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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 5:41 pm
I was wondering if anyone has had any success with making disc labels or disc covers for their CDs. My husband wants to make some CDs with really good cover art and track listings as well as a label that would go right on the CD. I am a graphic designer by trade so I can make some nice designs, but need to have a program that can print onto the disc labels, etc. Any advice? Oh and we have a mac and quark, photoshop, illustrator.
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Jagger
Member
08-07-2002
| Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 6:11 pm
Julio my roommate uses a cd/dvd labeling program he got from fellowes. I've never used it but from what I have seen it seems to work OK It is NEATO® CD/DVD Labeling System CRC: 99940 , I think he picked it up at office depot. Here is a link to fellowes website that has it on, but I don't know if they sell to the public on line or not. http://www.fellowes.com/Fellowes/site/products/ProductsSubCategory.aspx?loc=center&Name=KITS_CDDVD_LABELING
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 6:36 pm
Hey Julie. Just about any program will work. You can buy the labels online and usually they'll include info on where to get the program. I've used MediaFace for forever (not sure if it's still around). But most disc burning programs also include the ability to create a label. A couple of things... if you want really impressive cover art, you'll create the art separately (in Illustrator or whatever), save it as a file format that can be placed onto the CD label in the program. You can then add additional text or logos as needed, if you want. There are several types of labels (glossy, matte) and some can only print on certain types of printers. You can also buy some printers that allow you to print directly on to specific discs that allow printing. Finally, should you choose labels to apply to a disc, it's really simple to actually get the label on to the disc. Most programs that you purchase include a disc labeling mechanism (basically, you peel the label off the backing, place it on the disc labeler, and then use a little tool to guide the disc into place). Just remember to stick the label on the right side of the disc! <grin>
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Karen
Member
09-07-2004
| Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 7:01 pm
Just a note about putting labels directly on the disc... I heard somewhere a while ago that the best and most recommended way to label CDs is with a Sharpie marker. Some labels can shorten the length of your disc and others can cause bubbling or ruin the disc completely. While I couldn't find anything quite *that* exact, I did find this page with lots of advice and helpful hints for you. I found this here: Adding an adhesive label to a disc can make it look more "professional", but you have to be a little careful. If the label and the disc aren't a good match, the label can start to delaminate after a while. There are some indications that labels can shorten CD-R lifetime, so it might be best to label data archives and backups with a pen instead (see section (7-5) for more). Adhesive labels aren't recommended for discs you plan to keep for more than five years. ...Whatever you do, don't try to peel a label off once it's on. You will almost certainly pull part of the recording layer off with the label. If you're going to label a disc, do it immediately, so you can make another copy if the label doesn't adhere smoothly. Any air bubbles in the label that can't be smoothed out immediately are going to cause trouble. Use a label applicator for best results. It may not be a good idea to put labels on discs that will be fed into a "slot in" CD player, such as those popular in dashboard car CD players. Sometimes the added thickness will cause the disc to get stuck. A number of companies make labels for CDs, and some sell complete kits including applicators and software. Two of the biggest are NEATO, at http://www.neato.com/, and CD Stomper, at http://www.cdstomper.com/. The software from http://www.surething.com/ includes templates for a variety of different label layouts. Medea International sells labels and labeling software; see http://www.medea.co.uk/pressit/. Check section (8-3) for other sources.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 7:27 pm
FWIW, I've been labeling discs for years, and have never had any problems. For professional looking discs, labeling is the only way to go (unless you can afford to have them printed professionally, in volume).
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Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 11:54 pm
Julie - check out Discus labeling software for Mac. It has templates for CD and DVD's, mini-CD's, mini-CD jewel cases, business card CD's, jewel case covers and inserts, DVD cases, VHS spine and face labels, audiocassette labels and business/calling cards. I do not place labels on CDs anymore. Not only did a beautiful CD w/label that I made get stuck in the slot loader CD player in a friend's car, but she needed to get her CD player repaired because of it. As Costa mentioned, you can print directly on CDs also. My DH is in the computer business and has been big on Epson printers, as many models now will print directly on printable CD media. I have an Epson Stylus Photo R300, which prints to CDs. I design them in Discus and am loving the results. (Epson printers with this feature start at very low prices.) What Karen posted about labels ruining CD media over time is true. Costa, you are lucky you haven't had trouble yet, but it could happen. iMac computers are also slot-loaders as are most laptops these days. I don't want to corrupt my own media and I don't want to damage any other friend's CD players. lol I use a Sharpie to label, or print to the CD using the Epson printer. Purists storing valuable data will tell you not to do either. Julie - also Google around for Photoshop templates for CD covers or other projects regarding CDs and media. There are a lot of things out there, free for the download, and you can design some things directly in Photoshop or Illustrator. DISCUS LABELING SOFTWARE 
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