I use PM extensively and it is great for what it is designed for.

The PixelPops guys are pretty top notch when it comes to support. I think that's important. I don't think I've gone more than a couple of hours, even on weekends and evenings, w/o getting a reply to an email.

PM is a scripter for PhotoShop. You must have PS for it to work. It generates a canned design from the photos you specify, and when I say "canned" it can be as generic or as unique as you want it. You can have from 1 to 4 photos used. The cool thing about this is, when you're done running it, you are left with a fully layered Photoshop file that you can continue to customize, adding layers as needed.

It's no longer the only thing I use for dvd jackets and labels, but it was the first thing I used and it definitely made all my productions look more professional.

Be aware that PM does disks and jackets only, not DVD menus. That is their flagship product of PopDrops.

~ DM

It's no longer the only thing I use for dvd jackets and labels, but it was the first thing I used and it definitely made all my productions look more professional.
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Right now I use Photoshop, but it takes a lot of work. Nice to know PM makes it easier, but do the designs get tiring? In other words is customizing them the same as going back to Photoshop and pretty much doing them from scratch anyway, or are unique designs each time easy to do using PM?

And how about using it for designing disc prints?
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It's no longer the only thing I use for dvd jackets and labels....
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What are you using now David. I have tried MediaFace, SureThing, Nero Cover Designer, MIcrosoft Picture It Publishing. They are all terrible for jacket designs. Someone is missing out on a lot of potential revenue by not designing a really good, easy to use DVD insert design program that produces quality results without jagged edged fonts and low quality photos that doesn't freeze up one's computer because of poor software development.

John

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Nice to know PM makes it easier, but do the designs get tiring? In other words is customizing them the same as going back to Photoshop and pretty much doing them from scratch anyway, or are unique designs each time easy to do using PM?
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The 'design" is not unique. It puts the same horizontal lines across the face, blurs the image the same way, and uses the same fonts. It runs the exact same script every time, based on the "variable" you give it (how many pictures, rounded or square edges, vert or horiz. aspect, etc) But the layers that it produces are completely customizable.

Do the designs get tiring? Depends on if you have repeat customers. They may get tiring to you, but if you have a unique customer base chances are it won't get tiring to them. On the other hand, you might also consider it "branding" if all your deliverables have a common look.



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What are you using now David. I have tried.......
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Huge disclaimer here...I'm not a designer. That's why I use PixelMixer. I could futz around in Photoshop for hours and not know enough about graphic design in general or photoshop in particular to come up with something like what PM produces. You may have different results. The best thing I like about PM is that the whole thing is done in 5 minutes.

The other product I use is from motionism.com, it is basically sets of photoshop files done entirely in layers. Each file has layers for background, text, company info, dvd info, etc. PixelPops has their product called PopDrops that is similar, and may very well be superior. I wanted a wedding-themed solution, and I liked the wedding designs from motionism better. When I get another package it will probably be one of the PopDrops packages. What is cool about both PopDrops and motionism is that your dvd face, dvd box cover, and dvd menu all have a common and unifying look to them.

<edit> btw, the motionism packages give you 50 different templates to choose from.

Thanks David and Doug. I really appreciate the feedback. I checked out Motionism.com. Kind of a wierd website in that it offers no explanation about it's software nor tech help. It doesn't even say that the products are Photoshop overlays. Seem reasonably priced at $29.95 for the templates. I am assuming (because they don't explain anything) that each is stand alone software.

John

I also looked at Motionism.com. I like that they offer integrated box, disk and menu templates. But it looks like the menu templates are 4:3 format. I only do 16:9 now.

-jerry