I was once asked to prepare a tutorial for film class students on how to print DVDs with your own artwork. I think this could be useful to a wider audience, so here it is.

Why do your own artwork?

Current level of technology makes adding artwork to your disks easy and affordable, so there is no excuse for giving out disks with “my film title” scribbled on them with a magic marker. Artwork on the disks looks professional and gives you a chance to make an impression even before the person has a chance to pop your disk into a DVD player.

Only Love DVD art

Only Love DVD insert

There are different approaches to printing DVDs with your own artwork:

1. Printing on paper labels. The easiest way, and can be done on a regular inkjet printer. However, paper labels tend to peel off and damage the equipment. Many festivals do not consider DVDs with paper labels on them.
2. Printing directly on DVD with the inkjet printer. This is the approach described in this tutorial. Inkjet printable discs are susceptible to smudging and require time to dry.
3. Thermal printing directly on DVD does not suffer from smudging, but both the media and the printers are more expensive.
4. Using a DVD burner with LightScribe technology that uses laser to burn a grey-scale image directly on the disk. Requires special LightScribe media, cannot do colors.

Printing directly on CD/DVD

Designing disk label

Google for "DVD insert template" (e.g. http://duplication.mimeo.com/action/DownloadsView). These templates should contain guide layers that give visual outlines and guidance on how and where the cover art should be placed. Make sure the template is set to 300dpi. Design your cover & label using Photoshop or another editor (e.g. GIMP, http://www.gimp.org/). Most festivals require the following information to be on the disk: title, director’s name, contact information (phone or email), DVD region of the disk and format (NTSC/PAL), and running time.

Printing on disks

Printers with "Direct to CD/DVD" feature usually have a special tray that fits a disk. The software/driver package that comes with the printer usually includes a special program for creating a disk label and properly configuring the printer, such as setting the inner and outer diameter to match the disks you are using. For example, using EPSON Print CD program you may prepare the disk label:

1. The program starts with a blank workspace
2. Select menu Import | Select Background… | Select Image. Switch to Photoshop and copy the label image into clipboard, then switch to EPSON Print CD and click Clipboard button. Your image will be imported as the label’s background.
3. Alternatively, you can use the drawing tools in the program to place additional images, graphics, and text. Theoretically you can design your label right in the EPSON Print CD program, but using a full-blown editor like Photoshop or GIMP gives you more power.

Inkjet printable discs are susceptible to smudging, so make sure to give enough time for the disks to dry after printing. Epson printer's software recommends 24 hours.

What printers to use

Use an inkjet printer with "Direct to CD/DVD" feature, such as Epson Stylus Photo RX680 ($150-$180) or Epson Stylus Photo RX595 ($119-$129).

What media to use

Use "White Inkjet Hub Printable" disks, all major brands have them. Hub printable disks allow you to print the image all the way into the end of the inner hub, thus providing larger space for image. These disks come in quantities from 5 to 200. A 100 pack would cost under $40. For example: Imation 100-pack DVD+R 4.7GB Spindle-White Inkjet Printable 16X

Designing DVD case cover

Design front & back DVD insert using the template mentioned earlier. Make sure to add the same information as on the disk itself: title, director’s name, contact information (phone or email), DVD region of the disk and format (NTSC/PAL), and running time. It is also a good idea to add a brief synopsis, primary cast & crew, and some screen shots.
Only Love DVD insert

Printing DVD Cover

You can print the inserts at Kinko's on a regular letter-size laser paper at about $0.60 per page, but don't use the self-service printers (they are $1.00 per page and often poorly calibrated), instead go to the clerk and ask to print directly from a Photoshop file (they will do it if you print 20 or more pages). Make sure to mention to them not to use "fit to media" option in the printer properties, otherwise the image may come out smaller then the required insert size of 7-3/8" x 10-3/4". Even if the program complains that the image will bleed over the minimum margins allowed by the printer, ignore the warning. After printing the inserts, use the Rotary Paper Cutter / Trimmer to cut the insert to the needed side.

DVD Cases

Buy "Amaray DVD Cases", which is what the commercially produced DVDs use. You can buy a 100 pack for under $40 on the Internet. These cases have a clear plastic cover that holds the insert. They are made of soft plastic that does not break as easily as the hard plastic jewel cases. Some stores also sell slim DVD cases, but those look less professional and do not have enough space on the edge to even print the title.

Alternatives to doing it yourself

There are numerous CD/DVD replication and duplication companies both on the Internet and in yellow pages. Most will allow you to give them the graphics for your disk label and case insert, and a sample CD/DVD to copy the content from. Printing only a few DVDs should cost around $7.00 per disk (including the media, the case, i.e. the whole package), where as if you order 100 copies the price should drop to about $3.00 per disk. This is actually not much more expensive then doing it yourself if you factor in all the costs. Use the pricing calculator at Mimeo to see how much different options would cost. Note that some websites (including mimeo.com) allow you to compose both the disk label and the insert online using royalty-free artwork, or to upload your own.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated to mimeo.com in any way, but I wanted to provide concrete examples & places to go, and after some research Mimeo came on top as having reasonable prices and convenient self-service website.