Етикетки та обкладинки VHS
Obi Strip Generator
This is a tool to help you design custom obi strips for physical media. Make an obi for a vinyl record, CD jewel case, cassette case, VHS slipcase, Blu-ray, DVD, book, video game, mixtape, playlist, or custom collector project.
How to design using the Obi Strip Generator
- Search for an album, playlist, movie, show, game, or artist ☝️ using the search bar.
- Choose the media format, such as vinyl record, CD jewel case, cassette, VHS slipcase, DVD, Blu-ray, book, or custom size.
- Set the obi width. Typical designs can be narrow or wide, from about 0.5 inches to 4 inches.
- Add stackable blocks for title text, metadata, logos, notes, barcode, price, catalog number, tracklist, credits, or artwork.
- Edit colors, fonts, layout, spacing, and text direction.
- Download the obi strip as a printable PDF, or click "Copy" and then "Paste & Print" to place it into your template.
What is an obi strip?
An obi strip is a paper band wrapped around a record, CD, book, cassette, VHS box, or other piece of media packaging. The word “obi” 「帯」 means belt or sash in Japanese.
For records and CDs, the obi often wraps around the left side of the sleeve or case. It can show the artist name, title, label, price, catalog number, track highlights, translated text, marketing copy, or release notes.
Obi strips are small, but they change the whole object. They make a record, tape, disc, or box feel more like a complete edition.
A short history of obi strips
Obi strips became especially important in Japan in the 1960s, when Japanese record labels were pressing and selling more music from North America and Europe.
The original album cover usually needed to stay recognizable. A Beatles, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, or Rolling Stones record still needed to look like the album people expected to find. But Japanese shoppers also needed a clear way to read the artist name, album title, price, label information, and release notes.
The solution was a removable paper strip wrapped around the sleeve. The cover art could stay mostly unchanged, while the obi strip added the local information Japanese buyers needed.
Over time, the obi became standard not just for foreign releases, but for many domestic Japanese records, CDs, books, and other media. Outside Japan, the obi became a visual symbol of Japanese pressings and collector culture.
Because obi strips were fragile and easy to throw away after purchase, many original copies no longer have them. That makes complete Japanese pressings with the original obi especially valuable to collectors. Today, labels and artists around the world still use obi strips for limited editions, reissues, and special pressings as a nod to that tradition.
Obi strip sizes
Obi strips are flexible by nature. The right size depends on the object you are wrapping.
A vinyl obi strip is usually taller and may wrap around a 12-inch record sleeve. A CD obi strip is much smaller and may wrap around the side of a jewel case. A cassette obi strip can be narrow and vertical, or it can wrap around the front and spine of the case. A VHS obi strip may be wider and more poster-like, especially for a slipcase or clamshell box.
This generator is designed to support both preset formats and manual sizing.
Common formats may include:
- 12-inch vinyl record sleeve
- 7-inch record sleeve
- CD jewel case
- Cassette jewel case
- VHS slipcase box
- VHS clamshell case
- DVD case
- Blu-ray case
- Book cover
- Video game case
- Custom width, height, and wrap depth
You can also make decorative obi strips for zines, photo books, art prints, merch boxes, collector editions, and handmade packaging.
Obi strips for vinyl records
Vinyl obi strips are probably the most famous version. A record obi can run vertically along the left edge of an LP jacket, wrap around the full sleeve, or sit as a narrow band across the front.
For album projects, you can include artist name, album title, label name, catalog number, track highlights, liner-note style text, price, barcode, edition number, or translated notes.
This is useful for custom records, mixtapes, bootleg-style art projects, fan-made concepts, DJ promos, indie releases, and personal collection packaging.
Obi strips for cassettes
Cassette obi strips are a great fit for mixtapes, albums, playlists, and small-run releases. Because cassette packaging is compact, the obi can add a lot of information without crowding the J-card itself.
You can use a cassette obi strip for the artist name, album title, side A / side B notes, genre tags, release year, playlist description, or “limited edition” style copy.
If you are making custom cassette packaging, an obi strip can help the tape feel more finished, especially when paired with a printed J-card and cassette labels.
Obi strips for CDs
CD obi strips are a classic part of Japanese CD packaging. They often sit along the left side of the jewel case and include the album title, artist, price, barcode, catalog number, label, release date, and short sales copy.
For custom CD projects, an obi can make a burned disc, mixtape, playlist, indie album, or personal archive feel like a real release.
This generator can be used alongside CD cover inserts, tray cards, and disc labels to create a full package.
Obi strips for VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray
Obi strips also work beautifully on movie packaging. A VHS obi strip can wrap around a slipcase, clamshell case, or custom tape box. DVD and Blu-ray obi strips can add a collector-edition look without changing the main cover.
For movies and shows, the strip can include the title, director, cast, year, runtime, genre, studio, rating, tagline, special features, or fake rental-store details.
This is especially useful for custom VHS covers, Blu-ray sleeves, film festival editions, director collections, fan edits, and display copies.
Obi strips for books, games, and collector boxes
Obi strips are not just for music. Books in Japan often use obi bands for quotes, awards, blurbs, author notes, and sales copy. The same idea works for video games, board games, art books, zines, card decks, photo books, and boxed sets.
A custom obi can give almost any object a more intentional, collectible feel.
Why make a custom obi strip?
An obi strip adds one more layer of design without replacing the original cover.
That is what makes it so useful. You can keep the main artwork clean, then use the obi for extra information, translated text, edition details, track notes, or visual flair.
It is also one of the easiest ways to make a custom object feel like a limited release. A simple paper strip can make a record, tape, CD, movie box, or book feel more rare, more complete, and more fun to handle.
Design ideas for an obi strip
A good obi strip can be simple or dense. Some are clean and minimal. Others are packed with tiny details.
Try adding:
- Artist, title, or movie name
- Japanese-inspired vertical type
- Release year
- Catalog number
- Price
- Barcode
- Label, studio, or publisher logo
- Tracklist highlights
- Cast or credits
- Genre tags
- “Limited edition” text
- Review quote or pull quote
- Side A / Side B notes
- Special features
- Edition number
- Small thumbnail artwork
- Translated title
- Fake rental-store or record-store details
The best obi strips feel useful and decorative at the same time.
How to print, cut, and assemble an Obi Strip
Obi strips are usually simple to print and assemble because they are narrow paper pieces.
- Print on regular paper for a light, authentic feel
- Use heavier paper if you want a premium collector-edition look
- Cut carefully along the trim lines
- Score fold lines if the strip wraps around a spine or case edge
- Test fit around the record, cassette, CD, VHS box, book, or case
- Use a tiny piece of removable tape only if needed
For collectible projects, avoid using permanent adhesive directly on original packaging. A loose wrap is usually safer.
This generator creates print-ready obi strip layouts for many types of physical media. You can start with a preset format or set your own custom dimensions.
Why did you make this?
After building tools for VHS covers, cassette J-cards, CD packaging, vinyl jackets, and other physical media templates, an obi strip generator felt like the missing piece.
Obi strips sit between graphic design, packaging, collector culture, and music history. They are simple enough to print at home, but powerful enough to make a project feel finished.
The goal is to make it easy to create an obi for almost anything: a vinyl record, a cassette, a CD, a VHS tape, a Blu-ray, a book, a video game, or a weird custom object that deserves its own tiny sash.
