CD and DVD Jewel Case Templates : Biomedical Multimedia Unit : The University of Melbourne

CD and DVD Jewel Case Templates

The BMU can provide packaging for multimedia projects. This includes creating a custom packaging design and organising CD/DVD duplication and printing.

This web page outlines some suggestions and technical tips for producing CD/DVD jewel case inserts. The following information may act as a basic check-list for those who have a knowledge of graphic design and creating files for print output.

Planning a CD/DVD jewel case design

The aim of a jewel case design is to clearly communicate the theme of the content and who the intended user is. The following points may be useful considerations:

Does the title and graphics clearly describe and support the content? For example, will a casual observer be able to anticipate what the program contains and covers?
Is it clear for whom the program is intended? For example, is it clear what level of subject knowledge is required to use the program?
Is it clear what version of the programme is contained on the CD?

In most instances the jewel case design must allow for inclusion of the following:

Branding logos such as The University of Melbourne crest
3rd party software branding to fulfil licensing requirements
A barcode version of the ISBN number on the back of the packaging
An ISBN number on the CD/DVD printable surface
A copyright line, for example, " © The University of Melbourne, 2003"
System requirements
Instructions detailing how to start the program
A convenient position for a licensing sticker may be required. In many cases, the licensing sticker is placed on the outside of the shrink-wrap packaging. Other options for licensing include a license agreement splash-screen that appears at the first boot-up of the software.

Graphic design software applications

Most printing companies will only accept layouts from the following programs:

Adobe PageMaker
InDesign
Quark Xpress
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Freehand

Technical tips for print output

Contact the printing company to discuss technical requirements
Set up files with the appropriate DPI
For insert booklets check that the page imposition is correct
Ensure files are correctly set up for the required colour model
In most cases do not use the RGB screen colour model as colours may not print out as they look on the screen
Discuss what is possible with the choice of paper stock (for example, is the paper stock thick enough for double sided printing?)
Use 5mm of "bleed" where necessary
Include information for the printer (for example, fold lines and crop marks)
Find out which file formats are accepted by the printer
Include all fonts with the print files (in some designs, fonts may be changed to “outline” in which case fonts files do not need to be supplied)
Include all placed images with the print files
If the file is going to a film house ask about any technical requirements
Ensure accurate measurements for jewel case inserts
Ensure that text and/or critical images are not too close to the crop line
Ensure that the spine of the tray card is not upside down

Common technical terms for print output

Four-colour process (or "process printing")

Separates a layout into four colours: cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow, and black (CMYK). These four inks are used to create virtually any colour

Pantone Matching System (PMS)

A collection of over 3000 pre-mixed colours.

Bleed

In many layouts, a colour or graphic runs to the very edge of the design. To ensure that no unprinted margin remains after guillotining, 5mm of bleed must be included to extend any graphic over the crop marked boundary.

Crop Marks

Guides that show where a document will be cut to fit the specifications of a final printed product.

DPI (Dots Per Inch)

The number of dots that can be printed in one square inch. The printer's resolution is defined by the number of dots per inch: lower resolution = fewer dots per inch, higher resolution = more dots per inch.

Melbourne University licensing requirements

Melbourne University End-user Licence
http://www.infodiv.unimelb.edu.au/telars/mltc/end_user.html

3rd party software licensing information and guidelines

Made with Macromedia Logo Usage Guidelines for Macromedia Director:

http://www.adobe.com/support/programs/mwm/

http://www.adobe.com/support/programs/mwm/mwm_guidelines.html

The Made With Macromedia [licensing] program does not apply to Director MX 2004. Please refer to their product's End-User License Agreement (EULA) for more details.

Director MX 2004:

http://www.adobe.com/products/eula/tools/director_mx_2004.html

QuickTime:

http://developer.apple.com/softwarelicensing/index.html

Some ideas on what to include on the CD packaging

diagram of a cd case

Licensing Information and Guidelines

If you have used Macromedia Director to author your software:
http://www.adobe.com/support/programs/mwm/mwm_guidelines.html

If you intend to include the QuickTime Installer on your CD/DVD:
http://developer.apple.com/mkt/swl/index.html

CD/DVD Packaging Templates

Please Note:

Using these templates requires some experience at setting up files for prepress.
All files are saved in Adobe Illustrator native file format (.ai).
The files are set up with printers crop marks which represent the exact size of the insert. Don't forget to include 5mm of bleed if required.
If including placed images, ensure that the image is CMYK colour and 300dpi.
Always check print requirements with your printer.