Preparing Print Ready Artwork: Dielines, Bleed and Colour

Most production delays are not printing problems, they are file problems. This checklist covers what a packaging factory needs to start without sending the file back.

Work on the supplier dieline

Ask for the dieline before designing. It defines cut, crease, glue and safety areas. Keep the dieline on its own layer, set to a spot colour marked as non printing, and never move artwork relative to it.

Bleed and safety

• Extend background artwork past every cut line, typically 3mm or as the supplier specifies
• Keep text and logos well inside the safety margin, especially near creases
• Remember that wrapped rigid boxes need extra material for turn in edges

Colour setup

• Build in CMYK for process printing and name Pantone spot colours exactly
• Do not rely on screen appearance for metallics, foils or fluorescents
• Rich blacks need a defined build, so ask the supplier for their preferred values
• Convert or embed profiles rather than leaving mixed colour spaces in one file

Images and effects

Place images at final size with sufficient resolution, and flatten transparency effects that may render differently in the RIP. Vector logos are preferred for foil, emboss and spot UV, since each needs a clean separate layer.

Finishing layers

Give every special process its own layer, named clearly:

• Foil areas as solid vector shapes
• Emboss and deboss shapes separated
• Spot UV as a mask, not a visual effect

Small details in foil or emboss lose definition, so test fine Arabic and Latin lettering before committing.

Final export checklist

• Print ready PDF with fonts outlined or embedded
• Dieline layer included and clearly named
• Bleed present on all sides
• Separate layers for each finishing process
• A flattened visual reference for the production team

Send your files with a short note stating quantity, material and finishes, and request a quote.