Album cover design plays a major role in the success of an album. In fact, the size and dimensions of the cover can be instrumental in determining whether the album sells well or not. It is often quoted by artists that the image that will adorn their album cover will be one of the most influential factors that will determine whether the album sells well or not. The artwork or graphic on the cover of an album has a huge impact on the overall sales of the album.
With the advent of the digital age, artists have been exploring different ways of capturing the grandness of the images that they have captured within their photos. The advent of the digital revolution has brought along with it the ability to create and publish photographic art. There are several ways of making the most of the dimensions of the available sizes of photo books. Some of these methods include:
o Printing the artwork directly onto the album cover size of a CD. There are digital stores which allow the user to download the exact file size of the image. Once downloaded, the images can be printed directly onto the cover of the CD. This is the least expensive option for creating a CD copy of your own original artwork. However, the finished product will not be as good as if the image was created on a large printing paper.
o Creating a CD case that is customized to the exact dimensions of the CD cover size. These cases are also available as prints which allow for customization when creating the CD. These custom cases do cost more than the paper sleeve option. The advantage of the custom paper sleeve is that the user is able to match the image directly to the front of the CD case.
o A jewel case that is designed to be opened using special hinges. Most jewel cases have separate pages where the front and back covers can be detached. With this option, the user can replace the front cover with another copy of the image. While some jewel cases require users to remove the pages before opening the disk storage device, most jewel cases have hinges that make it possible to open the disk storage in this manner.
o Creating a CD photo frame from a template. There are a number of companies which sell CD photo frames and software which allows users to create a CD photo frame from a template. This is an inexpensive way to add some unique elements to a wedding invitation or thank you card. Many websites allow users to upload their own photos and then choose a background. Using photo editing software, the user can adjust the color, size and other aspects of the photo. After the photo is saved, the user has the ability to make changes to the background and size of the photo.
o Creating an album in photoshop. This method is not recommended unless you are a professional graphic designer because many aspects of a photo book can be altered once the photo book is printed. If you are planning to create your own photo book, you should look up examples of existing photo books and modify the elements that suit your needs.
o Increase your album dimensions. One method used by many people to increase the size of their cd covers is to add extra artwork. Adding extra artwork requires the artist to cut out extra pieces of artwork which may not be proportionate to the size of the cover. While this method may result in a larger overall picture size, it will not allow you to alter the dimensions of the photos and other graphics in your album.