Overview

Creating high quality CDs and DVDs is easy!

Upload your own custom artwork or use our stock image collection to design beautiful printed discs and inserts for your project, using our simple, easy design and text tools. Of course you can also create finished artwork and upload it to apply to your project.

In the Create Project section of the site, first select the disc, case and insert you want to produce. Click on the image that appears above ("Click to Design") to use the surface designer, and create custom art for your project.

Click on the additional topics on the left to learn more about the options for printing your artwork, as well as helpful tips for creating high quality results.

Print Quality

Disc surface:

Our duplication service typically uses a patented thermal printing technology to emboss high-resolution images directly onto the disc surface. These are not stickers - this is high quality direct-on-disc printing. The DVD and CD printing has a durable finish. It is scratch resistant, will not fade in the sun, and is waterproof. The result is superior to DVD and CD label stickers.

Due to the nature of the printing technology used, there can be a variation within runs as well as between runs in color; we cannot guarantee color matching, though customers normally find the results very satisfactory. If color matching is critical to you on a duplication order, please contact us for instructions on how to obtain a Proof sample before your order is produced.

In some cases we use silk screen, offset printing or similar technology for large duplication orders.

Please be aware that while all printing methods produce beautiful, durable results, the appearance of the same artwork printed in different methods may be noticeably different.

Inserts:

Inserts are professional grade, printed on 80 to 100 pound stock using four-color digital offset printing to deliver high quality results.

Color Quality

Our printers are able to reproduce vibrant colors. Be aware, however, that the colors you see on your computer monitor depend on the settings of that monitor and can only approximate what you will see on your disc label or insert. Monitor color spaces are in RGB and disc surface for CD and DVD printing is done in CMYK. The result is that there are some colors which can be displayed on a screen which cannot be reproduced in print and vice versa. It is possible there will be only a minor shift and possibly a more dramatic one depending on the colors you use, though typically, they are very comparable.

Due to the issues surrounding RGB, CMYK, monitor variations and color subjectivity, we cannot guarantee precise color matching. Our system does not automatically support Pantone Color Matching - a system used by print professionals to ensure accurate color. If you have precise color matching requirements, feel free to contact us to discuss your needs and we can explore offline solutions.

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.

Using Stock Images

If you are interested in using pre-existing images for your disc label, you can choose from among hundreds of attractive stock images available on the website to design the CD or DVD label artwork. From within the Create Project tab, select the button for CD or DVD within the "disc options" panel. Click the image of the disc or the "design" link to enter the surface designer. The "Free Images" button on the left will provide you with a full art library to browse. Simply click on the image you want to print on the CD or DVD disc surface.

Stock images are only available for full color disc printing.

Once the image is added, you can reposition it by clicking on the disc preview. Just click where you want the center of the image to go. You can also resize the image, and have the option to center it on the disc automatically by using the check boxes at the bottom of the page to reposition the images.

Our library is stocked with all manner of images for you to choose from in several different categories (use the pull down menu to quickly switch to a different category).

Please note that this stock art should NOT be used if you plan to use silver effect for your DVD or CD label.

Templates for Label Design

Download one of our Photoshop graphics templates from the My Account section of the website or the templates link near the top of the site. You can then use this template to design the CD or DVD label artwork within your desktop graphics software. Using these templates will ensure that your images will be sized correctly.

Be sure to hide the mask and instruction layers before uploading the images to us. The final image you upload to us should look like a square (not a circle) but we will print only the portion that fits within the disc borders.

File Formats

We highly recommend using only bitmap (.bmp) images at 300 dpi so that your images and text come out sharp and clean.

While .jpg files are supported, for Black Only or Full Color with Silver Effect discs we highly recommend .bmp files. Sorry, no other formats are supported at this time.

They must be in RGB format (not CMYK). No other type of file, including .pdf files, can be uploaded. See Tips for Best Quality for more information.

Adjusting Image Size

There are two ways to adjust the size of an image. First, make sure the image layer is active. To make a layer active, click the mini-image in the layer box corresponding to that image - the layer box will turn darker to indicate that the image layer has been selected. You’ll then see tools on the bottom of the page to help you resize it.

The first way to resize the image is to change the scale factor when the "Constrain Proportions" box is checked. This will keep the width and height of the image proportional no matter how large or small you make your image. This is especially helpful for images you’ve uploaded as personal photos tend to be rectangular rather than square or round. After entering the scale factor, click the "Update" button to have your changes displayed in the disc preview.

The second way to resize an image only works for Internet Explorer 4.0 and above. When the '"Constrain Proportions" checkbox is unchecked, two new text boxes will appear that allow you to manipulate each dimension of the image independently (note that the width and height of the disc is 4.72 inches). This way you can stretch the image in either direction. After changing the image dimensions, click the 'Update’ button to display your changes in the design of the CD or DVD disc preview.

Note: 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.

