View Full Version : What to put at the back cover of DVD


SiuChung Leung
April 21st, 2008, 02:54 AM
The most difficult part for designing a wedding dvd cover is I don't know what to put at the back cover of DVD.

Of cause, I did put a pictuer there. After that, I have a think really hard. I put the basic like company logo, DVD dis logo, PAL, 4:3, runtime, and what's included....then I am out of idea.

What else can I put it there?

Renton Maclachlan
April 21st, 2008, 05:14 AM
For what it is worth, here is the cover I did for my last wedding...

Yang Wen
April 21st, 2008, 07:27 AM
I display 4 wide aspect screen shots from the video on the back DVD cover.

My DVD covers tend to be more graphic oriented, with only the bare minimum of text.

I don't have a picture of the back of the case but it looks similar to the front of the case albeit with more images..

Chris Coulson
April 21st, 2008, 08:43 AM
Those covers look fantastic and colourful - with full colour coverage.

Have you ever costed out how much each one costs to print on say, an inkjet printer? or do you get them printed at your local printing company?

I'm always nervous of full page colour from an inkjet, as I have a (possibly unfounded) idea that it'll use up about 1/4 of a cartridge!

How much do you charge for a DVD in a box with a sleeve?

Steven Davis
April 21st, 2008, 09:14 AM
For what it is worth, here is the cover I did for my last wedding...

Hey Renton, do you have the printed by Kinkos or do you do it yourself? If so, what printer?

Jon Pavli
April 21st, 2008, 12:58 PM
I just finished a 25 DVD project for the Bruce Museum in Connecticut. The cover I made for them had color (but it was mostly a blue/grey background) and I also printed the DVDs with the Epson R220 disc printer with the same color (blue grey) and I only used about 1/3-1/2 the ink in the cartridges. I cut them out myself and did the whole job in about a half a day. Hope that helps. If I did much more than the 25, it might be easier to have them printed somewhere else. But color prints are expensive.

HTH, Jon

Chris Davis
April 21st, 2008, 01:03 PM
I'm always nervous of full page colour from an inkjet, as I have a (possibly unfounded) idea that it'll use up about 1/4 of a cartridge!

1/4 of a cartridge is a huge over-estimate. I did some tests a few years ago and found that 100% coverage with color ink ran about 15 to 25 cents per page in an HP inkjet.

Renton Maclachlan
April 21st, 2008, 01:41 PM
Hey Renton, do you have the printed by Kinkos or do you do it yourself? If so, what printer?

It's my own work printed out on a Canon Pixma ip4300. I've just nailed down doing the disks direct print also. In the past I've used paper stick ons.

I'm not in this filming wedding thing commercially, though I would like to get a bit of an income stream from it. The wedding this cover was done for was the first wedding I did for money - though for a couple of others (for friends and relatives) I've been given token donations. Done it more to get experience, a way to learn how to use my gear, and do the editing. I'm not doing any more for free. I've got enough experience now!

Have already supplied 6 sets of this wedding and have just had an order for another 10 - three to go to the US of A - one of the latter to a family who are professional film makers so that will be a test!! :-)

I haven't advertised and have no more weddings to do at the mo.

Steven Davis
April 21st, 2008, 02:30 PM
It's my own work printed out on a Canon Pixma ip4300. I've just nailed down doing the disks direct print also. In the past I've used paper stick ons.


Thanks Renton, I'm just thinking about how to get a better insert print than my inkjet.

Don Bloom
April 21st, 2008, 03:18 PM
I've been doing my own cases since I started doing DVDs - about 5 years. Here's what I found. YMMV! First the ink is obviously important. I have tried all sorts of non OEM and have found for me, the best is the OEM ink.
Second, the paper. Very important stuff. I tried about 6 different kinds and found the Epson worked the best FOR ME. The paper is Premium Glossy, 8.5X11 and is 10.4mil thick.
Oh yeah, I still use a couple of Epson R200 printers.
It has the best look of any papers (and inks) I tried so I'll stick with it until either I or my printers die, then I guess I'll have to change. ;-)

Don

Jason Donaldson
April 21st, 2008, 07:20 PM
and I also printed the DVDs with the Epson R220 disc printer with the same color (blue grey) and I only used about 1/3-1/2 the ink in the cartridges.

