Distrokid White Line Top and Bottom of Album Art
They say to never approximate a book by its cover, and while we'd similar to think that the same goes for albums—it'south the music on the inside that counts—in that location's something to be said for a well-designed album embrace. It'south your chance to grab the attention of new listeners and give a visual representation of the music within. A smashing album cover tin can inspire someone to fish your vinyl out of the stack, encourage a streaming listener to acquire more about you, and add together a whole new layer of artistry to your piece of work.
Although having an original and expressive album encompass design is of import, the process itself doesn't have to be daunting. Nosotros've assembled a comprehensive guide to designing your album encompass, from the early brainstorming stages to finding the pattern style that syncs perfectly with your music.
Contents
- Before you offset your design procedure
- Keep an identity quest
- Notice inspiration
- Key components of designing your cover
- Color
- Typography
- Imagery and fashion
- Don't forget the details
- Recall big…and small
- Finding the right designer/artist
- What's next?
Before you offset your blueprint procedure
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Y'all might be tempted to immediately start sketching your vision for your album cover, just the first step in whatever design process should always exist to take a few steps abroad from the design entirely. Instead of launching correct into ideas for your embrace, focus on doing a little identity quest first—it will assistance you later when it comes to thinking near design.
Go on an identity quest
ane. Who are yous?
Yous can become as existential with this one as you lot like, but actually focus on who you lot are as an artist, ring, musician, etc. How would you lot define yourself?
2. Who is your audience?
Earlier yous jump to reply "anybody," think about this 1 a picayune more securely. Who are y'all trying to attain with your songs? Who are the kinds of people standing in the front row of your testify? While it's a slap-up goal to reach everyone with your music, you likely take a slightly narrower audience. Figuring out who that is can aid you cater your album design to their interests.
3. What do you want your listeners to feel when they hear your music?
Music can sometimes feel intangible—how could you describe it in words? Just whenever someone makes music, they take an thought of how they want people to respond to it. Recollect most the emotions you want your listeners to have when they hear your album.
4. Lift pitch your audio: what are the primal words?
The elevator pitch is just every bit important for a band or creative person as information technology is for the founder of a company—you should be able to succinctly describe what it is you do. So, if you're in an elevator with someone and you lot've got 30 seconds to depict what your music is similar, what would you tell them?
Take notes
Accept some notes from your identity question session. Write down the words that have the most pregnant for you so that when it comes to thinking nigh design elements, you'll already accept a good sense of what you're hoping to accomplish. Ultimately, your album cover is a way for you lot to express your ring'southward identity—just like you practise with your music—so it should be in line with your sound.
Notice inspiration
As a musician, yous know that inspiration is important. Music does not just occur out of cypher; information technology needs to be pulled from somewhere. When information technology comes to song writing, yous may be inspired by an event, a slice of fine art, an prototype, a sound, a feeling, etc. You tin can think nearly designing your album comprehend in a similar way—what is inspiring that visual representation? Peradventure you'll think about the same inspirations that struck yous in your song writing, finer translating that musical inspiration into images.
In improver to thinking about the inspiration for your own piece of work, it's always helpful to retrieve about who you admire and draw ideas from their work. What are some album covers that you are drawn to? What do y'all like nigh them? Exist sure to accept some notes—combined with your identity notes, these will assistance you narrow your design process.
Key components of designing your cover
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There are several elements that come up into play for every album cover, from the colors and imagery used on the front encompass to the typography and text on the dorsum. Isolating each component volition help yous take things step by pace, rather than getting overwhelmed with the whole design all at one time.
Colour
Colour pick is an important aspect to all design, and the same is true of album covers. Even a black- or white-heavy album cover represents a thoughtful decision on color: it evokes a unlike feeling than a vibrant, multicolored cover, right? With so many colors to choose from in the spectrum, we've come with a few different ways to aid you lot place what colors to utilize in your design.
Color psychology
There is a lot more to color than might meet the eye, and to learn more almost color theory and how it is used in branding, be sure to check out this in-depth guide. But for at present, the quick explanation is that colors can make us feel a certain way. They take emotional attachments, which is why companies often use specific colors in their logos or production packaging. The same can exist applied to album covers, because every bit a musician, you want your audition to feel a certain way when they hear your music. The anthology embrace—a visual representation of your music—allows you to enforce that feeling in another style. If, for example, y'all want your listeners to experience happy and playful when they listen to your music, yous might want to lean into xanthous and orange in your cover design. For more than subdued and melancholy music, darker colors, particularly nighttime blue and gray, will assist set the tone in your album cover design.