Moving and Centering Images

To change the location of an image, be sure the image layer is active. To make a layer active, click the mini-image in the layer box corresponding to that image – the layer box will turn darker to indicate that the image has been selected. Once the layer is active, click with your cursor on the area of the disc preview where you want the image to be repositioned. The image will be centered around the spot that you click. If you wish to automatically center your image design on the DVD or CD label surface (either horizontally and/or vertically), you can do so simply by using the checkboxes to "Keep Layer Centered Vertically" and "Keep Layer Centered Horizontally" on the bottom of the page. If you use the automatic tool to center the image, be sure to click the “Update” button.

Adding Text

To add text to your disc surface, click the "Text" button on the left side of the Surface Design page. Select the color, size, and font that you'd like for your text (to preview what the fonts look like use the "See View" link to the right of the pull-down menu).

After selecting your font attributes, type your text into the text box, and click "Create Layer." You will see your new layer of text appear in the Layers manager on the top right of the page. To reposition your text, be sure the layer is selected in the Layers manager and click any spot on the disc image and the text will be centered there. To reposition your text, click any spot on the disc image and the text will be centered there. Checking the "Center Vertically" or "Center Horizontally" boxes will center the text vertically or horizontally, respectively. Click on "Update" and the text will appear on your disc preview.

HINT: Click on the "Text" button each time you'd like to add another line of text with a different font, size, color, or location. This will create a new layer of text that you can modify without affecting the other lines of text. This is especially useful if you want to have text appear at various spots on the surface design. To edit a specific layer, click on the T image in the layer box at the right corresponding to the layer you want to edit or move. The layer box will highlight to indicate which text layer has been selected. (Note that you will need to hit the Text button on the left between adding new text layers - otherwise you’ll just be editing the text in the active layer.)

Aligning Text

You can only center complete text blocks layers on the surface of the disc; you cannot automatically center or right justify individual lines of text within a text block. If you want each line to be centered or right-justified, you should click the "Text" button for each line to create a new text block that you can manipulate independently on the disc surface, including using the “Center Horizontally” and “Center Vertically” functions described in the Adding Text section. To get a rough approximation, you can also use leading spaces within a text block to center or right justify text - just keep in mind that the font in the text box editor may be different from the one that you select for printing on the disc, so you’ll need to keep clicking “Update” to see the results of the leading spaces until you get it right. Always use the zoom feature to inspect your results to be sure you are satisfied.

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.

Understanding "Black Only"

Within Create Project, if you wish to have black only monochrome printing, simply select the "Black Only" button from the "disc options" section of the control panel. Although your uploaded images and selected clipart may be in color, selecting this option will convert all artwork on your disc surface to a black and white image. We will print this CD or DVD label artwork using our monochrome black thermal printing process. This results in a lower cost per disc (see the pricing link at the top of the page) but is advisable only for high contrast black type and/or logos. We recommend using black only artwork if possible - color and greyscale artwork will likely 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.

Additionally, be sure anti-aliasing is turned OFF.

CAUTION: Images uploaded in .jpg file format for black only printing may result in low quality printing.

Understanding "Silver Effect"

The "Silver Effect" option allows you to use the silver disc surface as part of your design. You select whether you want "Silver Effect" on or off within the disc surface section of Create Project by toggling the option via the link in the top left (applies to color-printed disc only). When you do this, any part of your disc artwork that is pure white (255:255:255 in RGB mode) will be left unprinted so the silver color of the disc surface shows through. To confirm what parts are knocked out, click the “Zoom in” button to open a window with a high-resolution image of your disc surface. Within this window, the silver portions of your design will be displayed as a blue and yellow checkerboard pattern.

If you intend to use your own uploaded artwork with the silver effect we highly recommend uploading your images as .bmp files ONLY. Images saved as .jpg may produce unsatisfactory results. Also, please make sure to zoom in on your label to verify that the portions that you wish to be silver show up in the blue and yellow checkerboard pattern. This is true even if you use clip-art images from our library – not all of them work properly with silver effect. When you inspect your zoomed image, be sure to keep a sharp eye out for stray white pixels that may be knocking out to silver in sections of the disk that you didn’t want. Also, look for white frosting around the borders of the checkerboard pattern - this occurs if the border between white and off-white or other colors are not crisp. Since the silver effect option changes all pure white (255:255:255) - and only pure white - to silver, off-white pixels will print as off-white, not silver. For example, if you upload a .jpg image (which uses anti-aliasing at the borders of color changes), you will see a white frosting around the edge of your silver knockout, and your edges will not be clean. You will only be able to detect this in advance by using the zoom function.

Image Resolution

Uploaded files should be 300dpi if possible. Lower resolution images pose the risk of poor print quality.

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.

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.

Using Stock Images

If you’d are interested in using pre-existing images for your insert, you can choose from among hundreds of attractive stock images available on the website to design the insert artwork. From within the Create Project tab, select the button for within the "insert options" panel. Click the image of the insert or the "design" link to enter the surface designer. The "Free Images" button on the left will provide you with a full art library to browse. Simply click on the image you want to print on your insert.

