Custom Cover Art Thread

[Nightwing_]

Originally Posted by JoshKelhoffer

You don't even need an expensive printer. I use a $30 wireless printer. Though, the ink will go by fast, which is why I tend to be conservative with what I print, limiting it to releases that have impractical packaging (Star Wars, Alien, Indiana Jones, Universal Monsters, etc.).

I've never tried Staples or Kinko's. I guess it would be easier on my printer if I were to do so, but being that while a person at Kinko's should know how to print fine images, since conglomerates tend to hire anybody and everybody, particularly careless teenagers who have attachment issues with their phones, I just assume the results will turn out to be lackluster. I guess you could try to relay how you want it to be printed and how to do so properly, but good luck trying to get them to listen. They'll stop paying attention after you say "Hi!"

Well I have a printer but would prefer to do it at Kinko's since ink cartridges are so darn expensive.
Do you use regular paper? Can you send me a pic of one of your printed covers?

Edit: The people who work at my local Kinko's are idiots.

[Thomas Guycott]

Does Kinkos let you print out your own stuff with your own paper?

[JoshKelhoffer]

Originally Posted by Nightwing_

Well I have a printer but would prefer to do it at Kinko's since ink cartridges are so darn expensive.
Do you use regular paper? Can you send me a pic of one of your printed covers?

Edit: The people who work at my local Kinko's are idiots.

Certainly, here's a picture. It's a little blurry, but that's the photo. the text itself, in the flesh, is perfect. The ink smeared at the side because I accidentally touched it. That is regular paper. Glossy, obviously, would be preferable.

[RebelPrince1986]

#34 of 53. One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
(I will add "diamond" or "anniversary" or whatever edition it ends up being when we know)

[qtrules]

Originally Posted by RebelPrince1986

#34 of 53. One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
(I will add "diamond" or "anniversary" or whatever edition it ends up being when we know)

[Show spoiler]

love love love the spine.

wish the cover had more dalmatians on it though!

[Justanothercrow421]

101 Dalmatians is my favorite Disney film and you did it justice sir.

wonderful.

[Nissen]

Originally Posted by Nightwing_

I have no idea. I just walked in and the guy did it for me.
I told him to use glossy paper though. That's the only thing he got right.

First time I've heard of anyone getting the wrong dimensions when printing at a professional place. Anyone else have a similar experience?

Either the files you brought had the wrong dimensions, or the printer introduced some scaling.

If your files are correct, instruct the printer-person to print with any and all scaling OFF. I am pretty sure you could take your prints back and get them to re-do it since they did it wrong in the first place.

Otherwise, forum members like Metrock and Wildta may be able to do the printing for you. I believe their rates are reasonable. And these guys know what they're doing, so you're guaranteed to get it right the first time :-)

[LordCrumb]

Originally Posted by Nissen

First time I've heard of anyone getting the wrong dimensions when printing at a professional place. Anyone else have a similar experience?

Either the files you brought had the wrong dimensions, or the printer introduced some scaling.

If your files are correct, instruct the printer-person to print with any and all scaling OFF. I am pretty sure you could take your prints back and get them to re-do it since they did it wrong in the first place.

Otherwise, forum members like Metrock and Wildta may be able to do the printing for you. I believe their rates are reasonable. And these guys know what they're doing, so you're guaranteed to get it right the first time :-)

I tried to get some covers printed off in a store.. bloody hopeless. I gave them the right dimensions, specific to the cases I use (and the same dimensions i use), and they came out about half the size.

I wish some places would allow me to use UnderCoverXP and my own settings.. never had any trouble with sizes using that and my 14/15mm cases.

Printing at home is fine and easy, but some covers I really want printed on the correct paper.

[Nissen]

Always room for more Disney :-) I am working on a set of Disney covers for a client, using the old VHS clamshell layout.

On the surface these covers look easy to replicate, but I couldn't find a good scan of the original covers, so I had to redraw Mickey by hand using a low-rez image as guide. As always, translating a tall-and-thin VHS layout into a practically square Blu-ray insert is a balancing act, but I managed to squeeze everything in there without it looking cramped.

Finding and isolating all the different title-treatments takes forever. Some I find right away, ready-to-wear from the resource banks of the cover sites I frequent. Others I have to cut out of posters or frame-grabs. With this particular layout they all have to be on a single line, so that entails more work in some cases.

