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AVS Cover Editor is a compact and fully functional application that lets you create different labels for discs and box covers, edit them and print or save into graphical files.  Click here to download AVS Cover Editor
 Click here to buy AVS Cover Editor
Step 1. Launch AVS Cover Editor. It begins with all the presets loaded, and the 'Project 1' started. However, you can create a new project -- click the "New" button on the Home Tab or select the New item of the menu. Then you will need to choose the type of project you would like to start: 
There are several options to select from: * DVD Case Templates - use this option to create labels for different DVD discs, covers for DVD boxes and cases (the presets include DVD Clear Case, 14 mm DVD 4 disc case, 14 mm double DVD case, 14 mm single DVD case, 7 mm double DVD case, 7 mm single DVD case, 9 mm double DVD case, 9 mm single DVD case). * Blu-ray Case Templates - use this option to create labels for different Blu-ray discs, covers for BD boxes and cases (the preset includes 12 mm single Blu-ray case). * CD Case Templates - use this option to create labels for different CD discs, covers for CD boxes and cases (the presets include Single CD case, Slim CD case, 2 CD case, Jewel CD case for 6CD, DDPack, Double VCD Box). * CD 3.5" Case Templates - use this option to create labels for different 3.5 inch CD discs, covers for 3.5 inch CD boxes and cases (the presets include CD 3.5" and Slim CD 3.5"). Step 2. Editing the covers and labels is quite easy and does not require any specific skills. You can select one of the available presets on the Home Tab or create your own image from scratch. You only need to select an element you want to add on the Edit Tab, set its properties on the Format Tab and change its shape and position within the Editing Area using the mouse. The main elements you can add to your image are: * Line and Polyline; * Rectangle and Polygon; * Circle and circle-like shapes; * Text and Round Text; * Image. When the elements are added to edit the covers and labels, you can manage them changing their position in relation to each other, adding or deleting, copying, cutting and pasting them. The following editing operations are available: Adding, deleting, cutting, copying, pasting, changing position in the editing area, changing position in relation to each other, changing size, filling Objects. Step 3. Drawing Lines. To draw different types of lines on your disc or box cover you should open the Edit Tab and click the Line or Polyline button within the Simple Graphics group:  Line - use this option to draw straight lines with no angles or bends.
 Polyline - use this option to draw lines with angles and bends. As many turns and bends as needed can be added to the line after it is drawn.
When you select either of the objects, the Object Format Tab will appear on the toolbar letting you adjust line/polyline properties. 
It allows you to select the Color, its Opacity and Width used to draw the Lines and Polylines from the drop-down boxes. Here are the examples of Lines and Polylines: Line example: 
Polyline example: 
Step 4. Drawing Rectangles and Polygons. To draw rectangles and polygon shapes on your disc or box cover you should open the Edit Tab of the toolbar and click the "Rectangle" or "Polygon" button within the Simple Graphics group:  Rectangle - use this option to draw rectangles of various sizes.
 Polygon - use this option to draw different types of polygons. As many angles as needed can be added to the polygon after it is drawn.
When you select either of the objects, the Object Format Tab will appear on the toolbar letting you adjust rectangle/polygon properties. 
It allows you to select the Color, its Opacity and Width used to draw the Rectangles and Polygons from the drop-down boxes or to fill them. Here are the examples of Rectangles and Polygons: Rectangle example: 
Polygon example: 
Step 5. Drawing Circle-like Shapes. To draw circles and circle-like shapes on your disc or box cover you should open the Edit Tab of the toolbar and press the Circle, Ellipse, Pie or Sector button within the Simple Graphics group:  Circle - use this option to draw circles of different sizes.
 Ellipse - use this option to draw ellipses of different sizes elongated in the vertical or horizontal planes.
 Pie - use this option to draw pie-like shapes of different sizes and completeness.
 Sector - use this option to draw parts of circumference of different sizes and completeness.
When you select either of the objects, the Object Format Tab will appear on the toolbar letting you adjust its properties.
It allows you to select the Color, its Opacity and Width used to draw the Circles, Ellipses, Pies and Sectors from the drop-down boxes or to fill them. Here are the examples of Circles, Ellipses, Sectors and Pies: Circle example: 
Ellipse example: 
Pie example: 
Sector example: 
Step 6. Adding Text. To add some captions and inscriptions on your disc or box cover you should open the Edit Tab of the toolbar and click the "Add Text" or "Add Round Text" button within the General Tools group:  Add Text - use this option to add common text to your created image.
 Add Round Text - use this option to add rounded text to your image.
When you press either of the buttons the Edit Text window will appear letting you enter your own text: 
As soon as you press the OK button the entered text will be shown within the Editing Area and Text Format Tab will appear on the toolbar allowing you to adjust its properties. This buttons group lets you select the Font type, Font Size, font style (bold, italic, underline) and Text Alignment: align left, align by center, align right, align by width. 
