Custom Covers Photo Editing & Paper Recomendations

[Blu-Benny]

I was looking through some other threads and didn't find anything, does anyone have any information/insight/recommendations on the following:

I want to try to do some custom covers and was wondering what type of software and paper people have used to create their own covers.

Is Adobe enough or is there something better that is available?? Would you use photo quality paper to print them on?? Also, would the software have the ability so you can set it up to print in the size of a cover so you don't have to trim it when you're done??

Sorry if this has been posted before but thanks in advance for any input.