I have the exact same printer, and I use a CISS (Continuous Ink Supply System) that I bought on ebay. Best thing I ever bought. I also use Taiyo Yuden Watershield Glossy DVD-R's to print on...they turn out absolutely beautiful.

SiuChung Leung
April 21st, 2008, 07:46 PM
I display 4 wide aspect screen shots from the video on the back DVD cover.

My DVD covers tend to be more graphic oriented, with only the bare minimum of text.

I don't have a picture of the back of the case but it looks similar to the front of the case albeit with more images..

Your DVD case is very nice!

Taky Cheung
April 21st, 2008, 07:52 PM
Here's one of my clients

SiuChung Leung
April 21st, 2008, 07:53 PM
here is one for the cover i did recently. I have no idea what to put at the back

http://i27.tinypic.com/21mypv5.jpg

Taky Cheung
April 21st, 2008, 07:59 PM
You can move the text to the sky to fill the empty space there. Or you can add screen shots from the video, or the DVD menus.

I would hide the [4:3] box. The world is going to wide screen format :)

"Highlight" should be "Highlights"

Can you use a round bullet instead of a "dash" ?

SiuChung Leung
April 21st, 2008, 08:06 PM
You can move the text to the sky to fill the empty space there. Or you can add screen shots from the video, or the DVD menus.

I would hide the [4:3] box. The world is going to wide screen format :)

"Highlight" should be "Highlights"

Can you use a round bullet instead of a "dash" ?

yes.... I should hide the [4:3]....
next time I would put some screen shot in there. thank you

Rikki Bruce
April 22nd, 2008, 02:00 AM
Hiro got married? :D

Yang Wen
April 22nd, 2008, 07:54 AM
Your DVD case is very nice!

Thanks. I actually found some more pics I had of my cases.. all images on the case are screen caps from the actual video.

Tom Hardwick
April 22nd, 2008, 08:19 AM
Not only hide the 4:3 logo, but abandon it altogether. Do couples who can afford your services come back from honeymoon and switch on an old 4:3 CRT? I very much doubt it.

TOM.

Jason Donaldson
April 22nd, 2008, 10:06 AM
Thanks. I actually found some more pics I had of my cases.. all images on the case are screen caps from the actual video.

Hey Yang, can I ask where you got those great looking DVD jewel cases?

Martin Mayer
April 22nd, 2008, 10:22 AM
Hey Yang, can I ask where you got those great looking DVD jewel cases?

...and can I also ask: do you find they are brittle (rather like CD jewel cases) and crack/break?

Yang Wen
April 22nd, 2008, 10:31 AM
...and can I also ask: do you find they are brittle (rather like CD jewel cases) and crack/break?

I'm using Jewelboxing cases. Kinda pricey compared to my old ones but they are worth it IMO.. At the bulk that I buy them, including ink cost, I would say each case comes out to $3.

Yes, they do crack, In fact, I had one case that I thew into my laptop pouch and somehow during transport, the front surface got cracked.. I would say they are exactly like CD cases, but a bit softer because the surface area is much larger..

One thing I don't like about it is that their DVD label paper stock is much different than the stock for the rest of the case, as a result, I can not match the colors between them. I have yet to try printable DVDs thou.

Jason Donaldson
April 22nd, 2008, 12:04 PM
Yang, what software do you use to print on the irregular sizes? I found the Jewelboxing cases online but no mention of software or what to use.

Nevermind Yang, just read that you get access to software after purchase.