It also takes a long time to harvest images for every single movie, and then find something that will work on the front. My client wanted to avoid using the DVD/Blu covers or posters wherever possible, and the original Disney covers mostly used stills from the films on the front, so I tried to replicate that. He also didn't want them to look like random stills, so we've gone a bit back and forth on choosing the front imagery. Here's where we are at the moment:

[RebelPrince1986]

The spines up to this point. If there were two versions, I included the 3D version for the sake of this photo.

[deathcab6366]

My suggestion is to use what ever program you want to create your cover BUT when taking your files to a printer, take PDF files that are set to the cover size you want. Every printing place can print from PDFs so that will avoid any "we don't have that program here" responses.

Tell them to print centered on "XX by XX" glossy paper with "NO SCALING"

[taei]

Originally Posted by RebelPrince1986

The spines up to this point. If there were two versions, I included the 3D version for the sake of this photo.

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

I really want to print them out, but don't
Think I can afford it. XD

[jaws3dfan]

Originally Posted by Nissen

Always room for more Disney :-) I am working on a set of Disney covers for a client, using the old VHS clamshell layout.

On the surface these covers look easy to replicate, but I couldn't find a good scan of the original covers, so I had to redraw Mickey by hand using a low-rez image as guide. As always, translating a tall-and-thin VHS layout into a practically square Blu-ray insert is a balancing act, but I managed to squeeze everything in there without it looking cramped.

Finding and isolating all the different title-treatments takes forever. Some I find right away, ready-to-wear from the resource banks of the cover sites I frequent. Others I have to cut out of posters or frame-grabs. With this particular layout they all have to be on a single line, so that entails more work in some cases.

It also takes a long time to harvest images for every single movie, and then find something that will work on the front. My client wanted to avoid using the DVD/Blu covers or posters wherever possible, and the original Disney covers mostly used stills from the films on the front, so I tried to replicate that. He also didn't want them to look like random stills, so we've gone a bit back and forth on choosing the front imagery. Here's where we are at the moment:

[Show spoiler]

Great work Nissen!!

[LordCrumb]

[neo78956]

Anyone taken a crack at To The Wonder? The official art looks like Magnolia tried to sell it as a rom-com.

[Talzin78]

Originally Posted by RebelPrince1986

The spines up to this point. If there were two versions, I included the 3D version for the sake of this photo.

You sir, have done some AMAZING work here. Be proud.

[Angel Eyes]

Originally Posted by Nissen

Always room for more Disney :-) I am working on a set of Disney covers for a client, using the old VHS clamshell layout.

On the surface these covers look easy to replicate, but I couldn't find a good scan of the original covers, so I had to redraw Mickey by hand using a low-rez image as guide. As always, translating a tall-and-thin VHS layout into a practically square Blu-ray insert is a balancing act, but I managed to squeeze everything in there without it looking cramped.

Finding and isolating all the different title-treatments takes forever. Some I find right away, ready-to-wear from the resource banks of the cover sites I frequent. Others I have to cut out of posters or frame-grabs. With this particular layout they all have to be on a single line, so that entails more work in some cases.

It also takes a long time to harvest images for every single movie, and then find something that will work on the front. My client wanted to avoid using the DVD/Blu covers or posters wherever possible, and the original Disney covers mostly used stills from the films on the front, so I tried to replicate that. He also didn't want them to look like random stills, so we've gone a bit back and forth on choosing the front imagery. Here's where we are at the moment:

These are amazing!!!

[Thomas Guycott]

Originally Posted by steev210

Just finished my custom cover for "The Fog." If anyone wants a copy, PM me. The file in this thread is reduced in resolution.

Actually, it's full-size. You might want to fix that.

Doesn't the Scream Factory release use the same art on its reversible cover?

[steev210]

I just finished my custom cover for "The Fog" (1980). If anyone wants a copy, PM me. The file in this thread is reduced in resolution.

Cheers,

Steve

[steev210]

Originally Posted by Thomas Guycott

Actually, it's full-size. You might want to fix that.

Doesn't the Scream Factory release use the same art on its reversible cover?

Thanks...when I uploaded the file to imageshack I resaved it and reduced the jpeg file size from 12 down to 6 to save on space so image quality is somewhat affected.

Scream Factory usually does print the original artwork on the reverse side, however, someone mentioned in the thread for "The Fog" that they didn't follow through on that process for this blu-ray release. Supposedly, only the custom cover art that Scream commissioned is used.