An iTunes file that has no cover artwork is a chip sorry ; it lacks grapheme and it ’s difficult to spot when you ’re chop-chop sifting through your library . And although it ’s easy enough to snaffle blanket artwork for commercially available euphony and movies ( iTunes really allows you to do this by command- or properly - clicking the single file and take Get Album Artwork ) , you probably wo n’t detect any art for your old band ’s demo tape measure . The solution , of trend , is to make your own cover artwork and add it to your songs , shows , or movies .
Create an album cover
Open Photoshop CS3 , CS4 , or CS5 and choose File->New , or in the shell of Photoshop Elements 8 , take File->New->Blank File . Now you ’ll take to set the pixel resolution of the sheet . nontextual matter included with particular buy through the iTunes Store is typically 600 - by-600 pixels ( at 72 dpi ) , and for consistency , you should nonplus to this resolution . ( you’re able to add larger artwork if you like , but keep in idea that the bigger the image , the big the file size of it . A 5 megabyte song single file can double to 10 megabyte with the addition of high - result artwork . ) Once you ’ve set the resolution , click OK .
Great album cover artwork start with a strong concept . So , you ’ll want to fill up your canvas with a merriment ground and perhaps some stinking text edition . But first , you ’ll need to regain these components . Here ’s a roundup of sources for fine art , photos , and font .
Art — It ’s always fun to use your own artwork on the covering , whether it ’s hand - drawn or hand - painted ( terminate up your scanner ! ) or something you ’ve created in Photoshop . Those who are n’t as artistically inclined can discover awesome art and interesting textures at website likeDeviantArt . Just be sure to check that the artwork is available viaCreative Commonslicense , meaning that you have permission to utilize it with certain condition . ( If you ’re not sure whether your use or purpose qualifies , e - send the creative person for illumination . )
Make sure the text you add is legible. Avoid placing it on top of high-contrast elements.
Photos — Your own photos are a raw selection for your covering fire , so be sure to launch iPhoto , Aperture , or Lightroom and see if you’re able to find oneself anything that fits your album concept . If you ’re not much of a lensman , you might sample searchingFlickr ’s Creative Commons . Thousands of picture are uncommitted with a Creative Commons license , and you may zero in in on those quite well .
Fonts — you could determine M of coolheaded and way-out fonts online , many of them for free . check out out sites such asDafont.com,1001 Free Fonts , andFont Freak . I ’m especially fond ofJohn Martz’stoyware toon and comic book fonts .
check that the text you add is legible . Avoid localize it on top of high - demarcation element .
You can add more than one image to a track; the top-left image appears in Cover Flow.
It ’s unmanageable to set up fixed rules for creating album cover artwork ; but here are a few guidelines to aid you get started . opt a background ikon can be a challenge , and you must keep in mind where you require to position your textual matter . This area should be relatively low - contrast ( sky , a sandy beach , or with a picture or drawing , a visually simple area ) .
Once you ’ve chosen the desktop , open it in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements . The first thing you ’ll want to do is crop the epitome to a lame . Choose the Rectangular Marquee Tool , hold down the shift cay ( to lock the aspect proportion to a square ) , and drag the cursor across the orbit of the image that you would wish to utilise . Now take Image->Crop . You should also scale down big picture before pasting them into your cover art canvas . In Photoshop , opt Image->Image Size , enter a pixel resolution of 600 - by-600 pixels , and click OK ; in Photoshop Elements , prefer Image->Resize->Image Size , eccentric in a pixel resolution of 600 - by-600 , and click OK ( make certain the Constrain Proportions and Resample Image boxes are tick , and vary the Resolution to 72 dpi before adjusting the width and altitude ) . Choose Select->All and then Edit->Copy , and then flip back to your cover artwork canvas and choose Edit->Paste .
Now you may add a title . sink in the Text tool , take your typeface , and then click the part of the canvas where you require to write . Avoid using overly pocket-size or thin text , as it may not be legible on the iPhone or iPod Touch . You should also maneuver clean-cut of super - saturated colors as they can be unmanageable to read . If you ’re feel a minuscule waste , you may add nicety to the text using Layer Styles . ( In Photoshop , choose Layer->Layer Style->Blending Options ; in Photoshop Elements , take Layer->Layer Style->Style configurations . )
Getting your cover graphics just right can take some time ; keep fine-tune until you ’re felicitous . And be sure to store your file on a regular basis in the received Photoshop / Photoshop Elements file format .
Adding your artwork to iTunes
Once you ’ve complete your new album cover , it ’s a cinch to append it to iTunes . You ’ll need to flatten the file first ; to do so , opt Layer->Flatten range of a function . Now copy it to the clipboard by choosing Select->All and then choose Edit->Copy .
you could add more than one look-alike to a trail ; the top - allow for image come along in Cover Flow .
Open iTunes and locate the song , show , or movie to which you ’d like to add artwork . Click it once to highlight it and then prefer File->Get Info . A general information windowpane will seem , and you ’ll see a row of tabs along the top ; to continue , dawn Artwork . you’re able to now bring your nontextual matter by choosing Edit->Paste . observation that there ’s a luger at the bottom rightfulness of the windowpane ; drag it go forth will show you all artwork in the data file . If there ’s any existing art that you want to remove , click it once to spotlight it and then opt Edit->Delete or click your keyboard ’s Delete button .
It ’s important to note that you do n’t need to dispatch the original art ; in fact , you could add multiple images to the file if you like . add up each covering by choosing Edit->Paste . To fix the album artwork that is displayed in Cover Flow , use the slider to show all nontextual matter in the file cabinet , and then simply drag the preferred persona to the top left over side . To lock in your change , click OK . If you do not at once see your picture laden in the Cover Flow , try closing and relaunching iTunes . No doubt , you ’ll also want your album cover to show up in the Selected Item / Now Playing box at the bottom left turning point of the iTunes windowpane . Just drag out and drop down the look-alike into that box , and from then on , the image will show up both in the Cover Flow and in the Selected Item boxwood . If you have more than one trope stash away in the iTunes file cabinet , you may use the navigational arrows to select which one shows up .
Sharing the art
Coming up with record album cover graphics can be a lot of fun , whether you ’re creating it for your up - and - follow circle or sum character to onetime recording . Once you ’ve add up natural covering artwork to a file , you may send the suped - up file to champion and co-worker . Just drag it out of the iTunes and pop it into an email substance !
[ Chris McVeigh is an writer , illustrator and toy photographer who lives in Halifax , Nova Scotia . ]
