Introduction: A More Customizable Paper CD or DVD Case
For a long time, I've been making paper CD cases from scratch whenever I'd burn family members or friends a CD or DVD that contained data or any other information, so that the CD or DVD wouldn't get scratched between the transaction of giving them the CD/DVD.
When I would make the case from a sheet of letter paper, it had no writing on it or a template to show the right folds to create it. Regardless, I folded them nicely, although I never did like the plainness of the case, so I decided to create a way to make the case more visually pleasing. This is my way of creating a customizable paper CD/DVD case (just thought up today)....
This is my first instructable......Enjoy!
When I would make the case from a sheet of letter paper, it had no writing on it or a template to show the right folds to create it. Regardless, I folded them nicely, although I never did like the plainness of the case, so I decided to create a way to make the case more visually pleasing. This is my way of creating a customizable paper CD/DVD case (just thought up today)....
This is my first instructable......Enjoy!
Step 1: Getting the Basic Parts of the Case
WAIT! - BEFORE YOU BEGIN! - EXTRA!
If you're using Photoshop to create this, stop right here. I made a PSD file with the template. Go to Step 8 for more info.
Ok, let's begin....
First, we are going to need to get the folding template for the paper CD/DVD case. In order to do that, we need to go to www.PaperCdCase.com. Once on the webpage, don't change or type anything into the text boxes....just click on "Create CD Case" and save the PDF file to your desktop.
Once that PDF is saved to your desktop, go to www.CdCovers.cc to actually obtain the image that will be on the cover of your paper CD/DVD case.
-Side Note- You can use any image you want, but for this instructable, the case will be for a DVD -
Once on the webpage, search the title (in this case, Pineapple Express) you want to use. When the list of covers comes up, choose the one you want, and at the bottom of the screen, click "Front". This will show you the actual cover for the movie. Right click the image and choose "Save Image As" and save this to your desktop as well.
If you're using Photoshop to create this, stop right here. I made a PSD file with the template. Go to Step 8 for more info.
Ok, let's begin....
First, we are going to need to get the folding template for the paper CD/DVD case. In order to do that, we need to go to www.PaperCdCase.com. Once on the webpage, don't change or type anything into the text boxes....just click on "Create CD Case" and save the PDF file to your desktop.
Once that PDF is saved to your desktop, go to www.CdCovers.cc to actually obtain the image that will be on the cover of your paper CD/DVD case.
-Side Note- You can use any image you want, but for this instructable, the case will be for a DVD -
Once on the webpage, search the title (in this case, Pineapple Express) you want to use. When the list of covers comes up, choose the one you want, and at the bottom of the screen, click "Front". This will show you the actual cover for the movie. Right click the image and choose "Save Image As" and save this to your desktop as well.
Step 2: Open Up the Two Downloaded Files
WAIT! - BEFORE YOU BEGIN! - EXTRA!
If you're using Photoshop to create this, stop right here. I made a PSD file with the template. Go to Step 8 for more info.
Open up your favorite image editing software that is capable of opening and editing PDF files. For me, this is Adobe Photoshop. We are going to want to open both the PDF template of the case AND the DVD cover image inside Photoshop.
If you're using Photoshop to create this, stop right here. I made a PSD file with the template. Go to Step 8 for more info.
Open up your favorite image editing software that is capable of opening and editing PDF files. For me, this is Adobe Photoshop. We are going to want to open both the PDF template of the case AND the DVD cover image inside Photoshop.
Step 3: Cleaning Up the Template
WAIT! - BEFORE YOU BEGIN! - EXTRA!
If you're using Photoshop to create this, stop right here. I made a PSD file with the template. Go to Step 8 for more info.
First, we are going to want to clean up the template so there isn't any pointless images getting printed too. Take your favorite selection tool, select each useless thing and delete it off the template (I took off all the numbers and the two logos, but kept the folding lines).
If you're using Photoshop to create this, stop right here. I made a PSD file with the template. Go to Step 8 for more info.
First, we are going to want to clean up the template so there isn't any pointless images getting printed too. Take your favorite selection tool, select each useless thing and delete it off the template (I took off all the numbers and the two logos, but kept the folding lines).
Step 4: Let's Start Customizing!
WAIT! - BEFORE YOU BEGIN! - EXTRA!
If you're using Photoshop to create this, stop right here. I made a PSD file with the template. Go to Step 8 for more info.
Alright, what we do now it drag the DVD cover from the separate document over to the template document using the move tool.
Once the cover is in the template document, we are going to make the cover a square because our final product will be square. To do this, select the Square Selection Tool and create a perfect square (by holding down the Shift key) on the part of the image you want to crop/use. Once the part is selected with the "marching ants," right click the image and choose "Select Inverse" to choose everything else than what you want. Press the delete button on you keyboard and then deselect your selection. You now have a perfect square.
Now that you have the square, we need to move and resize it so that it will cover the whole front of the final product. To to this, move the square image so that one of the bottom corners is touching the tip of the triangles on the template. Once there, resize the image (proportionally) so that both the bottom corners of the square image are touching the tips of the two triangles. Use the image as a reference if needed.
