Basic FAQ

Why should I use the Disc Makers templates?

The templates have been designed by our prepress department to ensure that y
our job will move quickly and smoothly through our print shop and packaging depa
rtments. Differences of as little as 1/32 of an inch can cause problems in the p
rinting and packaging process. We strongly encourage all of our customers to upl
oad hi-res PDFs (Learn how to create a PDF).
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Cant I just use the measurements from a CD or DVD that I own?
No. A jewel box or DVD case from Disc Makers may look the same as every othe
r at first glance, but they have slightly different dimensions. Even slight devi
ations from Disc Makers specifications can cause problems in the printing and pa
ckaging process.
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What programs should I use?
We have templates available in all professional-level desktop publishing sof
tware. Here is a list of file formats we can accept:
Layout files:
Adobe Illustrator (versions CS3 - CS6)
Adobe InDesign (versions CS3 - CS6)
Adobe Photoshop (use our PDF template at 300 dpi)
QuarkXPress (versions 5 - 9)
CorelDRAW (versions X2 - X5)
Photos or images:
TIFF (.tif)
Adobe Photoshop (up to version CS6) (.psd)
Photoshop EPS (.eps)
JPEG (.jpg)
Windows Bitmaps (.bmp)
Photo CD (.pcd)
GIF (.gif) accepted, but not recommended for print
Fonts:
We can accept PostScript (our preferred format), OpenType, or TrueType fonts
.
For the Mac, PostScript fonts will be a suitcase/screen file with separate p
rinter files for each weight (e.g., bold, italic, plain), while TrueType will be
a single suitcase. For PC, each TrueType font will be a single .ttf file, while
PostScript fonts consist of two files, a .pfm and .pfb.
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Can I just send you high-res PDFs of my layouts?
Yes! If your design is fully complete, in our design templates and ready for
press, you can send us a high-resolution PDF. You will simply need to export yo
ur PDFs using the PDF/X-4 preset available in every current, professional layout
application. Not sure how? Learn how to create and export a PDF.
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Why dont I see templates for Photoshop?
We do not recommend doing your entire layout in Photoshop. Photoshop is grea
t for manipulating photos and creating special effects, but it is not a page-lay
out program, and does not provide us with some of the tools necessary in our pub
lishing environment. If you must supply your entire design in Photoshop, we have
provided a PDF in the template download. You can open the PDF into Photoshop. I
t is VERY IMPORTANT when you open the PDF that your color mode is CMYK and the r
esolution is 300ppi. The template and guides will come in as a layer. When you a
dd your art, add it on a new layer. Do not add it on the layer with the template
information. We prefer that you send us layered Photoshop documents rather than
flattened files, with any text layers still editable, and all necessary fonts.
If you do choose to flatten the document you will have to be aware of the guides
from the template. If you flatten the guides into your artwork we will not be a
ble to remove them. Text set in Photoshop may not print with the same clarity as
text set in any of our supported layout or illustration programs. Your lyrics,
credits, and other text will be much easier for your audience to read if you cre
ate it in a layout program like InDesign or Illustrator.
Read more: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) CD DVD Template FAQ http://www.discm
akers.com/templates/faq.asp#ixzz37bZQXK00