Before&After Design Tip: Design a CD-Size Card Deck that Opens Into Its Own Display
Learn how to design a deck of loose cards to fit in a clear CD case that flips open for desktop display.
Here’s a quick design tip on collateral, CD design from issue 41 of Before&After Magazine.
Here’s a great way to spend a year on someone’s desktop: Design a CD-size deck of loose cards (two dozen on heavy stock is about right), and deliver in a clear CD case that flips open for desktop display. You may want to include a cover card and in the back a brochure-like text card or two. Cards can be printed on one or both sides.

The more “keepable” your piece is, the better; calendars are perfect, as are favorite sayings, recipes or tips on topics of shared interest.
CreativePro members can download original content from Before&After Magazine, a beloved resource that taught a generation of newly minted digital designers how to design and communicate effectively with the written word. See our archive here.
© John McWade/Before&After Magazine, courtesy of Gaye Anne McWade.
This article was last modified on January 3, 2026
This article was first published on March 14, 2025
Commenting is easier and faster when you're logged in!
Recommended for you
Before&After Design Tip: Use a Ghosted Logo to Make a Great Notepad
This small notepad shows off your logo and lets your reader interact with it slo...
Before&After Design Tip: Make Your Signature Logo
How to make a unique logo that's an extension of you
Before&After: How to Set a Text-Only Logotype
The key to a great logotype is to find a typeface that makes the name look good...
