CD-DVD Label Graphic Design Tips for Beginners and Professionals.

Whether you contract your graphic design or do it yourself, these guidelines will help you get the best quality discs out of your Disc Publisher.

1. Image Size/Shape. The image should be a 4.72" x 4.72" (120mm) square. Circular images are not necessary since the print driver crops the outer margin and inner circle based on the measurements specified in the printing preferences. If the image is circular the outer margin or inner circle size may not be adjustable.

2. Resolution. Resolution is measured in dots per inch or dpi. 300 dpi is sufficient to get the best possible quality from most images. A 72 dpi image will look fine on screen but WILL NOT print well. Graphics and logos found on websites are typically 72 dpi. The image below was printed from a 72 dpi image. Notice the jagged edges. Remember, print quality settings found in the printer driver will have no effect on improving a low dpi source image.

On the other hand, resolutions higher than 300 dpi will not produce better quality but may require more RAM to print and hard drive space to store. They could even slow down the print process.

72 dpi Image printed with the Bravo

3. Image File Format. Most graphics are created in a graphic application. Since this graphic application is not usually on the same computer as the Disc Publisher doing the printing, it is necessary to export the graphic into universal format that can be read by other programs. We recommend TIF and BMP files for graphics. These formats are uncompressed. JPG files also work well for graphics that include photographs. All three formats can be imported into the SureThing application (PC) or the Discribe Application (Mac).

4. Color Mode. Set the color mode in the source graphic application to CMYK. In most cases this will produce the most accurate color reproduction of the image on screen. However, if CMYK is not producing the desired color matching try changing the source image to RGB and then exporting the image again in one of the universal formats mentioned above. Click here to learn more about color modes.

5. Text. Use white text or inversed logos or graphics for guaranteed sharp printing and ink conservation. Since printing white on a disc means not printing, the text or graphics will be extremely clear and ink consumption will be zero. See the images below for an example.

6. Importing. If you are using SureThing exclusively to design your labels you will not need to worry about the first four items on this list. SureThing automatically sets this up correctly. However, if you are importing images into SureThing you will still need to follow the guidelines set out above.

Note: Often it is useful to request that your graphic designer provide you with several different formats for you to try printing. For example you could request your image in six different formats: A JPG, BMP, and TIF in RGB color mode and a JPG, BMP and TIF in CMYK color mode.