Home Disc Labels: design and print CD/DVD covers on your Mac
You have a stack of burned discs, family videos, music mixes or backups, and all of them are labeled with a marker. Home Disc Labels is a Mac CD/DVD label maker that gives you built-in label formats, clipart, backgrounds and ready-made templates, so a finished label doesn't take long.
Quick facts
- Version: 1.9.5
- Platform: Mac OS X 10.4 or later
- Price: $29.95
- Trial: the unregistered version is a fully functional trial, and the full version needs an activation key
- License: lifetime, with free updates and tech support
Key features
Hundreds of templates for discs, covers and inserts
You start from disc, cover, insert and double-cover templates. These include jewel case and DVD case inserts and booklets, and MiniCD. You can also work with custom formats. The image libraries hold more than a thousand backgrounds and clipart pieces in formats such as JPEG, TIFF, PDF and GIF.
Print on the paper you already own
You can print on sheets from Avery, APLI, A-One, Canon, Epson, Herma, Memorex, Neato and others. You can start printing at any position on the sheet and exclude individual labels. You also control bleeds, printing offsets, and crop and trim marks. If you'd rather use a print shop, you can export your design as JPEG, TIFF, PDF, BMP or PNG.
Import playlists straight from iTunes
Instead of typing out a track list, you can import playlists from iTunes, Finder or a text file and place them on the label or insert.
Image and text effects built on Mac's own filters
The app can use about 100 Core Image effects and filters available in Mac OS X. These cover tint, tile, twirl, bump, pinch, grayscale and more. Opacity levels and image masks are included too. For text, you can make circular text objects or use Power Text, add fill, stroke and shadow, link text between objects and wrap it around overlapping objects.
Draw custom shapes and add barcodes
The Bezier tool lets you build your own shapes for graphics and images. You can also add UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, EAN-8, Code 128 and Code 39 barcodes, and insert tables into a label.
Who it's for
It suits Mac users who burn their own video DVDs, music or photo backups and want labels that look finished. It also suits anyone who makes discs as gifts. If you print on label sheets or an Epson direct-to-disc printer, the format and calibration options are aimed at you.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Large template and image library included
- Many label paper brands supported
- iTunes playlist import
- Free trial that is fully functional, and a lifetime license with free updates
Cons
- It is a Mac-only application, built for Mac OS X 10.4 and later
- It needs about 170 MB of disk space
- The product is for disc and cover labels, not general document design
What users say
"I have recommended Home Disc Labels to everyone I know." (Cristallight Software website testimonial)
FAQs
Can I try it before buying?
Yes. Unregistered versions are fully functional trial programs. You get the full version by entering an activation key.
Can I print directly onto discs?
Yes. One testimonial on the vendor's site describes printing on an Epson Stylus with direct-to-disc printing. The vendor's pages also mention Epson direct-to-disk printing.
Can I send my design to a print shop?
Yes. Export it as JPEG, TIFF, PDF, BMP, PNG and other image files for outside printing.
Does it make jewel case inserts?
Yes. Templates cover jewel case and DVD case inserts, booklets, spines and MiniCD.
System requirements
- Mac OS X 10.4 or later
- About 170 MB of hard disk space