Yang Wen
April 22nd, 2008, 12:57 PM
Jason.

They just provide you with templates for their perforated papers.

Be prepared to wasted a few sheets initially when you are trying to align it to your printer.

SiuChung Leung
April 22nd, 2008, 01:35 PM
Not only hide the 4:3 logo, but abandon it altogether. Do couples who can afford your services come back from honeymoon and switch on an old 4:3 CRT? I very much doubt it.

TOM.

however the couple requested 4:3.

In New Zealand, 4:3 CRT are still around.....

Jeffrey Fuchs
April 22nd, 2008, 01:43 PM
See what I have done. On the back I put the names of the bridal party.

Ivan Snoeckx
April 22nd, 2008, 03:17 PM
The most difficult part for designing a wedding dvd cover is I don't know what to put at the back cover of DVD.

Of cause, I did put a pictuer there. After that, I have a think really hard. I put the basic like company logo, DVD dis logo, PAL, 4:3, runtime, and what's included....then I am out of idea.

What else can I put it there?

Try to write a short piece of text about that weddingday for the back.
Something like: On a beautiful day in the spring of 2008, Mary and Bill blah blah blah and so on. What I'm trying to say is catch that whole day in couple of sentences.
Blur the background on the back of the case so that the text is getting the attention instead of the photo.

You can put on the running time, extras (if included), aspect ratio (if it is shot in 16:9 otherwise don't), regional code of the DVD, PAL or NTSC and when shot in HD you can also put that on.

I'm not sure about this, but I believe that you must have a license, that is costing a lot of money, to make use of the DVD logo. Can anyone confirm this?

Jason Donaldson
April 22nd, 2008, 06:17 PM
Jason.

They just provide you with templates for their perforated papers.

Be prepared to wasted a few sheets initially when you are trying to align it to your printer.

Thanks Yang. BTW, I love the case design for Kim & Justin...the "graphite" look is fabulous.

Tom Hardwick
April 23rd, 2008, 12:55 AM
I believe you're right Ivan, and that the DVD video logo is copyright and can't be used willi-nilli. But then again the Epson Print CD software that came with my DVD printer had all these logos supplied, so I use them on that basis.

tom.

Renton Maclachlan
April 23rd, 2008, 02:01 AM
Why worry about the logo? Just use 'DVD'. Gets the same message across.

Ivan Snoeckx
April 23rd, 2008, 01:41 PM
I believe you're right Ivan, and that the DVD video logo is copyright and can't be used willi-nilli. But then again the Epson Print CD software that came with my DVD printer had all these logos supplied, so I use them on that basis.

tom.

You are also right Tom! It is included with an Epson printer.

Dana Salsbury
April 25th, 2008, 07:47 AM
I use leatherette padded DVD cases. They're a bit more expensive, but I would rather put more time into post than design a special cover for each new client and waste ink. The DVDs themselves have a very colorful design and pop off the black leatherette. On them I employ beautiful typography instead of a still.

Yang Wen
April 25th, 2008, 08:16 AM
Dana,

Can you show us an example of the leatherette cover you use? What company do you use for your cases?

Michael Liebergot
April 25th, 2008, 10:20 AM
I use leatherette padded DVD cases. They're a bit more expensive, but I would rather put more time into post than design a special cover for each new client and waste ink. The DVDs themselves have a very colorful design and pop off the black leatherette. On them I employ beautiful typography instead of a still.
Actually Dana, I'm more interested in where you get your supply from?

Dana Salsbury
April 25th, 2008, 03:07 PM
Deadline today...I'll check though...

Dana Salsbury
May 2nd, 2008, 07:51 AM
As promised:
http://www.neilenterprises.com/finditem.cfm?itemid=2245#

The only thing I don't like about them is the inside transparent plastic is milky and ripples big time. It may be because they were delivered to my front doorstep and baked in the AZ sun.

Also see the thread:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=91094&highlight=DVD+case