If you're using Photoshop to create this, stop right here. I made a PSD file with the template. Go to Step 8 for more info.
Alright, what we do now it drag the DVD cover from the separate document over to the template document using the move tool.
Once the cover is in the template document, we are going to make the cover a square because our final product will be square. To do this, select the Square Selection Tool and create a perfect square (by holding down the Shift key) on the part of the image you want to crop/use. Once the part is selected with the "marching ants," right click the image and choose "Select Inverse" to choose everything else than what you want. Press the delete button on you keyboard and then deselect your selection. You now have a perfect square.
Now that you have the square, we need to move and resize it so that it will cover the whole front of the final product. To to this, move the square image so that one of the bottom corners is touching the tip of the triangles on the template. Once there, resize the image (proportionally) so that both the bottom corners of the square image are touching the tips of the two triangles. Use the image as a reference if needed.
Step 5: Time to Print!
WAIT! - BEFORE YOU BEGIN! - EXTRA!
If you're using Photoshop to create this, stop right here. I made a PSD file with the template. Go to Step 8 for more info.
Ok, now that the customizing is out of the way, we can print this document and start folding. I think printing this is pretty self explanatory to most of you, so I won't bother going into detail.... If you need help with printing, consult the pictures below.
Oh yeah, one last thing....when printing, don't choose "Scale to fit Media".....
If you're using Photoshop to create this, stop right here. I made a PSD file with the template. Go to Step 8 for more info.
Ok, now that the customizing is out of the way, we can print this document and start folding. I think printing this is pretty self explanatory to most of you, so I won't bother going into detail.... If you need help with printing, consult the pictures below.
Oh yeah, one last thing....when printing, don't choose "Scale to fit Media".....
Step 6: Folding Time!
Yay.....here comes the fun part. Now that we printed, we can start constructing and folding the paper CD/DVD case! The whole folding process will be in this Step and will follow according to the picture order.
Picture 1-
The printed out copy....no folding had occurred yet.
Picture 2-
Fold the ends of the template, creating the crease at the edge of the cover image.
Picture 3-
Both sides have been folded according to picture 2. The sheet of paper is now flipped upside down.
Picture 4-
Fold up at the triangles template so that the fold is directly down the middle of the two triangles.
Picture 5 & 6-
This is kind of tricky to understand, so hopefully the picture will help.
At the part where we made the crease at the triangles, take one end , and fold it so the crease created in picture 4 is on top of the crease created in picture 2.
Picture 7-
Do the last step to both sides of the sheet.
Picture 8-
Take the top flap and fold it down
Picture 9-
Crease the two end flaps as well when doing the action in picture 8
Picture 10 & 11-
Another tricky part to explain, kind of. Just follow along with the image if it helps.
Open up the big flap a little, and take the side flaps and fold them inward.
Picture 12-
One side completed from pictures 10 & 11.
Picture 13-
Both sides completed from pictures 10 & 11.
Picture 14-
Flip the paper over, and fold a crease at the edge of the top of the photo (see picture below).
Picture 15-
Flip paper over again and fold the top corners according to the template.
Picture 16-
Place in your CD/DVD into the case.
Picture 17-
Slide the top flap into the case.
Picture 18-
Finished product!
Picture 1-
The printed out copy....no folding had occurred yet.
Picture 2-
Fold the ends of the template, creating the crease at the edge of the cover image.
Picture 3-
Both sides have been folded according to picture 2. The sheet of paper is now flipped upside down.
Picture 4-
Fold up at the triangles template so that the fold is directly down the middle of the two triangles.
Picture 5 & 6-
This is kind of tricky to understand, so hopefully the picture will help.
At the part where we made the crease at the triangles, take one end , and fold it so the crease created in picture 4 is on top of the crease created in picture 2.
Picture 7-
Do the last step to both sides of the sheet.
Picture 8-
Take the top flap and fold it down
Picture 9-
Crease the two end flaps as well when doing the action in picture 8
Picture 10 & 11-
Another tricky part to explain, kind of. Just follow along with the image if it helps.
Open up the big flap a little, and take the side flaps and fold them inward.
Picture 12-
One side completed from pictures 10 & 11.
Picture 13-
Both sides completed from pictures 10 & 11.
Picture 14-
Flip the paper over, and fold a crease at the edge of the top of the photo (see picture below).
Picture 15-
Flip paper over again and fold the top corners according to the template.
Picture 16-
Place in your CD/DVD into the case.
Picture 17-
Slide the top flap into the case.
Picture 18-
Finished product!
Step 7: All Done!
And there you have it... your very own paper CD/DVD case! Hope you enjoyed this instructable, being it's my very first one, and enjoy creating cases on the fly. Comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time!
ENJOY!
ENJOY!
Step 8: -EXTRA FREE TEMPLATE-
OK....here's a freebie for you Photoshop users. I created a document that has the template cleaned up and ready for your cover image to be inserted. All you have to do is import your cover image into this document and place the layer inbetween the layers "Template" and "Background". Once it's there, move the cover so it's fully covering the red background and only shows the part of the cover you want. Whatever.....Enjoi!
