![]() I’ll use DiscLabel to illustrate how straightforward and enjoyable it is to create disc art, but the process is similar to using Disc Cover. But perhaps most importantly, they integrate with iTunes, iDVD, iPhoto, and Aperture to save you the trouble of copying track lists and importing photos and still images from your movies. They not only help you print perfectly centered labels on your discs, they include lots of attractive design templates and stock art, including templates for the various kinds of covers and inserts for CD and DVD cases. (For an overview of some of the options, including instructions on how to make paper-based labels, see Macworld’s previous label how-to story.) My favorites are DiscLabel from Smile Software ($36) and Disc Cover from BeLight ($35). Here’s one of many template styles included with DiscLabel.Ī better use of your time and energy may be to invest in one of the affordable programs for making disc art. However, be prepared for some trial-and-error when it comes to positioning-depending on your settings, your art may print slightly off center on the disc. You can use any program to create disc artwork, and the printer companies provide templates for common desktop publishing applications. The silver color provides an additional design element-what would normally be white is silver, and any artwork that relies on the underlying paper for its “white” parts will look decidedly different. Although the coating is most commonly white, silver inkjet-printable discs are also available. I use archival-quality DataLifePlus discs from Verbatim, but inkjet-printable discs are available from other manufacturers as well. The first thing to know is that inkjets can only print onto discs that have a special coating. For high-volume, automated printing, check out Epson’s DiscProducer or Primera’s line of disc printers. Canon, Epson, and HP all make affordable all-purpose printers that can do that, and Dymo’s DiscPainter does nothing but print on discs. So, I use a desktop inkjet printer that can print directly onto blank discs. I will not give someone a potential time bomb that could destroy their disc drive, and I certainly don’t want one for myself.ĭiscLabel’s integration with Apple’s iLife apps makes it easy to import playlists, photos, and movies. No manufacturer can convince me that their adhesive will last as long as the disc, through repeated bakings in parked automobiles and endless playings in high-temperature slot-loaded optical disc drives. However, I never use paper labels on discs, and here’s why: I don’t trust them. When I want something nicer on my disc than a few words scrawled with a marker, I turn to my trusty inkjet printer. If you’re creating a CD or DVD as a gift, you may also want to print artwork on it that’s worthy of your vision.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |