I'm beginning to look into making some repro cartridges as a way to become more comfortable with soldering and graphics in general. Labels are a big part of that. In the past, with games I've wanted to get new labels for, I've ordered them ... but I'd like to dig into this myself. A couple of questions.

1) What's the preferred kind of paper that you use? I will assume that a high quality inkjet or a very high quality color laser is preferred here, but what kind of paper is preferred? Also, how do you "protect" that paper? Do you use an artistic acrylic cover that you could buy from a school supply store, or some sort of lamination sheet? I don't mind these being "over-standard", per se, and nicer than a traditional label would be. I want it to last!

2) The second thing I've looked into is how to size the label. Sizing in Photoshop, that makes sense. But, I'm far from a pro at scissors! A friend of mine just picked up a Cricut, which is a really really nice paper cutter, and can be controlled ... yes, with a PC! Doesn't even need pattern cartridges. So, does a pattern exist for video game labels? That's the $64,000 question.

Thanks! Let me know if I'm overthinking this, but I want to do it up right.