How to Print a CD Cover

Lee Stanton April 4, 2022

Even though some might regard CDs as a thing of the past, some still prefer CDs to listen to music, or they just want to collect them. Unfortunately, CD covers can fade, tear, or get lost over time. However, the good news is that CD covers can be easily replaced by printing them out. Keep reading to find out how to print a CD cover using different methods.

How to Print a CD Cover on a Mac

To Print CD covers on a Mac, you first need a printer. If you already have one, then you’re good to go. However, if that’s not the case, you can either buy one or ask a friend to print it out for you. The easiest way to print a CD cover on a Mac is the following:

Open iTunes.
Press Ctrl-B to bring up the menu bar.
Choose the artwork that you want to print.
Then go to “File” and select “Print.”

This option allows you to select a single cover theme from a drop-down list of themes.

How to Print a CD Cover on a Windows PC

You can create a CD cover using an image editing program of your choice. A web-based application like Pixlr, which is accessible and comparable to Adobe Photoshop in many ways, can be used in its place.

You’ll also need a picture that is of the correct size. A picture’s dimensions may be seen in the “Properties” menu. It’s possible to accomplish this by either right-clicking on the image and selecting “Properties” or picking an option from a drop-down menu in the application.

The front cover should be 4.7 by 4.7 inches, while the rear cover should be 4.6 inches tall by 5.9 inches broad. To achieve this in some apps, you can simply drag one of the corners with your mouse, while in others, you’ll have to enter the measurements into a settings menu.

Now it’s time to print the picture. Depending on the software, hitting CTRL + P or selecting “Print” from a drop-down menu in the program window is the most common printing method.

How to Print a CD Cover in Word

Even though many people only use Word for basic activities like writing, it is capable of far more than that. For example, you may use a CD cover maker to create a unique cover for your own CDs. Your handmade CDs will seem more polished and professional if they have custom CD covers, which can be manufactured in a matter of minutes.

Here’s how to do it:

Select “New” from the “File” menu in Word.
Click on “Labels” in the “Template” menu. CD covers are shown under “Media” in the menu.
Choose the most appropriate one for the type of cover you intend to create. Don’t be concerned with the cover’s appearance. You’ll be taking changing it to your liking later.
To edit a template in Microsoft Word, just click on it and choose “Open in Word.” Text and images will already be included in the template. Leave any of the photographs you wish to use.
Pick the text or graphic you wish to remove from the template and hit “Delete.”
Click on “Insert” and then choose “Picture,” to go to the image on your computer that you wish to use for your CD cover.
Select the inserted image, then point and drag the selection lines with your mouse to resize it.
Create a text box or word art by selecting one of the options in the “Insert” menu. Format your CD cover text by utilizing the toolbar’s formatting options. You can change the font, size, and color.
Create a new file name for your CD cover and save it there.
Go to “File” then “Print” and select your printer.

To print it, use CD cover paper, available at office supply stores, or regular copy paper to create your CD cover. Template paper is the best option for printing multiple covers. If you use regular paper, you will have to cut it.

How to Print CD Covers from iTunes

This is the preferred method for most Mac users. With just 3 to 5 mouse clicks, iTunes can produce professional-looking front-of-the-jewel-case inserts for your CDs. Here’s how:

Choose a playlist.
Select “File” and then “Print.”
Choose “CDs in a Jewel Case Inserts.”
Decide on a style.
Click on “Print” again.

Note that you don’t need to select a playlist. Any song with cover art from the library will do. This is especially handy if you wish to burn a playlist to a CD and do the cover art in one go. However, if you want to burn CD labels onto the CD, iTunes doesn’t give you that option.

It’s best to use CD cover paper or template paper, but you can also use just regular paper. Do keep in mind that regular paper could fade away faster. Check at your local office supply store or online to find the best paper for your needs.

Have Any Album Cover You Want

It’s possible to spend hours printing and reworking CD covers, attempting to get them to fit into CD jewel cases. This can be very frustrating whether you’re a musician making CDs of your own music or a music fan who likes crafting bespoke mix-CDs with their own personalized covers.

Fortunately, altering your cover image to meet the measurements is easy once you have the dimensions down. From there, you can follow any of the above-described approaches to get the cover you want.