If you love music and have created a personalized CD for your car trips, I’m glad to help you with that!
However, if you’re reading my guide on how to print on CDs, I assume you’ve run into a small problem. You want to print on CDs to create a label for the disc and possibly customize the CD cover with an image? Am I right? No problem, I’ll help you out; printing on CDs will be very easy if you follow my advice.
In today’s guide, I will talk about software for Windows and macOS that I recommend for creating customized labels to print and apply to CDs. Keep in mind that to achieve a perfect result, you will need—besides the software I will mention—a sticky sheet that you can easily find at any stationery store or a printer that can print directly on CDs. Ready to start? Yes? Then let’s get to it!
Table of Contents
How to Print CDs on Windows
Let’s start by seeing how to print CDs on Windows, focusing on Windows 11 and Windows 10. Below, you can find some programs that may be suitable for you.
UnderCover10
Among the numerous free programs for Windows, I want to recommend UnderCover10, a great tool that I’m sure you will appreciate for its ease of use and the ability to print custom covers for your CDs with various predefined layouts.
The program also supports uploading a custom image to print the front and back cover. If you want to customize the disc as well, using UnderCover 10, you can upload an image that you will apply directly as a label on the CD disc.
To get it, go to its official page, click the Download Latest Version button, click on the downloaded .zip file, extract it and double-click on the setup file, press Yes, select the language, and press OK. After that, press the Next button three times and the Install and Finish buttons, then wait for the program to start automatically.
At this point, as you can see, its user-friendly interface stands out, designed to facilitate the procedures for printing CD covers or labels even for those who are not very familiar with using Windows software. Indeed, upon downloading, installing, and launching the program, you will notice that the software’s user interface is minimized to the essentials and that using its tools to print on the CD disc is extremely easy and straightforward.
Now the first thing you need to do to customize your CD covers is to press the Select Image button, at the top left. The program will ask you to select the image you want to print from your computer and the layout you want to print on it, through the DVD Box dropdown menu. For example, if you want to print an image that will be applied directly to the CD disc, creating a personalized label, you will need to select Pressit A4 CD Label. To select another image, press the Clear button and choose a new one.
Alternatively, among other printing options available, I point out additional predefined templates dedicated to CD media, including, for example, the option to select CD Front, CD Back, CD Front + Inside or CD Front with blank inside.
Once the image is set, press the Print Preview button to check the final result, and if it satisfies you, click the Print… button. Simple, right?
Ronaysoft CD DVD Label Maker
Among the best software you can use to print and customize your CD covers, there is also the free program Ronaysoft CD DVD Label Maker (which, however, leaves a watermark). I chose to include it in my list of software for printing CDs because, in my opinion, it is a great tool. The program is very efficient and comprehensive and will allow you to easily print the covers and the label to apply to your CD.
Some of its main features include the ability to customize the front and back covers of CDs, as well as support for uploading an image that you can apply as a label on the disc: therefore, there are several customization options, depending on your needs.
To start seeing how the program works in detail, download it for free from the official site: press the Download Free button, extract the downloaded .zip file and double-click the application file. Then, press Yes, OK, Next, Accept, Next, Install, and Finish.
Now wait for the program to start, press the Later button regarding the advertisement that appears on the screen, and press the Start Template button (if you want to use an existing template) or Start a composition (if you prefer to use a blank document).
If you opted for the template, choose one of the first four previews (Standard Label) and press the OK button, while if you chose a new composition, use the dropdown menu to select Disk Label, set the dimensions, and press OK.
Once chosen, use the editor to upload an image (via the Upload button, located on the right of the panel) or choose a background from the options presented under Background Collection.
To modify the text, click on the text in question, type what you want to write in the Text field, and choose the Background, Alignment, Placement, and Effects. Once finished, save the project via the floppy disk icon located at the top left and print it by pressing the printer button.
