CD Case Poster Wall

thingiverse

Create a custom poster of any size you like (depending on the resolution of the source image) using the back halves of CD cases. The cases simply push onto the 3D printed "donuts" attaching to the centre clip used to hold the CD in place. Instructions Work out how large you want your "poster" to be. For the poster in the images, I went with 7 rows of 11 CD's which gives approximately the same aspect ratio as a 16x9 monitor. That way, I could use HD desktop wallpapers images (of course, your own photos/images could also look amazing - and unique!). I used 3mm MDF board as a base, that way I could apply the "donuts" to the board, rather than directly to the wall, then screw fixed the board to the wall. I painted the MDF the same colour as the wall. The donuts were attached with strong double sided tape. I found the best method was to fit the donuts to the case (with double sided tape attached) and then place them in their correct location with the board flat on the floor. I arranged them in rows with an approximate 3mm gap all the way around them - enough space to get your fingers in to grasp the individual cases for fitting/removal. Use a spacer to keep the distance consistant. Photoshop was used to crop the chosen image into CD sized "chunks" (remember to allow for the gaps between the CD cases!!) I then had them printed at a local photo place as standard 5 x 7 photos. This gives enough room to add the image and a reference number so that you know where they go, and which way is up (they can look pretty abstract printed as lots of small squares!) - see the 3rd image for an example. Once I had all the photos printed, I went through and copied the reference number onto the back in pencil (that way it wouldn't be lost when I cut the image out). I used rows A to G (top to bottom) and 1 to 11 (left to right), being careful to make sure the orientation was also correct. Cut each image out and place them into the corresponding CD case. Continue until the whole image is complete. It cost me 35c per photo, so this particular poster was ~$27 in printing costs. The only tip I would offer is to not place it directly opposite a large window or light source as the CD cases are very reflective, and can make it hard to view... I'd love to see some photos if anyone decides to give it a try.