11 replies to this topic

[hokkah420666]

i made a cover for a system of a down show it can be found here
http://www.bootlegco...e.php?pos=-3179
the thing is i am not happy with the way it turned out in almost every way. i dont know how to use photoshop very well and have yet to figure how to use different fonts and such. i dont even know how to put the little dvd logo on anything. and when i printed it the text came out extremly pixelated and im not sure if its cause it is italicized or if i just screwed up really bad.all i usually do is just kinda copy and paste everything which doesnt always work out. i even have a couple of screenshots to use with it now too if that helps
01.http://www.dimeadoze...43/NDVD_005.BMP
02.http://www.dimeadoze...50/NDVD_004.BMP
03.http://www.dimeadoze...55/NDVD_002.BMP
04.http://www.dimeadoze...59/NDVD_001.BMP
i love the picture's i used caused they were made by the guitarists Daron Malakian's father Vartan Malakian and all the work was inspired by the 2 albums they released last year so they fit the era perfectly. i just want some advice from the experts on how to improve it. i still have the 3 pics i used for the cover itself. im just really new at this and would love to know what to do to make it better cause i see alot of potential in this project as i am sure others will too hopefully. basically im try to ask if someone could just kinda help guide me through this to make it more professional. i hope i got that all explained right and that i am not asking for alot. if you have any advice let me know and thanks in advance for your time and patience

[Harmony Havoc]

Hi,

Read through my tutorials and dowload the template we use. Having the templates make creating cover art much easier.

Photoshop Basics: http://www.bootlegco...?showtopic=1297

How to make cover art simplified (including the templates): http://www.bootlegco...?showtopic=1296

After reading through all that if you have more questsion, please fell free to PM me.

[botus99]

If you're not familiar with Photoshop, then there's probably a good place to start. Read up on how to use it, the links Harmony posted there should help out a lot.

Also read about and try out some tutorials for whatever you can find. Doing new things in Photoshop will probably inspire you to try out other things that you wouldn't otherwise know how to do.

Good luck friend!

[Mr.Metal]

Yeah, the 1st thing I noticed is that the size of the cover is too small, so when it's printed to the correct DVD cover size it was going to be stretched, therefore pixelated. Try those links and keep it up, most of the people that you see here, we have virtually no trainning in Photoshop and we learned by ourselfs, I am sure you can join us, Photoshop is a very powerful tool and once you learn the basics everything becomes easier.

[Kathlib the Prophet]

i dont know how to use photoshop very well and have yet to figure how to use different fonts and such. i dont even know how to put the little dvd logo on anything. and when i printed it the text came out extremly pixelated and im not sure if its cause it is italicized or if i just screwed up really bad.

Changing the font is simple. When you use the Text tool, you'll see at the top of the screen under the File, Edit, Image, Layer, etc. that you can change the font using a drop down menu. Also, there's another menu right beside the font size one. Make sure it says Smooth and not None. This could be what is making your text look pixelated.

[hokkah420666]

i got the template the right size now i think 1650x1116 pixels @150 resolution so thats 1 step in the right direction. next step i downloaded a font for system of a down but have no clue how to apply it and actually type with it. i un zipped it and put it in a folder on the desktop until i figure how to use it

[hokkah420666]

figured out how to use the fonts. (may be i over looked it, which is very possible, but it should be in the tutorial as one of the first sentences in the fonts and text on how to apply the fonts cause i had to google it to figure it out). now if someone can tell me how to put the dvd logo on it i think i might have it ready

[Harmony Havoc]

figured out how to use the fonts. (may be i over looked it, which is very possible, but it should be in the tutorial as one of the first sentences in the fonts and text on how to apply the fonts cause i had to google it to figure it out). now if someone can tell me how to put the dvd logo on it i think i might have it ready

If you download the premade templates we provide the DVD logos are included. Other wish you do it just like you would add a picture. Download the logo file in this thread, Save the DVD logo onto your computer and then open it into your document in a new layer. Then you can use the Edit>Free Transform tools to resize it. Then just position it whereever you want it.

[Kathlib the Prophet]

What version of Photoshop are you using to open the PSD template? I see on your updated cover that the DVD logo on the spine still has the background from the original cover, but it shouldn't unless all the layers were merged. When you opened the file, you should have been able to see all the different layers (text layers, DVD logos, background image, etc.).

[hokkah420666]

What version of Photoshop are you using to open the PSD template? I see on your updated cover that the DVD logo on the spine still has the background from the original cover, but it shouldn't unless all the layers were merged. When you opened the file, you should have been able to see all the different layers (text layers, DVD logos, background image, etc.).

i am using photoshop 9.0 or cs2 depending on how you look at it. for the dvd logo i couldnt find a transparent one so i just cut it out from one of the coveres on my harddrive and moved onto the spine

figured out how to use the fonts. (may be i over looked it, which is very possible, but it should be in the tutorial as one of the first sentences in the fonts and text on how to apply the fonts cause i had to google it to figure it out). now if someone can tell me how to put the dvd logo on it i think i might have it ready

If you download the premade templates we provide the DVD logos are included. Other wish you do it just like you would add a picture. Download the logo file in this thread, Save the DVD logo onto your computer and then open it into your document in a new layer. Then you can use the Edit>Free Transform tools to resize it. Then just position it whereever you want it.

thank you harmony that is just what i was looking for now my cover will be complete thank you guys for the help