Tape Sleeve Tutorial

Do you want to learn how to create your very own tape sleeve?  Keep reading to learn how.

Step 1:  Open Adobe Photoshop on your computer.  Create a new project by starting with a blank canvas. Click "File," "New," and change the width to 6.5625 inches and the height to 4 inches.  Name the document so that you know what it is.  It should look like this.

Step 2:  Download this template!

http://www.cdmanufacturing.com/images/sub_images/jcard.gif

 Save the image by following this link.

Step 3:  Click "File," "Open," and insert the picture you just saved.  This will open in a new Photoshop file.  Making sure the "Background" layer in the layer panel located on the right is unlocked, click on the first tool, the "Move" tool, located at the top of the tool panel located on the far left (It is a small black arrow).  Click and drag the template picture so that it, along with the mouse, is hovering on the tape sleeve file.  It'll allow you to be on that file now.  Still holding down the mouse, drag it to the middle of the empty canvas.  Let go, and the template should appear on top of the layer you already had.  If it doesn't, locate the eye on the new layer in the layer panel.  Click it twice and the picture should appear.

Step 4:  Hit the buttons "Control" and "T" on your keyboard to automatically use the Free Transform tool.  By dragging the corners, fit the template onto the canvas.  I just wanted two fold overs, so I only used sections 1-3 and cropped off #4 of the template.  This is what it should look like.

Using the template makes it easier to see how much room you have in each section so you don't fold the final product and have words, pictures, etc. where you don't want them.  

Step 5:  From here, you can move to the "background layer" and change the color.  At the bottom left, there are two squares.  Click the white one, and it allows you to change the color.  I picked red.  After choosing the color you want, click on the paint bucket tool.  On the background layer, click on the canvas and it will be painted red.

 If all you can see is the template from before, click on the eye next to it to make it invisible.

 To make it easier as you go along, on the template layer, click on "Opacity" just above the layer menu.  I moved it down to about 37%.  That allows the background to shine through.

Step 6:  Now you are ready to start designing your tape sleeve!  Make sure that from here on out, you never do anything on the template layer.  You can add new layers by clicking the little square in the bottom right hand corner.  It looks like this.  Be sure to label your layers by clicking twice on the name and typing in whatever you want to call it.

The folder icon to the left allows you to make folders to group your layers.  This makes it easier to navigate.

Now you can get creative.  Create a new layer, and you can add text!  Just click on the "T" icon in the tool bar.  Click on the canvas inside the boundaries of the segment you are working on for the sleeve and start typing.

You can highlight the text by double clicking on it.  The top of the screen has a tool bar that allows you to change the typography, font size, and style.  If you click on the move tool, you can drag it where you need it.  If you hit "Control"-"T" again, you can resize it or rotate it. 

Step 7:  You can also add symbols.  If you right click on the blob close to the bottom of the tool bar, it allows you to make geometric shapes or choose from a custom shape.  If you do that, you can select a shape or change the library of shapes by clicking on the icon at the top.

You can change the size, orientation, and color of these as well.

Step 8:  Inserting pictures can also make it look more realistic.  For example, if you look up a picture of a barcode, you can save the image and open it in photoshop by clicking "File," "Open," and locate your image.  You can drag it over the same way we did with the template.  You can also copy and paste it in.  Make sure everything is in its own layer, and continue to name the layers.  

Step 9:  If you want to, you can right click on the brush tool and select the pencil tool.  You can draw new lines over the ones in the template that are straight by holding the shift key while drawing down.  You can then make the template invisible while continuing to work on your tape sleeve.  These pencil lines keep you aware of your boundaries and let you know where to fold the final printout.

Continue adding in pictures, text, and symbols to get the look you are going for.  I based mine off of pictures of actual tape sleeves to make it more realistic.  You can paint the sections, and if you want to add more in you can do that by expanding the canvas to fit the template measurements.  Have fun!