Disc Studio Instruction Manual

Backgrounds and Clipart

DiscStudio includes a large selection of backgrounds and clipart. These are stored in subfolders of the DiscStudio program folder and are shown as thumbnails when you use the Select Background or Select Clip Art buttons.

Backgrounds can be applied to either the entire CD/DVD or to any selected object, clipart (usually smaller images) is designed to be used for selected objects.

Adding Your Own Backgrounds or Clipart

Bitmap images such as logos or photographs created by other graphics programs, digital cameras, scanners or any other source can be imported to DiscStudio for use as backgrounds or clipart. While DiscStudio allows you to browse to any folder to locate images, we recommend that you put your images in the default folders to make them quicker to access. These files you import will only print at the highest quality your file is in at 100% of the image size. Resizing images larger than the native file dimensions creates pixelation and blurring which will be noticeable during print.

File Types accepted are .JPG, .BMP, .GIF, .TIF, .WMF, .PNG

Deleting a Background or Clipart Image

If you applied a background or clipart at an early stage in your label, you may not want to UNDO all the subsequent steps to delete it. To delete an image simply set the background color of the label or object to white. You can also delete clipart by simply deleting its container.

Adding Text

To add text to your label click the Text tool button, then move the mouse pointer to the approximate position in which you want the text to appear, and click again. There are tabs of features that will show on the right side of your program screen for entering the text, font, formats, and effects for that text.

Tools and Drawing

These tools in the left side let you draw and manipulate objects of various shapes. You can set line and fill colors and gradients, move objects in front of or behind others, select a grid to make alignment easier, etc.

To draw any object, click the button for the object's tool, then click in the drawing area. When you are done, finish the object either by double clicking on the last handle or by releasing the mouse button and clicking once in the same position (as described for each tool in the sections below).

Once the object has been created, it can be resized, moved, reshaped and its line and fill properties can be modified.

Saving a File

Once you've prepared your CD/DVD label, save it by clicking the Save button. This will open a standard Windows file dialog where you can choose the filename and location. By default, DiscStudio will save files in the backgrounds folder. If you want to change this, just choose any folder you want using the file dialog window. A DiscStudio folder in My Documents might be a good choice.

Ready to Print! Setting up your Printer Alignment

Doing a printer alignment is the first step towards correcting print issues where the artwork is not centered over the labels or inserts you wish to print. Performing a printer alignment will correctly configure the software to work with your printer. This will give more accurate prints and keep you from wasting sheets of misprinted labels. A printer alignment will need to be done whenever you change your printer.

When you do a printer a printer alignment, the printer will print a single sheet of paper with two multi-colored boxes. This sheet of paper must be re-inserted into the printer's paper tray and then click OK. The printer will then print black arrows on top of the colored boxes. We need to adjust the DiscStudio software (under the File > Paper Image Alignment dialog box) to match what is on the printout.

• Choose your printer from File > Printer Setup
• Go to: File > Paper Image Alignment, click the “Print Alignment Image” button. Example b) (DO NOT HIT THE OK BUTTON YET)
• Place this printed sheet back in your printer with the arrow pointing at your printer, facing up or down, as your printer needs it to print over the same area.
• Hit the “OK” button on your Printer Alignment screen to print the SECOND sheet alignment over the FIRST print. Example C)
• On the printed sheet you now have an arrow pointing in the X-axis and Y-axis colored boxes pointing to a letter. In the Calibrate Print Position box still open choose the corresponding X and Y Axis letters the printed arrows are pointing at from the drop down. Inside that letter, adjust the slider to the corresponding color placement. The print from example C) this would adjust the X-axis to D and the slider in red, and the Y-axis in F and the slider in red as shown in example D).
• Hit OK to save these Printer Alignment values.
• We recommend creating a simple color filled layout and printing it on a plain sheet of paper. Hold it up behind a label sheet against a light to see if the alignment needs more adjustments.

Printing on Labels

Since you have now set up the printer alignment, printing is as simple as 1 – 2 – 3:

1. Prepare the image to be printed. Save it for future use when you're done.
2. Insert a blank sheet(s) of label stock in the printer.
3. Click the Print button on the DiscStudio main interface. Make sure that the correct printer and number of copies are selected, then click OK.

Your sheets will begin to print in a no time. If you need to adjust alignment you can go back to the printer alignment under File > Printer Alignment. To extend your bleed area click on Select Template in the main screen and you can increase or decrease your bleed area that allows for printer shifting of the pages.