Lynda.COM Designing a CD Cover Hands-on Workshop

Author:
Nigel French

Duration:
03h 10m

Released on:
9/30/2010

Exercise files:
Yes

Software works on:
Windows only


Designing a CD Cover Hands-on Workshop with author Nigel French shows how to design a CD package using a combination of Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Bridge, and Acrobat. This course looks at the range of CD package formats available, surveys some of the most successful CD and record covers of all time, and provides hands-on practical information for how to set up the project, and ultimately, how to get it printed. Exercise files are included with the course.
Topics include:

    Working with templates
    Combining type and images
    Selecting and preparing images
    Experimenting with color and transparency
    Designing with a grid
    Applying consistent formatting with paragraph, character, and object styles
    Laying out the track listing
    Creating a logo
    Making a print-ready PDF




Introduction
Welcome           01m 10s
Using the exercise files           01m 18s

1. Setting Up
The project brief           01m 32s
Research and inspiration           02m 09s
CD packages and parts           01m 08s
Working with templates           05m 27s

2. Nature and Color-Inspired Theme
Preparing the cutout           05m 53s
Arranging around a circular grid           05m 17s
Rotating and positioning           05m 14s
Coloring the artwork           06m 57s

3. Jazz and Blues-Inspired Theme
Stylizing the images           07m 33s
Choosing the type and placing the images           07m 05s

4. Photo Grid-Inspired Theme
Selecting the images in Bridge           02m 40s
Preparing the grid and setting up fitting options           08m 35s
Cropping the images and preparing the type           03m 49s

5. Op Art-Inspired Theme
Getting inspiration from Op Art           01m 55s
Making the blend           10m 55s

6. Bloom-Inspired Theme
Experimenting with color and transparency           08m 12s
Creating the spirals with Transform           04m 26s

7. Designing the Booklet
Choosing the design           01m 57s
Finessing the front cover           09m 07s
Preparing the images for the back cover with Photoshop action           07m 01s
Creating a grid, setting up frame-fitting options, and using Mini-Bridge to create the back cover layout           07m 12s
Creating the background for the inside spread using Photoshop blending options and InDesign object layer options           11m 22s
Placing and formatting text and using the Story Editor           06m 55s
Finessing text using paragraph styles and GREP           07m 18s

8. Designing the Tray Card and Disc
Preparing the image for the inlay card           03m 36s
Adding and positioning the title, logo, and barcode           03m 22s
Laying out the track listing           05m 19s
Designing the spine           07m 06s
Designing the inside inlay cards           03m 02s
Designing the disc           05m 08s

9. Printing
Preflighting           04m 08s
Creating a package           02m 54s
Converting to CMYK           07m 23s
Taking account of object layer options           01m 10s
Making a PDF           04m 44s

Conclusion
Goodbye           00m 11s