CDCoverTool Manual

Introduction

CDCoverTool is a handy tool for downloading and printing CD covers. Got some albums in MP3 format you've just burned for the car, and you want to print out nice CD covers including track listings, all AUTOMATICALLY? CDCoverTool can do it.

If there is already an image in the same folder as the MP3 files, then CDCoverTool will use it. If not, it will attempt to download it from the internet (usually with over 90% success rate for other than completely weird and obscure stuff). It can automatically search and download the covers for several albums at once. Drop you whole collection on it and have it download the CD covers for the whole lot!!

Once you've got the image, you can print out a nicely formatted CD cover, including the image on the front cover, and a nicely printed list of the track names. All WITHOUT TYPING anything. CDCoverTool uses the file name as the track name.

Format of MP3 arist/album folders

To work best, your MP3's need to be filed and arranged nicely. The best way is as follows:

Artist 1:
  Album 1:
    01 First track
    02 Second track
    03 Third Track
    04 Fourth track
  Album 2:
    01 First track
    02 Second track
    03 Third Track
Artist 2:
  Album 1:
    01 First track
    02 Second track
    03 Third Track
  Album 2:
    01 First track
    02 Second track
    03 Third Track
  Album 3:
    01 First track
    02 Second track
    03 Third Track

and so on. Alternatively, you can file them as follows:

Artist 1 - Album 1:
  01 First track
  02 Second track
  03 Third Track
Artist 2 - Album 1:
  01 First track
  02 Second track
  03 Third Track
  04 Fourth Track

 
As long as there is a hyphen in the folder name, it will assume it is the format "Artist -Album".  
Please note that track names must begin with a digit to be used in the track listing.

Adding albums to CDCoverTool

To work with an album, simply drag Artist folders, with nested album folders, or folders in format "Artist - Album" onto CDCoverTool. Depending whether a valid image is found in the album folder, each album will be marked with either a red cross or a green tick.

Working with existing album images

Single click to highlight an album of interest. If it has a valid image, a preview should appear in the main window.

Click 'view' to see the image full size.

Downloading new album images.

Click to highlight those albums for which you wish to search for new images, and then click 'get'.

Printing CD covers

Choose in the Preferences whether you want the track listing printed on the inside front cover, back cover or both.

Click to highlight an album for which you wish make a CD Cover, and then click "Make Cover". The cover will be previewed. Click "Print" to print the cover (select the checkbox if you wish the back cover and side titles to be printed).

Cut the printouts with a craft knife, and fold the front cover so that the image is on the front. Fold the back cover ends using a sharp edge so the side titles line up with the ends of the jewel case.