CD cover template generator
By the Slappcard teamFacts last checked
A CD cover template is a layout that shows where your art will be cut, so the printed case matches what you drew.
We make Slappcards, printed download cards. This template is free and works whether or not you ever buy one.
Make your template
Choose the part of the case you are printing, add your art and download the PDF. The PDF has trim marks, 1/8 in of bleed and a safe-area line. Your art stays in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Except for the front insert, each part is one panel. Your replicator prints the panels as one flat sheet with folds. Place this art into their template.
CD case sizes
The jewel case front insert is one sheet cut to size, so its figure is the trim. The other parts are panels of a larger sheet that your replicator prints flat and folds, so their figures are panel sizes. The File with bleed column is the size of your art once you add 1/8 in of bleed on every side, at 300 PPI. We worked it out ourselves: inches times 300, rounded up to a whole pixel.
| Part | Size | File with bleed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewel case front insert or booklet cover | 4.75 × 4.75 in | 1500 × 1500 px | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| Jewel case tray card | 5.4 × 4.625 × 0.25 in | Ask your replicator | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| Digipak front and back panel | 5.492 × 4.941 in | 1723 × 1558 px | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| 4-panel eco-wallet, front and back | 5.5 × 5 in | 1725 × 1575 px | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| Jewel-box-size eco-wallet, front and back | 5.563 × 4.938 in | 1744 × 1557 px | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| Standard jacket (J100) | 5.063 × 4.968 in | 1594 × 1566 px | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
Disc Makers prints the tray card as 5.4 × 4.625 × 0.25 in and does not say what the third figure measures. A tray card is flat paper, so the figure may be a spine on each side, which would make the flat card wider than 5.4 in. We could not confirm that, so the generator makes no tray card template. Get the tray card template from your replicator before you cut.
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 300 ppi for images, 1200 ppi for line art | Disc Makers blogOfficial page, posted 5 Jul 2024, updated 21 Apr 2025. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Bleed | 1/8 in added to your layout | Disc Makers bleed articleHelp article, edited 25 Aug 2020. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Safe area | Keep type and other important elements 1/8 in inside the crop marks | Disc Makers bleed articleHelp article, edited 25 Aug 2020. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
Confirm with your replicator
Replicators set their own trim sizes and update their templates. Confirm with your replicator before you send files.
What is in the PDF
- Page 1 holds your art at the size of the part plus 1/8 in of bleed on every side. With no art, it holds a blank template.
- Trim marks sit in the four corners, outside the bleed, so they never print on your art. The PDF also stores the trim and bleed boxes, for programs that read them.
- A solid line marks the edge of the part: the trim on the front insert, the edge of the panel on the others. A dashed line runs 1/8 in inside it. That is the safe area. You can turn both off for clean art.
- Every part but the front insert carries a note under the art: this is one panel. Your replicator prints the panels as one flat sheet with folds. Place this art into their template.
- Your art is saved into the PDF as an RGB JPEG at 300 PPI. A CMYK or higher-resolution original is converted, so export your final file from your design program.
- Page 2 is a blank 2 × 3.5 in panel marked "Your card goes here". It has no artwork and no QR code.
Questions
What size is a CD cover?
A jewel case front insert, the booklet cover, is 4.75 × 4.75 in. Digipak, eco-wallet and jacket panels are each about 5.1 to 5.6 in wide. Disc Makers lists the tray card as 5.4 × 4.625 × 0.25 in and does not say what the third figure measures, so ask your replicator for that one. Confirm every size with your replicator.
Pick the part you are printing in the generator and it draws that size, with the bleed added.
What size is a CD tray card?
We could not confirm it. Disc Makers prints the tray card as 5.4 × 4.625 × 0.25 in without saying what the third figure is. It may be a spine on each side, which would make the flat card wider than 5.4 in. The generator makes no tray card template yet, so get the template from your replicator.
What is bleed on a CD insert?
Bleed is artwork that runs 1/8 in past the cut line on every side. Cutting is never exact, and without bleed a small shift leaves a white sliver at the edge. Run backgrounds and photos into the bleed. Keep logos and type out of it. Disc Makers asks for 1/8 in.
In the PDF the bleed is the outer edge of your picture. The corner marks start at that edge, so they never print on your art.
What is the safe area?
The safe area is a margin 1/8 in inside the edge of the part. Keep the title and any face inside it, away from the cutter. Disc Makers asks for the same 1/8 in inside the crop marks. The PDF draws it as a dashed line, so you can see what sits too close to an edge.
What resolution does a CD cover need?
Disc Makers asks for 300 PPI for images and 1200 PPI for line art. At 300 PPI a jewel case front insert with bleed is 1500 px square. The largest part here needs 1744 px, so a square 3000 px streaming cover is enough for every part in the generator.
The generator tells you the PPI your picture reaches across the part you chose, so you know before you download. The PDF holds your art at 300 PPI. Set type and line art in your design program.
Does my art leave my computer?
No. This page reads your file in your browser, draws it on a canvas and builds the PDF there. Nothing is uploaded, and no account is needed. Close the tab and your art is gone. The PDF is saved to your own computer.
Can I send this PDF straight to my replicator?
Check first. Replicators publish their own templates and file rules, and some want a flat file at bleed size with no marks. Use this PDF to place your art and to brief a designer, then export the final file the way your replicator asks. The checkbox in the generator turns off the lines drawn on the art.
How much room does a download card take?
A Slappcard is 2 × 3.5 in, portrait. Page 2 of the PDF is a blank panel that size. Print it at 100%, cut along the marks and hold it against your layout to see how much room a card takes. We have not measured how a card sits in each case, so test one in yours.
Does this cover vinyl or cassette?
No. This generator covers CD parts only. The two 12-inch jacket templates we read differ by a millimeter or two, and no plant we could open publishes a J-card panel size, so use your plant's template. The album cover size guide shows both.
Next step
Put a download card in the case
Not every fan has a disc drive. A Slappcard in the case gives them a QR code that opens a private page with your music. Packs of 100 to 1,000 cards start at $120.00. Free shipping to the US and Canada.
A pack prints one shared link per design, so every card in it opens the same page. Need individual codes for a retail run? Ask us about a custom run.