Colour scheme
If you've identified a color that you lot'd like to use in your anthology cover, you may want to stick with information technology throughout—if it worked for The Beatles with the White Anthology, it could work for you besides—but you may not be looking for a minimalist, monochrome wait for your comprehend. Fortunately, colour theory also identifies complementary colors to assist you select secondary and third hues to continue with your dominant colour.
Monochromatic basically means using all ane colour—simply it can be 1 color in many shades to offer some more dimension. The overwhelming feeling of a monochrome cover is i of simplicity and minimalism. It tin be selected to tap into a certain mood, or tin be used as a way for the artist to have the music speak for itself. This can end upwardly existence a very bold pick.
You lot've probably seen a color cycle earlier, which is a great key into choosing colors that work well together. For complementary colors, the dominion is, the color directly beyond from the color on the wheel is the most complementary—and then if yous've chosen yellow, violet would naturally correspond. Complementary colors bring out the all-time in each other, and can create dynamic visuals.
You lot tin can as well go for analogous colors—colors that are shut to each other on the wheel, so they naturally piece of work in harmony. This gives you more dimension than monochrome colors, but they can still accept a blending effect—they may not stand out every bit much as complementary colors.
Another option is picking triadic colors, which effectively draw from three equal sections on the color wheel. These tend to be more than stimulating than coordinating colors, but the color meanings may not mesh as well if yous're trying to tap into color psychology.
In improver to working with the color schemes above, another choice a band or artist can make is to get for more anachronistic colors. Instead of adopting colors that work in harmony with one another, you lot can opt for stark combinations to elicit a dissimilar kind of feeling. Information technology can advise nonconformity, throwback to psychedelic inspiration, or merely shock the viewer. Have a look at the clashing colors in the Foes album design past JETARTS—it certainly makes y'all experience visually shocked when you look at information technology. Of form, you'll want to get back to your identity questions and retrieve nigh what you desire your listener to feel before adopting wild color combinations.
Typography
But like colors, the fonts you choose for your album cover can help communicate your band's personality. It's too of import to recollect about all of the different places you'll want typography—the anthology title and band proper name, track list on the back, and even the inner jacket, which is anthology embrace side by side.
Serif fonts are the old-standby when information technology comes to fonts. These are noted by their serifs—the niggling anxiety at the end of letters. Serif fonts are thought to be more serious and traditional, Times New Roman and Cambria are mutual examples. Serif fonts pair well with classical, acoustic or operatic music.
Sans serif fonts are fonts without serifs, meaning fonts without the little feet. Helvetica and Arial are commonly used sans serif fonts. These fonts are ofttimes considered more modern and streamlined than their serif predecessors. Sans serif fonts tin can exist used with a variety of music, including electronic and indie rock—it'southward a versatile choice for modernistic music.
Script fonts are cursive fonts that emulate handwriting. These can range from very traditional and ornate to playful and even messy. The different styles of script fonts hateful they can exist used to invoke a variety of feelings. Script fonts are used for a broad range of music types—scratchy, messy fonts might exist used with alternative rock, where a precise signature style might be used for a contemporary solo artist.
Every bit the proper name suggests, display fonts are decorative and meant to display. They are too referred to as novelty fonts and can oftentimes exist found on book covers or signage. Like script fonts, in that location is a range of styles for this type of font. Gothic brandish fonts are ofttimes featured on heavy metallic album covers, and a playful, bubbly brandish font could be used for a children's music anthology.
Considering yous'll demand to use text in dissimilar places on your album encompass, you tin can use a combination of font styles. For example, y'all could opt for a script or display font for the album title and band proper name, and a more easily legible font for the runway list and other pertinent data. The typography on the front of the cover can be more artistic than on the back, where readability is more than important.
Imagery and style
After colors and typography, imagery is an of import aspect to whatever album cover design. Musicians normally employ photography, peculiarly of the band or primary artist, simply almost anything is possible, from abstract graphics to drawings and collages.
We talked a fleck about color psychology, and there'southward some psychology when it comes to images equally well. Images of faces—whether a photograph or drawing—tend to jump out more than than other pictures. If you're trying to catch the attending of a potential listener, using an image of a face—along with choosing the right colors and fonts—can help ensure that your cover gets noticed. Faces also convey expressions, which can reflect on the viewer's mood or feelings. This tin help necktie into the feelings you want your music to inspire in your listeners.
And an of import, legal note: If y'all decided to use photography or artwork for your encompass, exist sure to accept the image rights!
Whatever graphics that are used on an album should communicate with the album itself, so it's important to use them thoughtfully. A painted watercolor mural might connect well with a mellow, instrumental album, but it would probably ship a mixed signal if the album was EDM. Similarly, the choice to non include graphics should experience purposeful, and not similar you just couldn't think of something to put on the cover.