Once the image is added, you can reposition it by clicking on the insert preview. You can add multiple images and resize and reposition them to create the insert with your own designs. Just click where you want the center of the image to go. You can also resize the image, and have the option to center it on the disc automatically by using the check boxes at the bottom of the page to reposition the images.

Our library is stocked with all manner of images for you to choose from in several different categories (use the pull down menu to quickly switch to a different category). All of these images have been tested for high quality DVD and CD insert printing.

Templates for Insert Design

Download one of our Photoshop graphics templates from the My Account section of the website or the templates link near the top of the site or from any of the individual Designer modules. You can then use these templates to design the CD or DVD insert artwork within your Adobe Photoshop PSD-compatible desktop graphics software. Using these templates will ensure that your images are sized correctly and that you can more clearly see bleed lines and safety margins.

When creating your design, be sure to extend your design to the outside edge of the template. The red cut line indicates where the insert will likely be trimmed, but you should not put any critical design elements including text within the indicated bleed or safety areas. Best practice will maintain all critical elements within the blue lines.

Be sure to turn off/hide the mask and instruction layers before uploading any images built within these Photoshop templates.

File Formats

We highly recommend using bitmap (.bmp) images at 300 dpi so that your images and text come out sharp and clean. We also support .jpg files. If you are having problems uploading your .bmp image, it may be due to the file size. In this case, we suggest saving it as a .jpg and uploading that file. As always, we will review your artwork quality before production.

They must be in RGB format (not CMYK). No other type of file, including .pdf files, can be uploaded. See Tips for Best Quality for more information.

Adjusting Image Size

There are two ways to adjust the size of an image. First, make sure the image layer is active. To make a layer active, click the mini-image in the layer box corresponding to that image - the layer box will turn darker to indicate that the image layer has been selected. You’ll then see tools on the bottom of the page to help you resize it.

The first way to resize the image is to change the scale factor when the "Constrain Proportions" box is checked. This will keep the width and height of the image proportional no matter how large or small you make your image. This is especially helpful for images you’ve uploaded as personal photos tend to be rectangular rather than square or round. After entering the scale factor, click the “Update” button to have your changes displayed in the insert preview.

The second way to resize an image only works for Internet Explorer 4.0 and above. When the "Constrain Proportions" checkbox is unchecked, two new text boxes will appear that allow you to manipulate each dimension of the image independently (note that the width and height of the disc is 4.72 inches). This way you can stretch the image in either direction. After changing the image dimensions, click the 'Update’ button to display your changes in the design of the insert preview.

Note: Resizing an image - especially enlarging much past 100% of original size, will typically result in blurrier printing. It is best to avoid resizing images if possible.

Moving and Centering Images

To change the location of an image, be sure the image layer is active. To make a layer active, click the mini-image in the layer box corresponding to that image - the layer box will turn darker to indicate that the image has been selected. Once the layer is active, click with your cursor on the area of the insert preview where you want the image to be repositioned. The image will be centered around the spot that you click. If you wish to automatically center your image design on the DVD or CD label surface (either horizontally and/or vertically), you can do so simply by using the checkboxes to "Keep Layer Centered Vertically" and "Keep Layer Centered Horizontally" on the bottom of the page. If you use the automatic tool to center the image, be sure to click the “Update” button.

Adding Text

To add text to your insert, click the "Text" button on the left side of the Surface Design page. Select the color, size, and font that you'd like for your text (to preview what the fonts look like use the “View All” link to the right of the pull-down menu).

After selecting your font attributes, type your text into the text box, and click "Create Layer." You will see your new layer of text appear in the Layers manager on the top right of the page. To reposition your text, be sure the layer is selected in the Layers manager and click any spot on the label image and the text will be centered there. Checking the "Center Vertically" or "Center Horizontally" boxes will center the text vertically or horizontally, respectively. Click on "Update" and the text will appear on your label preview.

HINT: Click on the "Text" button each time you'd like to add another line of text with a different font, size, color, or location. This will create a new layer of text that you can modify without affecting the other lines of text. This is especially useful if you want to have text appear at various spots on the insert design. To edit a specific layer, click on the "T" image in the layer box at the right corresponding to the layer you want to edit or move. The layer box will highlight to indicate which text layer has been selected. (Note that you will need to hit the Text button on the left between adding new text layers - otherwise you’ll just be editing the text in the active layer.)

Aligning Text

You can only center complete text blocks layers on the insert panel; you cannot automatically center or right justify individual lines of text within a text block. If you want each line to be centered or right-justified, you should click the "Text" button for each line to create a new text block that you can manipulate independently on the disc surface, including using the "Center Horizontally" and "Center Vertically" functions described in the Adding Text section. To get a rough approximation, you can also use leading spaces within a text block to center or right justify text - just keep in mind that the font in the text box editor may be different from the one that you select for printing on the insert, so you’ll need to keep clicking “Update” to see the results of the leading spaces until you get it right. Always use the zoom feature to inspect your results to be sure you are satisfied.

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 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.

Image Resolution

Uploaded files should be 300dpi if possible. Lower resolution images pose the risk of poor print quality.