DiscLabel ($32.95) from SmileOnMyMac is as good an option as you are likely to come across for creating professional looking CD labels, jewel case inserts and covers for your DVD’s.
“With DiscLabel, you can easily create (and print!) great labels and packaging. You can use the built-in templates and text layouts provided, or create a custom design from scratch. No matter what kind of project — music, photos, digital video, client presentations — your discs and cases will look great.”
I think that as well as it’s ease of use the single most impressive feature is the integration with iTunes and iPhoto for picking up ‘content’ for your label. I really liked that feature. Of course in my case my music is in iTunes because I don’t want all the CD’s cluttering the apartment, but I have to say it was an impressive feature.
One thing I particularly like about SmileOnMyMac applications are the great tips that they email through from time to time, for example:
Getting Started with DiscLabel
Choose File > New Design to open up the New Design window. At the top of the window, you’ll see Create design from: followed by a menu with several choices:
Random Design Factory
A quick way to generate a cool design! The Factory combines text layouts, images and effects randomly. You can click on the buttons at the left to get new random choices until you have a design you like.
Text with Image
Start with a text layout from your choice of the layouts in window on the left. Insert a photo from your iPhoto library or from any location on your hard drive by clicking the iPhoto dropdown menu in the top right.
DiscLabel Templates
Choose a design from the templates included with DiscLabel. Choices appear in the window on the left.
Blank
Just want to design a custom label from scratch? No problem! Choose Blank from the “Create design from:” dropdown menu, and click Edit.
Adding iTunes Playlist Information
If you’re making a label for an iTunes playlist, you can import track information from iTunes by clicking the Select Tracks to Import icon and choosing iTunes from the dropdown menu that appears. Then choose the playlist from the dropdown menu below. All the track information automatically appears in the design.
Editing and Printing
If you want to edit the design further, click Edit — you’ll be able to resize and reposition images; add additional images, shapes, and text; apply masks or image effects, and more. When you’re done editing, choose Media at the bottom to go on to the printing process.
If you’re happy with your new design as is, click on the Print button and you’ll be taken to the Media window where you can specify what media you’ll be printing to (labels, printable CDs, LightScribe media, etc.).
DiscLabel makes it a snap to use your photos in label designs.
For a simple design combining text and a photo:
1) Open the New Design window (File > New Design, or Command + N).
2) From the drop down menu “Create design from:” choose “Text with Images”.
3) Your iPhoto library will be displayed in the column on the right. Click on a photo to add it to the design.
4) On the left are a variety of text layouts. Choose one by clicking on it.
5) Add iTunes track information by selecting your playlist from the dropdown menu at the bottom.
If you’re satisfied with the design as it appears in the New Design window, you can click Print and go directly to the printing process. If you want to customize the text, move or resize the photo, or add more photos, click Edit and you’ll be taken to Edit Mode.
In Edit Mode, you can add more photos by clicking on the Import Image button. You can drag your photos to reposition, or select them and use the handles that appear to resize them. You can also change the text, adjust the color and font, and move or resize the text box
With Import Image, you can add as many photos as you like. You can even create a montage by selecting several photos in the Import Image dialog box and clicking Make Montage.
DiscLabel can import playlist track information right into your label design. You won’t have to type in all the song titles or artists’ names again!
1) Choose File > New Design to get started.
2) To import track information from iTunes, click and hold the Select Tracks to Import icon and and then choose iTunes from the dropdown menu that appears. Playlists can be chosen from the dropdown menu below.
3) You can easily import iTunes album art as well. In the top right corner of the New Design window, click and hold the dropdown menu that says iPhoto by default and change it to iTunes. In the second dropdown menu, choose your playlist, and the album art for that playlist will appear. Click on the album cover you want, and it will appear in your design.
4) If you are satisfied with the design, click Print to to to Media mode where you’ll choose media and start printing. If you want to do further editing, such as repositioning the images or text, click on Edit and you’ll go to Edit mode.
Features:
Import track lists from iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, Finder, and Toast
Start with a pre-designed template, or create a custom design from scratch
Print to a wide array of label and paper types, as well as supported direct-on-CD printers
* Automate label creation with AppleScript
* Import images directly from iTunes, iPhoto, and Finder
* Download additional templates via the Internet
* Include (and edit!) multi-line text laid out in a circle
* Built-in DiscLabel store: buy your Fellowes/NEATO labels with ease
* Best design solution for LightScribe on the Mac (more about LightScribe)
* Integrated with free LightScribe image package, available as a separate download
* .Mac integration for sharing your template designs
For those of you that use discus 3.10 or Disc Cover 1.2 they provide a useful comparison. You may also want to compare against SOHO Labels or Labels vX both of which I have reviewed and used before, and which do a solid job.
System Requirements:
Mac OS X version 10.4 (Tiger) or later
(DiscLabel 2.4.1 is still available for Mac OS X version 10.2.5 – 10.3.9.)