When it comes to buying CDs, which would you rather, a plain CD or one that comes with a professionally printed CD cover or CD sleeve? The reason for this question is plain and simple, in order to sell YOUR CD, you must be able to get into the minds of your target demographic and provide them with a product that will enchant and captivate. Put yourself in their shoes, how would you feel if someone offered you a plain old CD for purchase? Would you be tempted to buy it?

A Good Image Can Be the Ticket to Your Success
Regardless if you are selling or distributing software, data, or are a musician that wants to give your music a chance to be heard, professional looking CD cover can set you apart from the rest, build brand loyalty and trust, and add a sense of legitimacy to your work.
But, what if you don’t know how to get started or you are working with a small budget? You are in luck because, to be honest, it doesn’t take much cash or a lot of flashy odds and ends to provide your customers with a professional looking product. If you would like take advantage of the above benefits of CD sleeves, here are some simple tips that will help you save money and without sacrificing quality:
1. To Be Basic Or To Be Fancy– That Is The Question…
Generally, there are two kinds of CD sleeves:
• Basic: These open like book to reveal the CD inside. Although not as elegant as Fancy CD sleeves, they are a good choice for those who are on a budget.
• Fancy: These have an extra flap and panel so that it folds over itself once and tucks closed. This is a favorite of most professionals because they are aesthetically pleasing and they offer more space to place song lists, biographies, credits, attributes, and other information.
2. Little Details Make Big Things Happen
Think back on the feeling that you get when finally pick up that eagerly anticipated CD release – that sturdiness, courtesy of thick cover stock, exuded a sense of durability and professionalism; you just knew that you were going to have this CD for all time. But that doesn’t sum it up good enough; do you remember its unique smell and that rich artwork that seemingly popped off the sleeve? Let’s not even get started on that shiny, glossy finish; you can produce the same effect in your customers by choosing 12-poiont cover stock with glossy sheen on both sides.
3. Make It Uniquely Yours
Along with your incredible design idea (or even if you don’t have one), here’s a simple idea to further set your CD sleeves apart from the competition; get them foil stamped. This method lends a sense of unflattering excellence and prestige to your CD covers that speak volumes for the work inside. But that’s not all—foil stamping also shimmers in the light. In other words, your CD will be hard to miss; whether it’s on the shelf of a software or music store.
Yet another option to customize the look of your CD sleeve is having them printed in custom sizes. Let’s say that you are trying to put out a three CD compilation (similarly to Led Zeppelin and other popular musicians) instead of selling three different CD cases, you can sell one CD sleeve with all of your CDs inside. In this way, it will look like a special edition and entice your clients even more to add it to their collections.
4. Bulking Up
Getting everything together so that you launch a successful venture can take a lot of capital. One way that you can minimize costs, without sacrificing quality, is by printing your CD sleeves in bulk; the price that you are paying per each individual piece will be decrease significantly as the quantity of the product goes up.
To make things even easier, and to make sure that you will have no problems at the press, you have the option of downloading free CD sleeve layout templates for your graphic design program. Because they are already set to the correct resolution, size, and they also include bleed lines, cut zones, and helper lines for safety areas, you can be sure that your design will line up when it’s time to print them out.

http://99designs.com/album-cover-design