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Design DVD and CD Inserts and Cover Art
Within the DVD and CD case insert sections of the Create Project page, you can create custom artwork for two-sided full color case inserts / covers, 4-panel (two-page) folded inserts / covers, tray cards, and DVD-style case inserts. You can either upload your own images or use our stock image library to build your DVD and CD insert design from scratch entirely online.
  • How do I upload an image for printing on a CD cover / insert?
    If you have your own graphics that you'd like to use, 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 DVD or CD insert face that you want to design. Once that page opens, click on the 'add/upload my images' button located on the left. Next, browse to the location on your computer of the image file you wish to upload, and click the 'use this image' button to upload it. Your image will appear in the panel art preview once the upload is complete. Only .bmp, .jpg, and .gif images can be uploaded.

    You can design the DVD or CD insert / cover entirely offline if you want more control. To do so, download one of our templates from the "My Account" page or downloads link to design the insert or cover offline.

    Inserts are placed in the front door of the jewel case. 2 panel inserts have a front and a back panel (the back panel shows on the inside back of the front door, visible when the case is opened.) 4 panel inserts have a front and a back as well as inside left and inside right panels. The “inside” panels of the 4 panel insert are folded out of view unless the insert is removed from the jewel case and opened. Tray cards have a single panel that displays on the outside back of a standard jewel case, along with two 5” by ¼” spine panels, one on the left and one on the right, which display on the two ends of the jewel case.

    We have Adobe Photoshop, jpeg, and gif templates/masks that you can download from the website to help create your Insert. You can find them on the “My Account” page.

    Once an image is uploaded and added to your DVD or CD insert, you should 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.

    NOTE: When you design the DVD or CD inserts, the bleed lines on the insert template show you where the trimming/cutting of the paper will occur. Because this trimming process is slightly imprecise, make sure that your background (although no important text or graphics) extends past the trim line, or you could end up with white (non-printing) areas framing your insert artwork.

  • What formats are supported for uploaded images?
    All uploaded images must be in RGB format (not CMYK), and we highly recommend using only bitmap (.bmp) images at 300 dpi so that your images and text come out sharp and clean. We also support jpeg and gif formats. Please note that when we do the CD or DVD insert printing, they will be converted back to CMYK, resulting in some color shifting.

  • How do I add stock images to my insert?
    For convenience, if you don’t want to upload an image, you can choose from stock images on the website to make the DVD or CD cover / insert artwork. 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 that you want to design. Once that page opens, select the “Add Stock Images” button on the left and browse the stock art at the bottom of the page. Simply click on the image you want to add it to the insert panel you are working on. You can select different categories of images using the pull-down menu to the right.

    You can add multiple images and resize and reposition them to create the DVD or CD cover /insert with your own designs. You can reposition it by clicking on the insert preview. Just click and release – there is no need to drag the image. The image will be centered around the spot that you click. You can alter the dimensions of the image and automatically center it using the tools provided on the page. (See the sections below for more details).

    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.

  • How do I resize an image after I’ve added it to the DVD or CD insert?
    There are two ways to adjust the size of an image. First, be sure that image is selected by checking that its corresponding layer box (on the right) is highlighted in red. If it is not, just click on that layer’s mini-image in the layer list to make it the active layer. You’ll then see tools on the bottom 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. 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. After changing the image dimensions, click the 'Update’ button to display your changes in the insert preview.

    NOTE: Resizing an image will typically degrade image quality. It is best to avoid resizing images if at all possible.

  • How can I move an image or automatically center it on the CD or DVD insert panel?
    To change the location of an image when you make a CD cover / insert or a DVD cover / insert, click the mini-image in the layer box corresponding to that image – the layer box will turn red to indicate that the image has been selected. Then click 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 on the insert panel (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.

  • How do I add text to my DVD or CD insert?
    Once you've selected or uploaded a background image for your insert, you will be given the option to add text. Click the “add text layer” button within the insert designer, and then select the color, size, and font that you'd like for your text (to preview what the fonts look like use the “see fonts” 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’ To reposition your text, click any spot on the insert 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 insert preview.

    HINT: Click on 'Add Text Layer' 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. 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 turn red to indicate which text layer has been selected

  • Can I center or right justify multiple lines of text on DVD or CD insert?
    You can only center text “blocks” 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 “add text” 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 above. If you just want to eye-ball it, 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 is different from the one that gets printed 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 with the DVD and CD cover / insert design.

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