Packaging Dielines Explained: How to Prepare Print-Ready Artwork
In short
A dieline is the flat 2D template showing where a box is cut, folded and glued. Artwork is placed onto it in CMYK with 0.125 in. of bleed on every edge, fonts outlined, and images at 300 DPI or higher. Keep critical content 0.25 in. clear of every fold.
A dieline is the flat blueprint of a box before it is folded. Every custom packaging job starts with one, and nearly every expensive print error traces back to artwork that ignored what it was telling you.
Reading a dieline
- Solid lines are cuts, where the blade goes through the material
- Dashed lines are folds, creased rather than cut
- Dotted lines usually mark glue tabs, which must stay free of ink and coating
- An outer offset line is the bleed, where artwork must extend past the cut
- An inner offset line is the safety margin, inside which all critical content sits
The panel arrangement is rarely intuitive. Panels that end up adjacent on the finished box can sit far apart on the flat sheet, and one panel is very often upside down relative to its neighbour. Always confirm orientation against the 3D mockup rather than assuming from the flat file.
Artwork setup rules
Colour
Work in CMYK, not RGB. RGB can express colours that no printing press can reproduce, and converting late produces dull, shifted results. If exact brand colour matching matters, specify a Pantone spot colour rather than trusting a CMYK build, and be aware that the same Pantone reads differently on kraft than on bleached white board.
Resolution
300 DPI at final print size is the minimum for raster images. Vector artwork, including logos and type, scales without loss and should be used wherever possible. Outline all fonts before sending files, or the press will substitute anything it does not have installed.
Bleed and safety
Extend any artwork that reaches an edge 0.125 in. past the cut line. Cutting has a small tolerance, and without bleed a fractional shift leaves a white sliver along the edge. Keep text and logos at least 0.25 in. inside every fold and cut line, because folding tolerance is looser than cutting tolerance and type that crosses a crease will crack.
The five most common errors
- RGB artwork submitted for CMYK printing, producing dull colour
- No bleed, producing white edges after trimming
- Live text crossing a fold line, cracking at the crease
- Ink or coating on glue tabs, so the box will not hold
- Low-resolution logos scaled up, printing soft and pixellated
Every one of these is caught for free at the 3D mockup stage. None of them is fixable after 2,000 boxes have been printed. The approval step exists for a reason.
Last updated August 20, 2026.