Before you click send
Do-It-Yourself CD Cover Design
Before you click send
You've spent the past three weeks working on your CD cover and you're finally ready to send the files to the manufacturer. Before you package up all your files, images, and fonts and upload them to their ftp server, do yourself a favour and print out a copy for a final proof. I highly recommend that you invest in a ruler and exacto knife so you can trim your printed proof and try placing it in an empty jewel case. Wouldn't it be funny if it happened to be 1/4" too big? Good thing you caught the mistake now and not when all 1,000 covers came back from the printers. Of course, most CD manufacturers wouldn't let something like this happen, but they wouldn't hesitate to charge you extra for fixing your mistake either. This is also a good time to go through the text with a fine-toothed comb checking for typos and other errors. If your software allows you to print out separations, and you have access to a Postscript-enabled printer, this is a great way to check for any problems with colours, overprinting or missing images. Providing the manufacturer with a printed and folded proof will also help you to avoid any obvious errors with colours or folding.
When you package your electronic files for the printer, be sure to include all the elements in your design. This includes all your layout files, linked .TIF and .EPS images, fonts, and .PDF proofs (if requested). InDesign has a "save for service provider" function that will take care of this for you; Quark has a "collect for output" function that collects the files and images but not the fonts. If you're using a program other than InDesign, make sure you include both the screen and printer versions of your Postscript fonts. Most printers now accept TrueType fonts as well.
When submitting your files to an FTP server, it's a good idea to compress the files into one .ZIP or .SIT file. This is to ensure that individual elements don't become corrupted during the transfer. Most manufacturers will also accept your files on a CD-R. If you plan on mailing or delivering a CD-R, remember to include a mock-up of your document. You can even put it in a jewel case so the printer knows exactly how it should be folded and inserted.