Print Guide
Everything you need to print, cut, and assemble a professional CD jewel case at home.
Exact Dimensions
Standard CD jewel case measurements. All artwork exported from the CD Builder uses these exact sizes.
| Component | Width | Height | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booklet Page | 120 mm | 120 mm | Square format. First page = front cover. |
| Booklet Spread (folded) | 240 mm | 120 mm | Two pages side-by-side before folding. |
| Tray Card (Back Cover) | 151 mm | 118 mm | Includes 6.5 mm spine folds on each side. |
| Tray Card Center Panel | 138 mm | 118 mm | Visible area between the two spine folds. |
| Side Spine | 6.5 mm | 118 mm | Folds around the jewel case edge. One on each side. |
| CD Face (Printable Area) | 118 mm Ø | — | Outer printable diameter of a standard disc. |
| CD Center Hole | 15 mm Ø | — | Non-printable center hub area. |
| Back Inner Tray Art | 120 mm | 120 mm | Visible behind the transparent CD tray. |
Booklet Page
Square format. First page = front cover.
Booklet Spread (folded)
Two pages side-by-side before folding.
Tray Card (Back Cover)
Includes 6.5 mm spine folds on each side.
Tray Card Center Panel
Visible area between the two spine folds.
Side Spine
Folds around the jewel case edge. One on each side.
CD Face (Printable Area)
Outer printable diameter of a standard disc.
CD Center Hole
Non-printable center hub area.
Back Inner Tray Art
Visible behind the transparent CD tray.
Booklet
120 × 120mm
Each page is a perfect square. Two pages placed side-by-side form a 240×120 mm spread that folds in half.
Tray Card
151 × 118mm
Includes two 6.5 mm spine folds. The center panel is 138 mm wide. Fold at the dashed guides.
CD Face
118mm ∅
Printable ring from 15 mm center hole to 118 mm outer edge. Use printable discs or adhesive labels.
Step by Step
From digital design to physical disc in five steps.
Design Your Artwork
Use the CD Builder to upload and arrange your front cover, booklet pages, back cover, CD face, and back inner. Preview everything in 3D before exporting.
Download the Print PDF
On the final step of the CD Builder, click "Download Print PDF". This generates a ZIP containing a multi-page A4 PDF with all your artwork at exact real-world dimensions, crop marks, and fold guides.
Print Double-Sided
Print the booklet sheets on A4 landscape with double-sided (duplex) printing. Use long-edge binding. The PDF pages are already imposed — front and back sides are paired so pages read in order after folding.
Cut Along Crop Marks
Use a craft knife and metal ruler for clean edges. Cut precisely at the corner crop marks. For the CD face, cut along the outer circle guide and punch out the center hole.
Fold & Assemble
Fold booklet sheets in half and nest them together (sheet 1 outermost). Fold the tray card at the dashed spine lines. Slide everything into a standard CD jewel case.
Booklet Imposition
The PDF arranges your pages so they end up in the correct reading order after double-sided printing, cutting, and folding. Here is how it works.
1 Page (Single Leaf)
A single booklet page is printed centered on an A4 portrait sheet at 120×120 mm. Cut along the crop marks. No folding needed — this becomes both the front cover and the only page.
2+ Pages (Imposed Spreads)
Pages are paired onto A4 landscape sheets (240×120 mm spread). The PDF re-orders them so that after double-sided printing and folding, every page is in the correct position. Multiple sheets are nested together (outermost first) and stapled at the fold.
Example: 4-Page Booklet
Sheet 1 — Front (print side A)
← fold line in center
Sheet 1 — Back (print side B)
Pages 2 & 3 appear inside the fold
After printing double-sided, cut the sheet to 240×120 mm and fold in half. Page 1 (front cover) is on top, pages 2-3 are the inner spread, and page 4 is the back.
Paper & Media
Recommended paper types and weights for each component.
Booklet / Front Cover
170–250 gsm glossy or satin photo paper
Glossy gives vibrant colours; matte avoids fingerprints.
Tray Card (Back Cover)
170–250 gsm photo paper or card stock
Needs to be stiff enough to hold shape when folded.
CD Face
Printable CD/DVD or adhesive CD label sheets
Inkjet-printable discs give the best result. Avoid thick labels — they can unbalance the disc.
Back Inner
Standard photo paper (120–170 gsm)
Sits flat behind the tray, so weight matters less.
Image Resolution Matters
For sharp prints at these sizes, your images should be at least 300 DPI at actual print size. That means booklet pages should be at least 1417 × 1417 px, and the tray card at least 1787 × 1394 px. Lower-resolution images will print but may appear soft or pixelated.
Printer Settings
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Paper Size | A4 (210 × 297 mm) |
| Orientation | Landscape for booklet sheets, Portrait for everything else |
| Duplex / Two-Sided | Long-edge binding (for booklet sheets only) |
| Print Quality | Best / Photo / Highest available |
| Scaling | 100% — Actual Size (do NOT fit to page) |
| Paper Type | Match your loaded paper (Photo, Glossy, Matte, etc.) |
| Colour Mode | Colour (not greyscale) |
| Margins | Minimum / Borderless if supported |
Do Not Scale to Fit
The most common mistake is leaving “Fit to Page” or “Shrink to Fit” enabled. This reduces the artwork below real size and your prints will not fit the jewel case. Always print at 100% actual size.
Troubleshooting
Pages are in the wrong order after folding
Make sure you printed with long-edge binding (not short-edge). Also check that you nested the sheets correctly — sheet 1 should be the outermost sheet.
Images look blurry when printed
Upload high-resolution images in the CD Builder (at least 300 DPI at print size = ~1417 × 1417 px for booklet pages). Low-resolution images will appear pixelated at actual print size.
Tray card doesn't fit the jewel case
Ensure you're cutting exactly at the crop marks. The standard tray card is 151 × 118 mm. Some aftermarket cases may vary slightly — measure yours before cutting.
CD label is unbalanced / vibrates
Adhesive CD labels can cause imbalance. For best results, use inkjet-printable CD-Rs where the print goes directly on the disc surface.
Colours look different from screen
Screen colours (RGB) and print colours (CMYK) differ. Use your printer's "best quality" or "photo" setting, and print a test page first. Glossy paper produces more vivid colours than matte.
Ready to Print?
Design your artwork in the CD Builder, download the print-ready PDF, and follow this guide to assemble a professional CD at home.