Your album art should make a statement. For album art design success, consider the following practical tips.

• Download the templates from CD\Works.
• Follow the template guidelines to the letter.
• Always delete the template markings before submitting your order unless instructed not to delete them.
• If you aren’t sure about your album art even after viewing the online proof, be sure to order a physical proof by contacting CD\Works directly.  We can also answer your questions or provide technical guidance.
• Invest in graphic design.  Sometimes, a professional can do a better job than you can. To look more professional and to save yourself hours of anguish, hire someone who loves creating album art to help you.
• Consider where you will be distributing your album.  Do you need it shrink-wrapped?  Do you need a barcode?  Is a CD the best mode to distribute your music?  Should you consider alternative channels?
• Clearly acknowledge all those who worked on the record.  Remember the:
  • producer;
  • engineer;
  • studio where you recorded;
  • songwriters, lyricists, and arrangers;
  • collaborators; and
  • all featured musicians.
• Get the artwork copyrighted, and register the songs on your album with a performance rights organization (e.g., ASCAP, BMI, SESAC).
• Stamp that album with a copyright and the correct year.
• If you already printed a run of CDs with one company but are now ordering from a different printer, pay particular attention to the different artwork guidelines and templates. Adjust your existing artwork to match the new specs, and get help as needed.
• If you are reordering from the same company, review the artwork guidelines to make sure that they have not changed since your last order.
• Whenever possible, order from a company whose work you’ve seen—a company a friend or colleague has ordered from and liked.  Feel free to ask CD\Works for examples of previous work.
• Look at album art by other artists for ideas. It’s the same as seeking inspiration for your music. Don’t copy, but steal ideas and reimagine them in your own way.

Most of all, be creative and express who you or your band is in your album art. Design freely and match templates meticulously. Happy printing!