Calling MisterCreazil

[MrLips]

I have admired and used quite a bit of your PC covers lately, and I really want to make some of my own. I have been trying to make them with paint.net and I am having so much trouble. Could you please help me with this. Give me a rundown on how you or anyone makes there covers with this program. I have so many i want to make its not even funny. I have hundreds of pc games and quite a bit of them are in original jewel cases. I want to scan the covers from the jewel cases and try and make stackpak cases. I bought a bunch of these cases months ago so I want to use them up. Anybodys help would be much appreciated.

[Doom]

I don't think MisterCreazil uses Paint.NET. To my knowledge, I am the only poor sap who hasn't got around to pirating Photoshop yet. Paint.NET is newbie friendly, but once you learn to use it, you're stuck because you miss out on some features that Photoshop yet.

I can help you though. What specifically do you have trouble with?

[the7k]

I am the only poor sap who hasn't got around to pirating Photoshop yet.

Hey! Hey! I didn't pirate Photoshop!

I just got it for free because I yoinked it from the university. Natch.

[MrLips]

There will be alot of questions I think. First I cant afford photoshop and I dont pirate stuff, I do have photoshop elements but Im not sure if this is better than paint.net or should I use gimp or what?

1. When I scan the front covers of the cd case how do i resize it to fit the front without it getting all stretched out?

2. How do I cut the front name of the game off to fit the spine?

3. Same with the back of the jewel case to the back of the case?

I know its all basic shit but I have messed around with this for weeks and I am no closer to doing it now than I was weeks ago.

[MisterCreazil]

Haha! I really don't think I'm the one to help you, I use Photoshop and all I know about it is what I learned in the one computer art class I took in High School. 

I only ever use Jewel cases when I absolutely can't find the original boxes though, some of my games I still had the original boxes for others I had to buy again or borrow from people I know.  Since the boxes are already Rectangles like DVD cases they usually don't get distorted noticeably.

As far as cutting the name of the game to fit the spine or other graphics I might need, I get a lot of use out of the magic wand tool, and magnetic lasso.

So yeah, I'm really not that good at this stuff.  You should ask Sheep2001 since he's the new CoverGuru and all, haha.

*edit* Just read Doom's post, good guy that Doom.

[sheep2001]

i also use photoshop - so not too sure on Paint.net.

1...My biggest tip for resizing though is SELECTIVE STRETCHING! (Thanks to mr Grumbleduke for that little snippet)  Some parts of your image will be able to take streching more than others - for instance - a mountain or tree will not necessesarily look as distorted as a person when stretched.  Not all images can be done this way.

2...Also - scan at a higher resolution, gives you more image to work with. And don't necessarily use the whole image - you could maybe trim a little off the sides.

3...search the net or indeed the site for the same game on other systems that may already have artwork thats a better shape.  Search google for wallpapers of the game.


edit:  maybe you could post an image that's giving you particular trouble, and we can have a go and let you know specifically how we got the results.

[MrLips]

What resolution should I be going for for the front image on the case? Right now Im trying to make a case for Independence War and Independence War 2. And I found some images on the net but im not sure if there big enough. One is 942x942 also would you use paint.net or photoshop elements for a beginner what is easier.

[sheep2001]

that's going to be pretty low-res - you need to be looking for something around twice as tall as that to be working with.  when we scan ourselves - we will usually scan the image at 600dpi, even thought the finished submission is at 300dpi.

all is not lost though - some lower res images can be tweaked or improved, but only as a last resort.

have you got a link to the image you are playing with?

As for using paint.net or photoshop elements - i would probably opt for photoshop, but only for familiarity - my 1st go at paint.net confused the hell out of me, so i stopped using it.  if you are new to both, then it's probably down to personal choice. 

@ DOOM, do all our templates behave correctly in paint.net???

[Doom]

No, the templates are for PSD only. Someone made an extension that sort of opens PSD, but it's pretty bad, and IIRC shenske's templates don't work because they use folders full of layers.

If the scans are 300dpi or higher, then you could upload one to The Cover Project and I could use a screen recording app to go step by step then upload the video to YouTube or something so you could see what I would do.

I'm not sure about PSE vs. PDN. Paint.NET's interface was much less confusing to me than the time I tried Elements. Both applications don't have features that Photoshop does. I'd say Photoshop because if you ever gained access to the full Photoshop, the interface would be familiar. Chances are it has more features too. Paint.NET always has the possibility of new features, however.

[MrLips]

When I get home tonight I will upload a scan of one so you could do that for me, that would be great thanks.

[MrLips]

Ok Doom I uploaded one I hope I did it right. I couldnt figure out how to make it "raw" but if its not done right let me know and I will redo it. I really want to learn how to do this even though I have zero artistic ability I still want to learn. Once again thank you very much.

[Doom]

I'm working on it now - my first time doing something like this, it might take some time. Also, I probably won't finish the cover for you. But it should be a good start.

[MrLips]

Thanks doom If you have a paypal account I would be happy to throw some shekels your way for doing this for me. Also I have a huge collection of pc games, over a thousand games if anyone needs any scans of anything.

[MisterCreazil]

literally over a thousand games?  How many original pc game boxes do you own?

[MrLips]

I moved about 6 months ago and I threw very single old big box away I feel so stupid now for doing it cause I have plenty of room for them now. I will take some pictures of my collection and post them in the next day or two. I filled a dumpster with all those boxes damn I could cry for doing that. I have all the original jewel case and books and stuff that came in the box. The only original box I have is The Horde I have no idea why I kept that one.