These buttons groups allow you to select the Color, its Opacity and Width used to draw the text edge from the drop-down boxes or to fill the text.
These buttons group that will let you change the text Shadow settings (Color, Opacity, Blur, Distance X (horizontal) and Distance Y (vertical)). You will also be able to select to either show or hide the text Shadow. 
Here are the examples of Text and Round Text use: Text example: 
Round Text example: 
Step 7. Adding Images. You can add an image to your created disc label or box cover. It will serve as a background or as a part of the disc label or box cover. To do it you should open the Edit Tab of the toolbar and click the "Add Image" button within the General Tools group.  Add Image - use this button to add an image to your created project. After that a rectangle containing the added image will be seen within the created label or cover.
The following window will open to let you select an image in one of the graphic formats in the Thumbnails folder. You can also select an image from any folder present on your computer hard disk drive: 
After the image is selected, you can change the picture size in the Editing Area, Constrain and Restore Proportions of it, select its Opacity or choose some other image to replace the current one, clicking the Select Image button. 
You can also rotate the loaded image, if you direct the mouse cursor to the green circle - it will turn into a round arrow - and move the cursor in the direction you want. 
Here is how an image will look like on your disc box back cover: 
The same way an image can be placed on a disc label or disc box front cover. Step 8. Filling Objects. By adding some objects (rectangle, polygon, circle, ellipse, pie, sector and text) to the Editing Area the Fill button group will appear on the Format Tab of the toolbar. It looks like this: 
The program will let you select one of the following Fill options that will be used to fill inner space of the selected object: * Solid Color - use this option to fill the inner part of the shape with a single solid color that you select. * Gradient - use this option to fill the inner part of the shape with the smooth transition of two different colors into each other. * Texture - use this option to fill the inner part of the shape with some texture taken from the presets or from any supported image from your computer hard disk drive. You can change the fill type for the added object any time, clicking the Objects button on the Edit Tab to select the necessary object and adjust its settings in the Fill group of the Format Tab. Step 9. Saving Projects. When you modify your project in some way, you will need to save it to be able to use it later. Select the "Save as" option of the Application Button menu. The window will be opened and will let you save the project under the name you select. Step 10. Printing and Saving as Images. After the images for your disc label and box cover are ready, you can print them using a printer. To do that click the "Print" button on the Home Tab of the toolbar, select the "Print Project" item in the Quick Access Toolbar or use the "Print" option of the Application Button menu. The following window will open: 
You can select here: * Printer - select the printer from the list of available ones. If you have only one printer connected to your personal computer, it will be selected by default. Otherwise, the printer marked as default by your system will be selected until you choose some other one. - Settings - click this button to open the printer setup window and to adjust the printer parameters, specific to each printer. The parameters of the printer will differ depending on the printer type and model and the printer drivers installed. * Print Discs - you can select to print the created disc label or not. - Layout - the paper layout depending on the printer you use. - Inner Radius - the inner radius of the disc label. * Print Covers - you can select to print all the created covers or only one of them - the box Front or Back Cover. The amount of covers displayed depends on the project type you selected while creating the project. - Print Borders - use this option to print the box cover borders on paper. It might be especially useful, if your cover background is white and you will not know where the boundaries are unless you print them on the paper. After you select the necessary settings, you can click the Print button to start printing the images or Cancel to close this window. You can use ink jet printers, which include a dedicated CD/DVD/BD tray for printing directly on the disc surface. But to use these printers for labeling media, you'll need to buy printable discs. Furthermore you will have to wait at least 24 hours before using your disc in a CD/DVD/BD player. Another technology, called LightScribe -- lets you use the burner's laser to etch labels with text or graphics onto the top of specially coated recordable CD and DVD media. So, special discs and a compatible disc writer are required. Before or after burning data to the read-side of the disc, you need to turn the disc over and insert it with the label side down. The drive's laser then etches into the label side in such a way that an image is produced. But this method also has drawbacks - special storage precautions are necessary to prevent LightScribe discs from fading. But they are however purely superficial; they do not affect the data stored upon the disc. However, if you do not plan to print the result right now or have not got an available printer at the moment, you can save your resulting covers and labels as images. Select the Export Images item in the Application Button menu to open the following dialog window: 
Here you can choose: * Folder to save the resulting images. The My Documents folder on your computer will be chosen by default. Click the "Browse" button to find a specific folder on your computer hard disk drive. * Select Images to Export - you can select to export all the created labels and covers or only some of them - a Disc label, a box Front or Back Cover. The amount of covers displayed depends on the project type you selected while creating the project. * File Prefix - the title that the images will be saved with. * File Format - the image file format selected from the list. You can use most of the currently known formats - *.bmp, *.jpg, *.tga and *.png. * Image Quality - the output resolution of the images that will be exported. The following options are available: default (96 dots per inch) and high (300 dots per inch). After you select the necessary settings, you can click the "Export" button to save the images or Cancel to close this window. |
