MiniDisc Labels

While new MiniDiscs do ship with label stickers (which work really well with frixion pens by the way), many people want to make custom labels for their discs. There are a few ways to do this.

The first way is by using generic sticker paper. Disc labels can be generated using the MiniDisc label generator website, or by editing the Inkscape template. This template is based off the one from /u/DaveMitHut from his reddit post.

For MiniDisc's 10th Anniversary (c. 2002), Sony produced a simple label generator with selectable colors, fonts and label designs.

Once printed, simply cut to shape and apply.

The paper used in the above examples is two part water proof paper purchased in Japan.

skurtis on eBay sells pre-cut minidisc labels. These look great and are already cut to size making them quite easy to use. He does not provide an editable template (just one for spacing), but we have created an inkscape editable version of it. Note that this template is untested.

MiniDisc labels can also be UV printed. Any local UV printing service can do this for you. Users have reported good experiences with BluishSquirrel. Below is a comparison between a UV printed disc and a normal sticker label disc.

Note that while BandCDs does bulk printing for band releases, they do not offer single prints for consumers.

Kai has created an editable Illustrator PDF for MiniDisc labels, set up with bleed and crop marks (including the 45° trim on the top-left corner).

sony_minidisc_labels_a4_-_6up.pdf

This template is six labels on an A4 sheet. It will fit on US Letter as well, just make sure you print at 100% and don't scale it to fit.

There is also an alternate version with twelve labels on an A4 - this is more efficient use of the page, but you need to have a dozen discs on the go before you print the labels.

sony_neige_md_labels_12up.pdf

## How to use First you need to make your images. Either use the web label generator above, or create your own images. If you use the web label generator, you can simply drop the images in at 100% and put them in the right location. If you're creating your own images, then you want a file set up as portrait orientation with approximately 5:7 aspect ratio. If you're using a pixel editing app, you'll want the images to be around 350 px wide by 500 px tall. I've included a couple of millimetres of bleed around the labels. This is extra space that you fill with the image that goes outside the border of the image. Then, when you're cutting the labels out, if you're not 100% accurate with cutting, you don't get thin white lines around the edges.

Once you have the images you want to use for the labels, Launch Illustrator, go to File > Open and then select the PDF you downloaded. Select the images you're going to use for the labels. Place the image where you want it, and resize it to be approximately the same size as the rectangle for the label.

If the image is smaller than the bleed area (e.g. if you used the web label generator) then just put in in the right place. If it's considerably larger because you want more bleed around the image, place it and then put it _behind_ the rectangle.

To to this, select the object you want to move with the Direct Selection Tool (white arrow) Go to Edit > Cut ( Cmd/Ctrl + X ) Select the object you want it behind. Go to Edit > Paste in Back ( Cmd/Ctrl + B ) This will put the image behind the white rectangle for the label.

Finally, select the two items (the image and the rectangle) and go to Edit > Clipping Mask > Make. This will paste your image “inside” the rectangle, allowing you to still see the crop marks.

When you're done, print it out on label paper AT 100% (don't forget to change the settings in your printer to say you're printing on labels, especially if you're using a laser printer) and trim to the crops. For the disc label, trim the 45° corner first, and then the other sides.

I have had success printing the labels out on matte vinyl sticker paper - I bought a pack of Avarrix Premium Vinyl Sticker paper from Amazon. It's 50 sheets, tear resistant, water resistant and works for later and inkjet printers.