Open your chosen photo editing software on a computer. Click on the "File" menu and select "New."
Set the canvas size of the new image file to a square of your preferred dimensions. CD covers measure approximately 4.75 inches square.
Select the image you wish to use as the CD cover background image. Drag it onto the canvas. The background image sets the tone for the cover. Choose an original work of art, a photograph or an image of the band members. The image provides a split-second preview of the music the listener will find on the recording, so make sure to match the image to the genre or feel of the recording.
Click and drag the image over the canvas until it reaches the desired position and orientation. The image serves as a canvas for any text on the CD cover, so it helps to orient the background image with enough room for text.
Click on the "Type" tool and click the cursor on the image.
Type the name of the band and the album name on the image.
Highlight the text with the cursor and select a font type. The font communicates as much about what the listener can expect from the recording as the background image. Fonts express mood, from intensity and brutality, to refinement and beauty. Generally thick, bold fonts communicate more intensity while looping, cursive fonts communicate gentleness. Choose a font that matches the emotional quality or genre of music.
Click and drag the text around the image until you find the desired position and orientation. Keep the text legible, by allowing it to have its own space, separate from the background image. If the text rests directly on a visually complicated background image, it may become lost in the composition.
Alter the background image and text by adding effects or filters from the "Filters" menu. Experiment with various types of effects and filters until you are satisfied with the final image. You may choose not to use any effects or filters, as many CD covers feature a simple photograph and text with no special alteration.
Click on the "File" menu and select "Save As." Type in a file name, select a save location for the image file and click "Save."