Understand the dieline
A dieline is the flat outline of your box before it is folded. It shows where the sheet is cut, where it folds and where it is glued. Always design on the dieline the factory supplies for your exact size; boxes that look the same can have very different flaps.
Bleed and safe zone
Cutting is never perfectly exact. Extend background colours and images about 3 mm beyond the cut line, so no white edge appears. Keep important text and logos a few millimetres inside the fold and cut lines, so nothing is cut off or bent.
Colours that match
Screens show RGB colours; presses print CMYK or special Pantone inks. Convert your artwork, and give Pantone codes for brand colours that must match exactly. Always check colours on a printed proof, not on a screen.
Before you send the file
A short check prevents most reprints.
- Artwork placed on the factory's dieline at 100% size.
- 3 mm bleed on all outside edges.
- Fonts converted to outlines.
- Images at 300 dpi at final size.
- Barcodes tested and not too small.
Colour proofs and approval
Screen colours and printed colours never match exactly. For important colours, specify Pantone references and ask for a printed proof on the real material before the run. Approve proofs in daylight, compare against a reference sample, and keep the approved proof as the standard for inspection.
Sending one clean package
Printers lose most time on missing pieces, not on printing. Send everything in one package: the print-ready PDF, the open design file, a short list of finishes (foil, spot UV, embossing) with the areas they cover, the Pantone references, and a photo of any box you want to match.
Put a version number in every file name and send only the latest version. Two slightly different files in one email thread are a classic cause of the wrong artwork being printed.
