23 replies to this topic

[Kathlib the Prophet]

Cover Printing Software:

• UnderCoverXP (freeware, prints CD and DVD covers)
• Cover XP Pro
• Droppix Label Maker Deluxe (useful for printing disc labels, supports LightScribe)
• Pochette Express 2
• Memorex CD & DVD Label Maker
• Avery Design Pro 'After Burner' Edition
• Nero Cover Designer

Printing Hardware:

• Epson Stylus Photo R320 (prints directly onto discs)
• Lightscribe DVD/CD burners (burns images directly onto disc surfaces, example images)

Paper Types:

• Glossy Paper - the best paper for printing cover artwork, it leaves a nice shiny cover that looks like a real photo, however it's also the most expensive.
• Multi-Project Photo Paper - better print quality than generic paper; ink can still smudge but not as bad as on generic paper and the color doesn't fade; more expensive than generic paper but less than glossy paper.
• Generic Paper - color fades, ink smudges; not too good for printing cover art but it's inexpensive.

How to Print CD Stomps (tutorial written by leglessmoof):

Like most of you, I use Cover XP Pro for all my cover printing needs. However, my printer is pretty inaccurate, so whenever I print CD stomps with CoverXP they never line up correctly on the template.

So I realized an obvious way around this when I started printing covers from LiveMetallica. The LiveMetallica CD stomps are slightly larger then they need to be, so if they don't line up exactly, you still get the main part of the cover on the label and the extra runs off the label. It appears afterward that the label lined up fine.

So here's what I did to print out Mr.Metal's latest CD stomp for the Metallica 2004.06.06 cover (only compatible with Neato templates of course) and it worked like a charm!

• 1. In Photoshop, open a random LiveMetallica CD stomp PDF file.
• 2. Open the cover you are trying to print (most likely it's a JPEG/BMP).
• 3. Copy and paste the cover into the LiveMetallica PDF. This will create a new layer.
• 4. In the new layer, set the opacity to 50%-ish (so it's transparent).
• 5. Drag and resize the new cover as necessary so that it exactly fits on top of one of the existing covers in the LiveMetallica PDF. This should be pretty easy to do since we made the cover semi-transparent in Step #4.
• 6. Now that the cover is lined up properly, set the opacity back to 100%.
• 7. Set the fill of layer 0 (the original PDF) to 0% so it won't show up at all.
• 8. Save the project as a temporary PDF file.
• 9. Print the cover using Acrobat Reader (following the instructions in the LiveMetallica.com FAQ).

Here is an example of what the CD looks like after using this method: Image

Comments and suggestions are welcome, I would like to get the names of some more cover printing programs and printer hardware with URLs if possible.

[The Fourth Norseman]

I think the best dvd/ cd cover printing software has to be pochette express, always totally accurate and never fails, and it's so simple to use.

[fuck59]

yeah, me too, I use pochette express 2, it's simple !!

[Bad(. )( .)Motherfucker]

I have try a lot of printing programs, and none are really good!!

Nero cover design: horrible color, and not really good gauge.
Avery Design Pro: no DVD qualibre, and not really good gauge too.
Print Pratic 3: not bad, good color and gauge, but if you need print a cover CD (inside/front) you do cut it in two parts (front+inside) before print!!!

Where i can find pochette express 2 please???

[fuck59]

Telecharger.com

[The Fourth Norseman]

yeah, me too, I use pochette express 2, it's simple !!

Just search on google, it will be the first page. It's so simple and fast and never fails.

[Kathlib the Prophet]

I recently bought an Epson Stylus Photo R320 printer, and am rather pleased with the results. It prints directly onto printable discs and has very good quality, almost perfect. I would definitely recommend buying one of these printers if you like to print disc stomps, as it's much better than printing off the sticker stomps and applying them to discs.

My new laptop also has a Lightscribe burner, so I will probably just use it to burn the artwork onto my discs rather than printing it, as that will save me a lot of money that would otherwise be spent on ink.

Discs definitely look better with artwork on them.

[The Fourth Norseman]

I have a lightscribe burner too, they're great!

On another note, Here's a link to the pochette express website (English version):

http://pochetteexpre...fr/index-us.htm

[Kathlib the Prophet]

I use Droppix Label Maker Deluxe to print disc labels using LightScribe. I haven't tried it with sticker labels or printable discs yet, but it works really well with LightScribe discs.

[Mr.Metal]

You got to love Lightscribe, it looks pretty sweet and I know that HP is working on a color version of it! that would definataly kick ass