How to Make a CD Print

You can make your own CD labels in Photoshop.

A CD print is also known as a CD label. There are many programs that specialize in helping users make their own CD prints. These programs will have built-in CD templates and you'll just have to import your images, text, or designs and click and drag them around your template. As long as you have an advanced photo editing program, such as Adobe Photoshop, and CD-labeling paper, you don't have to buy a specialty CD printing program. This program is advanced enough for you to create your own CD print, but you'll be able to loosely follow these steps to create a CD print in almost any photo editing software.

Things You'll Need

• Photo editing software
• Image/design to use on print (optional)
• CD label paper
• Printer

Instructions

1. Download a CD-print template to your computer. You can find a wide variety of CD templates on the Web on sites such as Worldlabel.com. Save the template to your desktop once you find one you like.

2. Launch your photo editing software.

3. Open the "File" menu and click on "New."

4. Browse through the files and find your CD template. Double click on the file name and the template will load into the editing software.

5. Select the "Text" tool in your image editing software and the click anywhere in the middle of your template. Type any text you would like to add to your CD print. After you type your text, you can change the font, color and size by using the text options in your image editing software.

6. Open the "File" menu and select "New" if you want to import any images or designs onto your CD print. Browse through the images on your computer and double click on the file name to import the image into your photo editor. If you're using Adobe Photoshop, open your file menu and select the "Place" option. This will allow you to open an image directly to its own layer in the project you're working on.

7. Choose the "highlight/selection" tool from your software's toolbar and select the part of the image you would like to add to your CD print. Once you have your selection, press "Ctrl + C" to copy it.

8. Press "Ctrl + V" to drop the copied image onto your workspace, and then click on the image and drag it to its proper place on the template. You may still have to trim bits of the image to make sure it fits in the template.

   You can add whatever special effects you would like to add, and you can add more text and images by repeating the appropriate steps above.

9. Click on "File" once you're satisfied with your CD print, and click on "Save as." Save the file to your computer.

10. Open the "File" menu again and click on "Print" this time. Make sure you have your CD-label paper loaded into your printer, and then print the file. The CD-label paper is designed so you can easily peel your print off the sheet once it is printed, and stick it onto the front of your CD.

References

• Worldlabel: CD Templates
• Adobe: Create CD or DVD labels easily using Photoshop and ready-to-print PDF templates
• Online Tech Tips: Create your own CD and DVD labels using free MS Word Templates