If you want a classy, cant-go-wrong vinyl sleeve artwork, go for the classic black and white album artwork design.
Black and white record sleeves, digipaks and CD inserts are not only more affordable than colored ones, they also look more sophisticated if the design and execution are done right.
Here are eleven elegant B&W CD artwork and record sleeves that can make you inspired faster that you can say “I love colors.”
Table of Contents
Sideways, Sometimes- Cymbals
This album artwork looks like a mesh or a magnet creating patterns, with just the right elements highlighted.
I especially like the layout of the text. It’s meant to look like the letters are pulled in every direction. Beautiful!
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Farewell to the Old Ghost- Foreign Slippers
CD packaging today shouldn’t just be a standard jewel case if you want to stand out.
Take a look at this beauty!
This box contains not just the CD, but plenty of little thingamajigs and promo items.
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Carter & Tutti- Void (Transverse)
I think the aim of this vinyl packaging artwork is to make you dizzy. Stare at it for a minute and the lines would start dancing.
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P. Soleri DVD 38’38”
The sleekness and the simplicity od this DVD packaging makes me automatically think this is cool.
But of course, that’s Paolo Soleri, the great Italian architect! Good design is a must.
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Can Punk Rock Pay The Bills?- The Skulls
Pink and punk is definitely an unexpected but magical combo for an album artwork.
Related Article:
Badass Bands And Their Pink Vinyl Records
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Miller Genuine Draft DVD
This Miller turntable packaging is actually for DVDs. It contains videos of their events, thus the turntable design.
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Killing Something That’s Already Dead- Machine, Dear
This album artwork is so psychedelic! When you pull the jacket, the lines start to dance.
Related Article:
Vinyl Package Design: Machine, Dear – Killing Something That’s Already Dead
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Helvetica Bluray Packaging
We also really wanted to show the typeface as a sort of deconstructed type specimen. We thought it would be good to show the typeface without actually showing it.
As you see, the forms shown on the sleeve are not recognizable as letters, but you can still notice the shapes that are characteristic for Helvetica. We thought this was interesting.”
Related Article:
Bluray Packaging: Helvetica’s “Record” Sleeve Packaging
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Dwelling Macau Pop up leaflet
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Various – 3 x 7″s
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Love the simplicity of this vinyl. It’s a work of art!
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Squarepusher – Ufabulum CD
The artwork on the front cover is inspired by the theater lights that can be seen printed on then inside panel of the disc booklet.
Do you have a favorite black and white album artwork?
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James Hill is a veteran of the music industry. He first worked at Warner Reprise Records then later joined Interscope/ Geffen Records where he managed producers and songwriters and got his first platinum record for Keyshia Cole’s The Way It Is. He is now helping indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD/vinyl and merch company in LA.
