Labels Made Easy

We have all seen CDs, floppy disks, or jars that are identified by a sharpie description. Not only is this unappealing, but many people don’t know that a sharpie will eat into the plastic. When it comes to making labels, there are some basic do’s and don’ts:

Include all relevant information

Many times we tend to concentrate and take more space for the design and forget or simply do not add the needed information. We need to include name of the CD or canned item, possibly the date and any other relevant information that will help us to identify the object

Choose colors and designs wisely

We not only need the relevant information on the project, we also need to be able to see it. Most people know that if there is a dark background, the writing needs to be light for it to show up. The label isn’t valuable if you cannot identify it. Another common mistake is using fancy fonts that make it hard to read.

Avoid pixilation

Occasionally we see an image on the Internet or scan a photo we like for a label; however, after we adjust the size, the image looks different than the original. The image is now grainy or looks like a bunch of tiny dots and in some cases, big dots. This happens because of low resolution. For more information on resolution, see the article What is Resolution? (photo editing) .

Center label

Occasionally a CD with a sticker label will not play. Many times this happens because the CD label is not applied correctly. There are applicators, most commonly called CD stompers, that will aid in applying the label. The label needs to be perfectly centered and smooth. Without a stomper, it is almost impossible to apply a label minus the bumps or folds, which will get stuck or quit playing in the player. A way to get around the CD stomper is to practice on something like a coaster before you apply one on your CD or DVD.

Do not stack or reapply labels

Another reason for a CD or DVD not being able to work in the player is because it is damaged or has too much weight. Let’s say we put a crease in the label while applying. All is not lost. Many times, it is possible to get it out with a little rub or there is the option of adding another label on top of the existing label. However, don’t add more than one layer.

A label can damage a CD or DVD when it is taken off or reapplied. This causes the loss of one or more layers of the CD or DVD itself. When this happens, it causes the disc to skip or not play at all. The best advice is to practice and use a stomper—it might save you money and time in the long run.