Alistair

What is the standard dimensions for a cover slip or cover oof a cd case?

tranquil222

The front is 4 inches by 4 inches , the back is about 4 inches by 4 1/4 inches wide. Do you not have a ruler or is this question more technical than i presume?
For the printer I use, the approximate measurements in "print with preview" are:
the front - 4.78 x 4.78 - inches
the back - 5.95 x 4.73 - inches

Alistair

well i put in 4in by 4in, and it ends up making a dicumaent way smaller than what the cover size is really. I zoom 100% and its like 1/4 or smaller than the coverslip i put up against the screen to double check.

C9Mouse

The dimensions of a CD insert is 4.75" w x 4.715" h. This format is called a "2-panel insert" because it's two panels if you print on both sides. If you would like to add a sophisticated touch to your design, use a "bleed print." This means the image extends off the edges of the cover. Simply extend your artwork at least 0.125" on each edge for the bleed.

When you create a new document in Photoshop you can choose different size options. In the drop down menu for size choose "inches", and then insert 4.75" (width) and 4.715" (height). If you want to know what this is in pixels simply choose "pixels" from the drop down menu and the sizes will change accordingly.

Since a CD cover design will be done for print, you will want to create your new document in CMYK mode. I usually choose 300 dpi for the resolution setting, but this varies depending on your printer's preferences.

At 100% magnification a 300 dpi file will appear huge. You can always click on the View menu and choose Print View to get an estimate of the size it will be for print.

Doc

You could also use a program that automatically resizes your cover to fit. Here's one that works very well and they offer a free version. I use it to create my dvd case cover labels.

http://www.coverxp.com/main.asp

There are templates for many paper templates such as Neato labels or you could print on a plain or glossy paper and cut.

Doc

Floydski

There really isn't any reason to design them in CMYK unless you are taking them to press...

RGB is actually better since it has a larger color gamut....

that is unless I misunderstood the cmyk reference.

-Floydski

C9Mouse

A CD cover is almost always designed for print, and as such you will need to design the cover in CMYK mode, since designing it in RGB mode would be pointless (RGB mode is for Web design).

You could design it in RGB mode, but I would not recommend it. The design will end up being printed out for the covers, and because of this the whole design should start out in the print format - CMYK.

Alistair

Whats the diffrence?

Floydski

That is interesting. I guess I can see why you design in CMYK but it seems limiting to me.

I have not designed anything that is going to press print in CMYK. Not even our catalogue for where I work. All photos/designs are done in RGB then converted to CMYK for press.

I don't think the person whom asked about the cd case design here was meaning for mass printing at a press.(I could be wrong in this assumption) I thought it was aimed more at a home print sort of thing.

RGB has a much richer/wider color gamut. And I don't think it's just for WEB.

Floyd

ps. Most books I've seen on the subject of press printing/color work have recommended working in RGB then converting to CMYK and fine tune if needed.

C9Mouse

CD covers are always designed for print, since they are usually mass produced for record labels. Also, the RGB mode is for the Web, as I said above, so naturally you wouldn't design something for print in RGB mode.

What's the difference?

CMYK identifies the four colors used in traditional printing presses, and stands for, respectively, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

RGB refers to the so-called scientific hues--the additive primary colors red, green, and blue--that, when mixed together in equal amounts, create white light. Television sets and computer monitors display their pixels based on values of red, green, and blue.

CMYK is supposed to reflect the way inks on a press will look like when you use them to print your pages. It is the very nature that practically all printing processes produce results that overall will look less saturated and somehow darker than what a monitor - which is 'painting' color in RGB - can produce.

And even if you're doing one CD cover, printing it in RGB mode it will look totally different then printing it in CMYK mode. Why? Because like I said above - RGB for Web, CMYK for print. If your going to print something, and you want it to look its best, then naturally you would create your file in CMYK mode.