Minimalism tin can too brand a argument in album comprehend design. Going elementary allows the focus to ultimately lie with the music inside the album. Minimalism is an on-trend anthology design style though, so information technology's a good idea to try to stand out in a different way—possibly y'all opt for an all-blackness comprehend, but instead of using white type, you opt for a colorful ombre.
Shown to a higher place, designer Creative Spirit took the elementary graphic of a vintage microphone and cast information technology in a punchy salmon colour, overlayed on mint green. Although information technology's undeniably minimalist, the designer's color choices make the comprehend experience more assuming, while maintaining a counterbalanced, simple pattern. For the encompass pattern on the right, designer Edina plays with the album's title From Scratch and made scratch marks the focal bespeak of the minimalist encompass.
The overall style of your album embrace is the combination of colour, imagery, and typography. These three elements should work together in harmony to create the desired issue. Calling dorsum to your identity questions and your inspiration, you should experience like your blueprint is in line with that do.
Don't forget the details
When designing your album cover, it'south okay to become swept away in the design—it can exist actually fun! But when you come down from your blueprint buzz, be sure to call up the integral album components you demand to include.
1. Band and anthology name
You lot don't have to include the band or album title on the forepart of your album cover, but it needs to be on the spine. Sometimes the anthology name or band proper noun is the principal design element for the cover and in this case, the name has to stand out. A reason why at that place's currently a trend to not include names on the encompass design is because people are at present usually listening via streaming services, where artist, title, and album name are all listed beside the comprehend thumbnail. And then if graphics are important, y'all can gratuitous up some necessary pattern space by leaving names out of the picture. This is a great option for digital-only album releases.
2. Track listing
The back comprehend of the album should include the anthology'due south track list. Although the typography can exist dissimilar here than on the front of the cover, it should yet communicate stylistically and exist easy to read at the same time.
three. Licensing and legal data
Exist sure to have a space on the back encompass or inside for all licensing and legal information.
4. Like shooting fish in a barrel on the Internet
Resist your impulse to put social handles anywhere on your anthology embrace. While Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are used regularly today, who knows what will exist the dominant social trends in 5, 10, or even 20 years. Using handles tin unwillingly appointment your album. If you lot want to include your band'south URL, practice so on the back embrace or liner note.
v. Liner note
While not technically office of the album embrace, the inner jacket should exist designed with thought to the style of the album cover—it should feel like an extension of the pattern. Y'all'll want to utilise like fonts for vocal lyrics and band data and choose a color scheme that communicates with the overarching blueprint.
Think big… and small.
Designing an anthology cover in 2017 is not like it was in 1977. Yous need to think well-nigh multiple formats when considering your design. For instance, if you're releasing vinyl, yous need to call up of what your blueprint will look similar in that size, likewise as the size of a CD. You also need to consider how the embrace will look as a thumbnail, as people will likely see it on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, and other platforms. The image should not crave squinting or illicit confusion from the viewer.
Finding the right designer
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Having thought through your band's identity and all of the necessary mode points for your album, yous're fix to rent a designer! Although you may be wary of letting someone else accept the reins of your anthology encompass, a professional designer is not only super capable and experienced in analogy and graphics, but will also ensure that your ideas are brought to life in the best way. They'll know what'south possible, what volition look the best, and they're efficient and effective. While DIY has its place—say, a handmade Valentine?—investing in a well-designed cover will ensure you're putting out the best product.
Communication is key for both you lot and your prospective designer, so it'southward important to make sure yous're accurately relaying your needs. If yous're articulating what you're looking for, a professional designer volition be able to realize it for you.
A potential designer red flag? Your designer seems more interested in their artwork than your vision. While it'south helpful to have creative feedback on your ideas, it's important that y'all do not let your project drift away from the cadre of what your music is all about. Rather, you should be working together to brand sure yous're creating a product you're happy with.
Originality is important. You'll share your inspirations with your designer, but you'll likewise want to stand out. So, be open to suggestions and make sure that your designer tin draw from inspiration while creating something new and fresh.
A adept style to get a design you feel good nigh is to launch a design contest. This volition let you to see unlike design options and provide feedback for what works for you.
What's side by side?
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Once you lot have your album cover pattern complete, your album is fix to amaze your fans and obsess new listeners. Whether you're doing a digital-only release or a vinyl album, your anthology encompass tin aid you lot depict in the crowd. Time to rock!
Looking for a professional person album encompass that is in tune with your music? Start your album cover contest today!
Source: https://99designs.com/blog/design-other/how-to-design-album-cover/
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