subject: Cd Packaging Tip #2: Be True To Your Material [print this page] It is always cooler if we just embrace our own authentic selves and not try to be someone else. By accepting and highlighting our unique qualities, we become indispensable, remarkable even. The same rule applies to CD packaging. It is much better if the material doesnt attempt to be something it is not because the result could sometimes spell desperation.
If you are a hip-hop group and you really want to copy one of those glossy postcard-perfect studio shots of your favorite bands complete with the bling-bling and awesome sets, you are very free to do so. Just make sure you have all the right resources-proper lighting, wonderful set, high-end cameras- to produce a decent picture. However, if you do not have the budget for technical equipment and great set design, and no matter how you tweak it in post-production you still have a cheap-looking B-class studio shot, you are in for mass humiliation. Not only will this affect your confidence, it would also affect your album sales and fans because after all, your CD packaging says a lot about you and your music.
The best thing to do is be aware of your limitations and set realistic goals for your CD packaging design. If you have budget or time constraints, go for a simpler idea. Do not try to be too ambitious with the materials and design if deep inside you just know that its impossible to pull off. It is ideal to be very creative but that doesnt mean your designs should be exaggerated and over-the-top. If its half-baked, it would just like a chopsuey of small ideas that try to hard to fuse. Start with something simple and work on it.
You should also be honest with material. If you have a low-resolution photo or a Polaroid shot, do not try to blow them up in Photoshop to make them look like high-res posters. It is much better if you use it as it is-a Polaroid shot. You could scribble some notes on the polaroids and voila! It instantly becomes unique.
For me creativity really sprouts when you work within the box- when you try to embrace what you have, stick to its uniqueness, and work on making it different without altering its true essence.
