Part 1: Introduction
Section 1: About
Below are some recommendations for the philosophy used in the design for all types of album art.
Part 2: Philosophy Recomendations
Section 1: Simplicity
In general, when an image is to be viewed in a small size, it is good for the design to be understandable at that size.
Part 3: Default Color Recomendations
Section 1: Recomendations
Dark Red: BLR Red (#851111)
Light Red: Curenew Red
Grey: BLR Grey
Black: BLR Black (#0D0C0C)
Yellow: SUR Yellow
White: Curenew White
Light Blue: Instrumental Blue
Dark Blue: Yardie Blue
Pink: Yardie Pink (#B81C54)
Part 4: Default Font Recomendations
Section 1: Recomendations
For CD spines (Standard): Courier New
For credits (Proprietary): Curenew Proper
For Credits (Standard): CarlMarx Handwriting
Part 5: Borders
Section 1: Recomendations
If you are placing a border onto a digital release design, it should be large enough to defeat corner rounding on streaming platforms. If you are placing a border onto a physical release design, it should be half an inch wide on all sides of the front of a cd case (a size that also accounts for rounding on streaming platforms correctly), and a border not recommended for vinyl or tape designs.
Part 6: Standard Additions
Section 1: About
Standard Additions (aka stickers) are not actual stickers, but rather consistent design elements added to every release.
Section 2: Parental Advisory
If a musical release contains explicit content, it is required that you note the release contains explicit content using a sticker on the art. On the cd, the sticker should be 0.75 Inches wide, and .5 inches tall. If there is a border, the sticker should be .75 inches from the edge on both sides, if there is no border, it should be .25 inches from the edge on both sides.
Section 3: Record Label Sticker
It is recommended that there is a square record label sticker with the same height as the parental advisory sticker, placed directly to the right of the parental advisory sticker. The sticker should be .5 inches tall and .5 inches wide on a cd. If there is a border, the sticker should be .75 inches from the bottom edge, and 1.25 inches from the edge on the left side. If there is no border, it should be .25 inches from the bottom side, and 1 inch from the left edge..
Section 4: Special / Deluxe Indicator
If the album is a special edition or instrumental version, it is recommended to place text saying that within the center of the top border.
Section 5: OSDFMA Compliance Indicator
The designer can add a marker indicating OSDFMA compliance if they wish.
Section 6: Tracklist
It is of the highest possible recommendation to place the tracklist of a release on the back side of any physical media of it. Including the track numbers. It is also recommended that this is aligned to either the left or the right, and numbers smaller than ten have a leading 0 for spacing reasons. Features should also be included in the track title but that is not as important. Also an indicator should be present noting if the track is explicit, and even more optionally if its clean. A feature should be noted in parentheses, with artists separated by & (with Unknown & xICEY). Versions like a remix should be in brackets [reallytrashremix].
For example:
01 Stay Outta My Mind C
02 Back Again (with Unknown & xICEY) E
03 Full Moon Glows E
04 Prettiest Ones E
05 Skeletons (with Aylius) E
06 Lost Heart C
07 Protect E
08 Orphious E
It is also strongly recommended to include credits at the bottom of the back of a physical release
Copyright 2021-2025 Travis Houze
Distributed By Breakline Records LLC / Startup Records
The artist can add further credits to the back if they wish, but musical credits should be in the booklet.
Part 7: 8-Track Tapes
Section 1: About
It is not recommended to make these tapes but here are some recommendations anyway.