How to Print CDs on Mac
Do you own a Mac and are wondering how to print CDs? You can find the best programs just below.
Disketch Disc Label Software
On macOS devices, my advice is to use the free program (but with watermark) Disketch Disc Label Software, which you can download for free from its official website. Once you arrive at the page, press the Download Mac button, double-click the .dmg file received, click on the Agree button and move the software icon to the Applications folder. Now press on the Disketch icon present in Launchpad, click the Open button (only the first time), and wait for the program to start.
Now press the Create a new project button to start a new project, then select CD and Case on Generic Paper to start the proper editor. Then, press the Add Image(s) button located at the top right, select the image you want to use as the disc label, and if you wish, add text by pressing the Add Text button, moving the text box to the desired location, and typing it into the Type text here field, then choose your font, size, style, color, etc.
Once finished, press the Print button to check the preview and if it satisfies you, press the Print button located in the preview. To save the project, press the floppy disk button, give it a name, and click the Save button.
Swift Publisher
If you want to design your labels, you can use Swift Publisher, a comprehensive program for macOS that allows you to create labels and covers for CDs. In its free version, it adds a watermark, which can be removed by purchasing the program from the Mac App Store for €22.99. Alternatively, you can also get it through a subscription to Setapp: a service that, for $9.99/month (with a free 7-day trial), allows you to use many paid applications for macOS. To know more, I recommend reading the tutorial I specifically dedicated to how Setapp works.
As for the free version, you can download it from the program’s official website: press the Get Free Trial button, click the Allow option, and double-click the .dmg file obtained. Then, drag the program icon into the Applications folder and you’re done.
Now, press the software icon located in the Launchpad, click the Open button (only the first time), and press the Close button to skip the initial tutorial. Now, under the Disks and media option located in the left sidebar, click on Empty, Music, or Photos and video and select a template from those proposed by double-clicking on it.
Then, press the Try it button (to skip the license purchase), press the Edit item dropdown menu on the right, and select the cover element to modify, such as CD > Label or disc; then add an image by pressing the photo icon at the top left and add text by pressing the T button in the center top and selecting the Text box option. Now, to modify the font, size, etc., press on the T tab located in the top right and use all the tools provided to make the changes you prefer.
Once finished, click on the menu File > Print… to proceed with printing your label. Finished! Simple, right?
How to Print CDs Online
Do you want to print your CD covers but don’t want to download software? Then you might be eager to discover how to use the online application Artwork Creator. Instead of the previously mentioned software, you can customize covers and labels for your CDs using the tools provided online. Therefore, no software installation is required.
The customization tools in Artwork Creator are, in my opinion, very valid: the website provides numerous options for creating covers and labels to print and apply to CDs. You can indeed customize your covers with text, stickers, custom backgrounds, and much more.
However, since it is a web application and not software, you won’t be able to print the created layout directly. Artwork Creator is, in fact, only a tool for creating custom covers and labels. Once you create your personalized project, you can save it on your computer and then print it later with your printer.
The first thing you need to do is go to the official Artwork Creator website. Then select the CD template: click on the CD/DVD Body option among the main buttons of the web application. Next, all you have to do is upload a customized cover image, via the Upload Image button.
Also, I recommend taking a look at the Text Tool, Background Color, and Layer menus: it will be thanks to these that you will have some basic editing tools available. The Text Color menu, for instance, will allow you to write and insert customized text on the label or the covers to print; you will be able to select the font, alignment, and even the text color, then add it by pressing the Add Text button. The Background Color menu, on the other hand, allows you to set a potential background color through a palette of preset colors or by directly entering the code of a custom color. As for the Layers menu located further down, I find it interesting to note that you will be able to use it to set the alignment of the cover image or label, modifying also some values specific to the image such as brightness and opacity.
Have you created a custom cover for your CD and are satisfied with the result? At this point, you only need to press the Save Design button. Artwork Creator will return a folder containing the covers or label you have customized that you can print.