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Home: Video University Forums: Marketing & Business:
Marketing on DVD covers and cases

dansen
User

Sep 26, 2005, 9:21 PM

Post #1 of 7 (1605 views)
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Marketing on DVD covers and cases	Can't Post

What do you guys use to design your covers for your wedding videos and corporate videos etc? I suppose it's Photoshop. Are there any other software programs that you know of for creating covers for DVD cases etc? What do you usually include on a wedding DVD cover? A picture of the couple and your contact details etc...?

videobear
Veteran

Sep 27, 2005, 9:25 AM

Post #2 of 7 (1586 views)
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Re: [dansen] Marketing on DVD covers and cases [In reply to]	Can't Post

Photoshop fer shure.

There's a long thread in the wedding forum with lots of great examples.

If you're not a great Photoshop artist, there are pre-made templates that you may find useful, such as the PopDrops sold by PixelPops Design.

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions

Pacman
User

Sep 27, 2005, 10:48 AM

Post #3 of 7 (1579 views)
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Ulead PhotoImpact 10 is a cheaper version of photo software. For a hundred bucks, it can do some pretty nice stuff. I'm not saying it's as good as photoshop CS2, but for 1/5 the price, it will do 75% of what PS will do.

Search for posts on DVD covers here. There are a few people that have posted some killer artwork. IMO, it's not very easy to come up with good ones, and looking at others helps give you ideas.

videobear
Veteran

Sep 27, 2005, 12:27 PM

Post #4 of 7 (1573 views)
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Another alternative to PS is JASC Paint Shop Pro. You can download a 30 day trial version.

One drawback to some of these "alternative" programs: If they don't handle layers the same way PS does, you may not be able to use some of the third party graphic packages developed with PS users in mind, or at least not without some tweaking.

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions

Pacman
User

Sep 27, 2005, 3:02 PM

Post #5 of 7 (1561 views)
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Re: [videobear] Marketing on DVD covers and cases [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'm not sure how plug-ins are handled with PhotoImpact, because I've never tried them. It will save a layered file as an adobe .psd though (as well as a host of others that the printers and designers use). I just got Photoshop CS2 last week and it recognizes and opens my old files as if it were it's own. I thought it was kind of strange that they were allowed to do that legally.

Photoshop is a beast of a program. I'll be taking a PS based graphics night class at the local college once I learn the basics of curves and histograms on my own. Trust me, I need the help.. Blush

...more so with the artistry than the "click this button, then this one" type stuff.

Dansen......If you buy PS, check their site for some deals. They don't advertise them too heavily, but I know you can get a good deal if you own a copy of Photoshop Elements (comes prepacked with a bunch of cameras and stuff) or if you buy a Wacom graphics tablet with it.

VidMan
Veteran

Oct 11, 2005, 12:11 AM

Post #6 of 7 (1447 views)
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Re: [dansen] Marketing on DVD covers and cases [In reply to]	Can't Post

We use Photoshop as well. There was a thread about a week back in the Wedding/Event forumn where DVD covers were shared. Yo umight want to look there and see some examples.

Brian
______________________________________________
VU Virginia Chapter

Spayth
Novice

Oct 18, 2005, 8:07 AM

Post #7 of 7 (1354 views)
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Re: [dansen] Marketing on DVD covers and cases [In reply to]	Can't Post

I use photoshop as most people but, my wife uses Microsoft picture it when she creates a cover. Its uses layers like PS and is much easier to learn. I had to create a couple templates for her but now she can create some nice stuff. The version we have is a few years old the new one may already have the templates for DVD and cover inserts? Just something to consider if you don't want to go the PS route. I do however highly recomend PS.
Tom
Creative Video Specialist
http://www.creativevideospecialist.com