Top 5 Most Common Artwork Setup Mistakes

Top 5 Most Common Artwork Setup Mistakes

When setting up artwork for your next CD, DVD, or Blu-ray, it is important to keep in mind a few of the more common mistakes. From printed inserts and wraps to the disc face artwork, each aspect of your audio or video project will need to be setup correctly to avoid missing fonts, cutoff text, or poor image quality. Each of these mistakes is common and can easily go unnoticed. Avoiding these typical errors will save time and potentially the cost of reprinting your entire project or portions of it. Here is our list of the top 5 most common artwork setup mistakes.

5. No Spine Text

You’ve finished your graphics for the front, back, and disc face. Before you send your artwork in or when you get a PDF proof, make sure the spine area has the appropriate wikitrader review text or logo. This area will be visible when your CD or DVD case is lying down. Typically the spine will have the same title as the front/back and will feature a company logo or CD/DVD logo.

4. Wrong Template Used

Since the majority of the templates look basically the same, it is important to make sure you are using the correct one. Double check the file name and type that you will be using for your project and make sure you have the correct template for that style of printing. If you have questions or issues downloading the template, contact one of our customer service representatives.

3. Files Not Layered

If you provide a PDF or Photoshop file, ensure that you do not flatten the image or merge the layers. If the template is visible in files such as .jpeg or .tiff, that will need to be removed before printing. Whenever possible, provide layered files to ensure necessary modifications can be made if needed.

2. Low or Mixed Resolution

Many times clients will use photos that are too small for printing (72 dpi). Make sure that you use the same or similar resolution for your project. If some or all of the photos are low resolution the final prints may look distorted or off.

1. No Bleed

When using the templates to set up your artwork, there is an indication as to where the bleed area is located. This is used to make sure no text or images are cut off of the final printed inserts or wraps. Make sure to extend the background image or color all the way past this edge. This will allow us to properly cut your prints without affecting any of the design aspects. Failure to follow this guideline could result in titles and pictures getting partially cut off.