How to Make a Homemade CD Cover
New digital technology allows you to create your own CDs from scratch. This includes the creation of a cover for your CD. Although you have the option of creating a graphic that fits inside the confines of a plastic CD case, you can also create a self-contained CD cover from card stock. For those who are eco-friendly, this is a nice alternative. It allows you to make a protective cover for your CD without worrying about putting plastic in a landfill later.
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Things You'll Need
- CDs
- Sketching supplies
- Computer
- Clip Art CD
- Camera and accessories
- Flatbed scanner
- Card stock
- Printer
- Rubber Cement
Instructions
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1
Measure the CD. This will give you and idea of how wide the graphics on your CD cover need to be to cover the CD and not get hidden in the folds.
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2
Decide on a design theme for your CD cover. For example, if it's a CD of your garage band, you may want to consider using a funny picture of your band or a graphic representation of the title song.
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3
Make some design sketches of your idea. Play around a bit with the visual possibilities available to you. Additionally, make sure that the design will fit over the CD. If you're not sure, mark up your sketch pad accordingly. Since this is going to be made from a piece of card stock, chances are that you'll place the design right in the center and toward the middle of the CD. (See Resources 1 for a visual for marking your CD cover properly)
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4
Make a file folder on your computer for this project. Inside, you'll place all of the audio and visual files related to it.
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5
Begin looking through your Clip Art CD for possible images. Save these images in your file folder as you go.
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6
Take any of the photographs you require for the project. Upload them to your computer either using the equipment that came with your digital camera or using a scanner. Follow the operating instructions that came with these pieces of hardware.
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Store your photos in your file folder.
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8
Start up your graphic design program. Choose a program with which you have a great deal of familiarity, so that you're not spending your time learning the program instead of laying out your CD cover.
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9
Create a name for your graphic document and save the document in your file folder.
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10
Start putting together your design. Consult your design sketches for the proper placement for your graphic. Based on this, add your photos and clip art to the CD cover. Since you're going to be using a full piece of card stock, the design should be located in the center of an 8 ½ by 11 inch piece of paper and about half way down on the page.
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11
Place your textual information on the file.
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12
Put card stock in your computer and print it out.
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13
Fold the card stock around the CD. Glue the ends in place with rubber cement.
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14
Slide the CD into the cover once the glue dries.
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1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit cd image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
