Problems printing dvd covers

[SoCalMK]

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem. Whenever I print out covers for DVD's, it never prints all the way to the end on one side. So I end up having to do two prints, the second one turned upside down. And then I cut both in half to make one cover. I'm wondering if this is the program that I am using, a setting in that program or maybe my printer. I am currently using UndercoverXP to print out my covers. Any help that can be offered would be greatly appreciated.

[garryheather]

This isn't a another legal / A4 paper size issue is it ?

Also check the border size on your printer - if it's an inkjet, it's probably "reserving" an inch of the page for it to grip hold of. You usually can print in this area, but you have to go into the advanced properties of your print dialogue to turn of this... safety feature.

[SoCalMK]

Thank you very much. I'll look into the settings on my printer.

[FulciLives]

I print on legal size paper because the width of the cover WILL fit on standard 8 1/2 x 11 paper BUT it is SUCH a tight fit that most printers can't fit it on that size because most printers have a non-printable region (i.e., can only get SO close to the edges) so if you use legal size 8 1/2 x 14 then you don't have that problem.

The trick though is trying to find quality glossy paper that is legal size.

As for myself I create my cover in PhotoShop and save as a TIFF image file. Usually ends up being around 20MB in size.

I put it on a CD-R and take it to a local copy center (Kinko's) and print it out on their VERY nice quality color laser printers onto legal paper. It's not glossy but it's high quality paper and the ink really looks "shiny" on it yet won't rub off.

You might want to check out DVDCOVERART.COM as they have PhotoShop template(s) for download along with the correct size etc.

I use those templates and it works for me

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[ncs]

DVD Cover Print will print a cover art on an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper.

[FulciLives]

DVD Cover Print will print a cover art on an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper.

As I said not all PRINTERS are capable of doing this!

It is a "hardware" problem in that many printers have a non-printing region that on a 8 1/2" x 11" paper it cannot print big enough to fit a full size DVD cover.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Dimmer]

I had the same issue with my Canon S330 - it wouldn't print a DVD cover on letter size paper due printer limitations. However, if I set the paper size to legal before printing, it prints just fine on a letter size paper. As I understand, minimum margins depend on each particular printer model.

[Craig Tucker]

No such problems with A4 sized paper.

[overloaded_ide]

Most likely the printer doesn't print the end of the sheet of paper, like others have said. I also have a program or two that does not let me set the side margins below a certain size, even though I can print that area with my printer, so it could also be your software limiting your printing area as well.

Since your comming up sort on length you should be able to solve it by setting the paper size to a longer size in you printer settings. Either use legal size, or if you can specify a custom size use 8.5w X 11.5 or 12L and that should fix it.

Most printers I have had can print to nearly the end of the paper just fine, but don't by defualt for some stupid reason. SO by lying to the printer and telling it you are using longer paper it thinks it is reserving the unprinted area further down, where the paper actually ends
Also if the software is reserving that unprinted area, it is usually looking to see what size the printer is using for a paper size and that will often trick the software the same way.-
My problem with some program is that they reserve unprinted side space for margins the same way, but the printer will not let me set a size wider than 8.5 because that is all it can do width ways, that I have not found a cure for yet.

Don't you just love the way manufactors lie to us?? Borderless printing?? Yea if we use smaller paper, well hell we might as well just cut off the side of paper that has borders then, same thing!

[RottenFoxBreath]

A4 paper,Nero cover designer,and never had a problem.
and glossy A4 paper is easy and cheap,i get 50 sheets for bout £4-£5.

[thor300]

Letter size is just too short for a DVD cover on many printers, if you are not in an "A4" country then buy Legal size coated paper for DVD covers.
My experience is that photo paper is easy to obtain in A4 size even in "Letter/Legal" countries, USA might be different though, very conservative/patriotic about this inch/letter/legal thing . A4 is always long enough for standard DVD covers, i have seen them get close on non standard covers, for ex some cases i used last year that required a cover that was 13-14mm (more than half an inch) longer than standard. I guess some older printers would not be able to print those to the end on A4 paper (i use 286mm in the CoverXP template for these "long" cases)