so that you can see both files on your screen at the same time.
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Select the "Move" tool and click and hold on your artwork and drag it to the DVD cover file.
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In the DVD cover file, resize your artwork as needed by clicking on one of the corners with the Move tool and dragging to change the size. Hold down the shift key to constrain your art's proportions.
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Continue dragging, dropping and resizing artwork until you have all of the design elements that you need.
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Use Photoshop tools to apply any special effects or text you want on your DVD cover.
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Go to "File>Print." In the "Print" dialog box, set the crop marks to .125 inches and click "OK." After you have printed your DVD cover, use a paper trimmer to cut the 1/8 inch bleed from each edge; use the crop marks to guide your cuts.
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Tips & Warnings
The measurements and guide placements described here are for a standard DVD case. If you are using a slimline or other type of case, you'll need to measure and use those dimensions.
You can find DVD templates online to avoid having to set up your file and guides yourself.
Save your work often by pressing "Control+S."
References
Resources
- Photo Credit dvd cover image by sumos from Fotolia.com
