The Finished product/Package

[Rick]

Here is something I have been wondering.

To those of us that mail/give/sendproduce CD's for our clients:

What do you include as far as the CD itself?

Do you include a file within the cd?

Personalized CD Covers?



What I have started doing is doing a couple of "README" files included on the CD. (I won't do an "autorun")
The readme file contains:
File names, File sizes, and the content of the files and why. (I've often included PSD files in there for future work if needed)

I haven't started imprinting the CD itself because I don't know if that might cause some problems with some of the CDROM players.

I'm currently trying to design a CD Cover in which I can add the same information that I put on the cover of the cd. (date it was made, whether there is another copy of it)


Any suggestions? Good idea, bad Idea?

Bueller? Bueller?

Rick

[thomasgeorge]

Over all sounds like a good method. I would perhaps stay away from imprinting, just out of caution, but I tend to be perhaps too cautious sometimes...
Putting the Readme files on the disc with pertinent info seems like a great idea...I have not up to now, but will from now on!!!
Creating a CD cover with the same info and perhaps a business logo etc., would add a Professional look.
I usually include 3 files...raw hi res unretouched scans, retouched scans optimized for printing, and a file optimized for web/e-mail transmission.( and from now on a Readme file..Thanks for the great idea Rick!!!)
The only time I add autorun files is if specifically requested and I either demonstrate for the client how to use the autorun and how to open the file and run it manually if the AIN is disabled on their CD drive, or include detailed written instructions with the CD....Tom

[winwintoo]

I don't know much about "autorun", but if you're making the CD on a PC, and put autorun on there, would it cause a problem if the client had a Mac??

As you say, you're not putting autorun on as a rule, but just in case you are asked to, do you know about what affect it would have on a Mac?

Hopefully one of the more technically inclined Mac people will explain.

Margaret

[Rick]

That is a VERY good point, Win.

That would lead to a problem or two, wouldn't it?

I would think that Mac would simply overlook the file, though.


This is a sample of the information that I put in a README file:

This Disc contains the following:


File size Content
dadfinal.psd 25.4megs Completed file in PSD format for future restoration if requested.(rgb)
dadoriginal.psd 75.5megs Original scanned file in PSD format for future restoration. (RGB)
dadoriginal.jpg 350kb Scanned original in JPG for email purposes (RBG)
dadweb.jpg 200kb Completed and resized completed copy for email use.

Restored by Ricardo I. Villarreal ([email protected])
Fully archived for future restoration.
Disc Copy 2 of 2.

Known information:

Father of Stan Stover, taken Circa 1974.

Watcha' think? Should I put more info in?

Rick

[G. Couch]

I usually print covers with my contact info and small thumbnails of each image. It's not much, but people really seem to appreciate being able to look at the cover and know what's on the disk...looks better than just a generic CD!

[Blacknight]

Read-me files CAN be read on a CD formatted for PC by a Mac, but you will likely lose formatting if it's a generic Read-me. Perhaps something more cross-platform, such as Word or whatever. Maybe a note to Mac users to ensure that PC exchange is enabled, or else they may not be able to read it at all (and instead be asked if they want to format it, which is what happened to me when I had that disabled!)

As far as autorun, Mac would just ignore an .exe file, or whatever. No problems with tif, jpg, eps, gif. Any fancy stuff would just be ignored.

[winwintoo]

How about putting the readme in a PDF file - that way you can format it to your heart's content and the client will be sure to see it as you intended.

Some explanation of the different file extensions might also be useful - just as a note at the bottom: .psd - PhotoShop file format, .jpg - compressed format suitable for web viewing etc.

Might even be useful to explain what "PhotoShop" is. Many of our clients won't have a clue what PhotoShop is - if they do know, they will ignore the notes, if they don't you've given them useful information. The notes could be formatted ahead of time on a blank document and you could just add the client specific information to it.

I have Adobe Acrobat for making .pdf files, but don't remember where I got it from so it couldn't have been a significant expenditure

Other than the above suggestions, I like the idea of putting a readme on the CD - I include an "index" text file on the CD's I burn for myself - saves me hunting through hundreds of files.

Margaret