Custom Buffy Season One DVD case for your perusal (1 Viewer)

[Matt DeVillier]

The hi-res cover is now available from my site to download
enjoy

 

[ChristianW]

Just to change the subject sligtly...

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how best to print these covers? I've printed a different cover using glossy photo paper, that had good image quality but was quite sticky and stays slightly sticky even after being allowed to dry. The paper is a bit tacky even before use. This is a problem when you try to slip the cover into a case, it's like trying to slide cling wrap across cling wrap.

I'm using an inkjet printer (Canon S400) and would appreciate any help.

 

[ChrisLee]

I'd take it down to Kinko's or some copy place and print it on a Color Laser. I haven't actually done this before but my experience with color lasers are that they perform WAY better then inkjets ever do, even when using special paper.

 

[Matt DeVillier]

ChrisLee,

my experience is the opposite - at this point, a good injet will beat out a color laser. And most kinkos don't have color lasers you can use, they have a heat-wax type. The best paper I have found so far is either the very bright matte photo paper or the very low gloss photo paper. With the gloss photo paper, you do have to let it dry a few days though.

-Matt

 

[Patrick Sun]

I've tried printing the high-res version on 2 different printers on good paper stock, not the cheap laserjet paper (I can actually read the small fine print on the back cover! Great job on the high-res version!):

HP ColorJet 4050 - very good flesh tones, contrast not as good.

Tektronix 850 - okay flesh tones (a little splotchety), but very good contrast.

My only other bummage is on the printer's limitation to print cover 10.5" of the 11" of the width of the image in landscape mode. I have that 0.25" on either side that could have been nice to have for the cover to fit just right, as it is now, there's a little bit missing on the right hand side of the front, and a little bit missing on the left hand side of the back.

 

[Vanessa]

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how best to print these covers? I've printed a different cover using glossy photo paper, that had good image quality but was quite sticky and stays slightly sticky even after being allowed to dry. The paper is a bit tacky even before use. This is a problem when you try to slip the cover into a case, it's like trying to slide cling wrap across cling wrap.

ChristianW -

It sounds like you are using the wrong print mode for that paper. Each type of media (both base - paper or film, and coating - glossy, matte, etc) has a different ink limit. By ink limit I mean that there is a certain amount of moisture that the paper can handle - anything over that and the ink never seems to dry. That is one of the reasons why there are different media types that you can select in printer drivers. If you still have the glossy photo paper box, it should say what media type to choose on it. Of course this works best when the media is from the same manufacturer as the printer...

Let me know if you have more printing questions - I won't have anything specific to Canon as I work for HP. But I do have general knowledge of the inkjet world. As a side note, some HP printers (and possibly some other manufacturers printers?) have a feature we call media sense, that optically detects what media is in the printer and adjusts the media type for you...

Hope this helps

Vanessa

 

[Carlo_M]

Excellent work! Since I'm getting this for my SO's BDay, this will make an excellent "unique" feature--time to ask for use of the corporate color laser printer!

 

[Mike Miskulin]

The best way I've found to print out in high-quality is just to go down to kinkos. I use their "file prep" program, burn 'em onto disc, and hand it over to somebody behind the counter. $1 and some change later, I have a perfect color copy! Just a recommendation. Glad you're enjoying the cover!

mike.

 

[ChristianW]

Vanessa -
I did actually see the recommended settings on the paper packaging and that's what i've been using. The paper I have is glossy photo paper that is tacky to touch even before printing on it. If you put a piece flat on the desk and touched it with your fingertips it would actually stick well enough to lift off the desk. I have a couple of images I printed weeks ago and they are still quite sticky as well. I have two large dogs that shed hair like it's going out of fashion and it's stuck to some of those older print jobs, with no hope of getting it off.
I haven't been bothered to experiment with different settings to see what I could come up with, but maybe i'll try one day.
Today, I bought some Kodak Super Premium Matte Paper and the results are promising. So far i'm quite happy with it. It's definately not tacky, before or after printing! The resolution of the Buffy cover is good enough to allow me to easily read the fine print on the back, so it can't be that bad. There is also a Photo Print Cartridge available for this printer that increases the resolution it can output which I might look into.

 

[ChristianW]

Me again... Forgot to ask -
Mike,
I live in Australia, and I like your case design much more than the studios effort (which isn't bad), anyway I've got upto season 3 on my shelf with season 4 coming in a few months. Any chance of some more covers? I thought maybe two covers per season after the first because of them having 6 discs instead of 3 like the first. Whatcha think mate... pal... buddy!
I really am very impressed with the cover you created.

 

[Mike Miskulin]

Christian,

Yep, I'll be working on further seasons soon. Rather than two sets/season, I'm planning on doing one cover/season. So from here on out, they'll be designed for the six-disc alpha cases. The spine will be basically identical to season one, although obviously thicker. The font size will be the same however, so it should look pretty good, I hope!

mike.

 

[ChristianW]

As much as I like the design of these cases, I probably won't get to use them for my sets. :frowning:
The reason is that I simply cannot find the necessary cases within Australia and the cost to ship them from the States is way too much. The international shipping charges from inetdvd.com are very high. I really can't justify the expense.

 

[AdrianOC]

I didn't think the postage was that much from the US to Ireland.
Granted I'm still waiting for my cases to arrive - they shipped on the 14th of January!