How to design DVD cover
If you haven’t already you can download our free DVD cover template. Once you’ve downloaded the template, you’ll need to design the front, back and side of your DVD cover. This blog post will focus exclusively on the design of the front of the DVD.
1. Set the tone & know your demographic
Is your film a sexy film? Artistic film? Unusual film? Celebrity driven? Comedy? Tragedy?
Identifying what your film is about will help you narrow down your design choices. You want there to be a strong correlation between the tonal qualities of the DVD cover design the film itself.
2. Decide on a color palette
Notice that the DVD covers below consist of gradients of 2-3 colors. By simplifying your color palette you’re simplifying your message.
3. Decide on an image
Your image needs to represent what your film is about. It is often a character (usually the protagonist), but it can also be the film’s antagonist, an event, a location, a prop or an illustration to name only a few examples.
4. Decide on a font
Your DVD cover font is one of the most important design decisions you’ll make. Its size, style and placement needs to both complement your film and the other design components of the DVD cover.
5. Pick a design element and exaggerate it
Some DVD cover designers use pattern (see Sweetie below) or color (see Taste of Cherry below) , others use line (see Fallen Idol below), others use negative space (see The Last Emperor below). The point is to pick a primary design element (ie. shape, pattern, leading lines, texture, reflection, color etc) to help make the DVD cover stand out not just due to content, but also due to style.
6. Stay focused and simple
Look at the examples below. You’ll notice the designer often only uses 1 image, no more than 2-3 colors and 1-2 fonts in a simplified, well organized and easy to navigate DVD cover design.
Below are examples of DVD covers which we have drawn ideas from for our own cover.
