Artwork Guideline

Are you having trouble with your artwork or dielines? Check out the FAQs below for answers.

8 Artwork File Preparation Rules

Please follow these eight rules when preparing your artwork for printing.

File Formats

File Formats

We accept both Adobe Illustrator (AI) and Adobe PDF files.

Color Profiles

Color Profiles

For colors to be displayed correctly, they must be in the CMYK color space.

Text

Text

A text object should be properly outlined and sized.

Additional Printing

Additional Printing

Separate layers should be prepared for additional printing.

Dielines

Dielines

Make sure the dieline template is not flattened.

Lines

Lines

The thickness of all strokes must be no less than 0.25pt

Images

Images

Image embedding and sizing must be done correctly.

Graphics

Graphics

300 PPI is required for all graphics

File Formats

We accept a variety of file formats in order to cater to the needs of many. Below are the file formats which we accept:

  • PDF (Portable Document Format)
  • AI (Adobe Illustrator)
  • EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
  • TIFF

 

Generally, graphics and text designs (basically, anything other than a photograph) should be submitted as vector-based PDFs, AI files, TIFFs, or EPS files. By doing this, you’ll ensure that your text and lines are crisp while printing.

You can also send high-resolution JPEG and PNG files if your artwork contains images. To get the best results, we recommend pre-flighting your designs with the following preset: Press Quality.

  1.  Once your artwork file is ready –> navigate your app menu –> Select file –> Select Save as
  2. Upon selecting save, a new window will appear –> Specify the file format as Adobe PDF (PDF)
  3.  Save Adobe PDF by selecting the Press Quality preset in the Save Adobe PDF window.

Our accepted file formats are AI, PDF, TIFF, or EPS due to the constraints of the formats.

In case you don’t have Adobe Illustrator, we recommend you use a similar application to it, or you can also download it from their official site.

If you need any artwork design assistance, you may consider our artwork design services.

The recommended size for files is 25 MB, but if you have a bigger file, please contact our design support so they can assist you with file resolutions.

Color Profiles

Navigate to file> Document Color Mode > CMYK Color mode to change the color mode of your document

The RGB color mostly gets used in display and is not recommended for printing. Due to the nature of how printer color works, only CMYK and Pantone (PMS) colors are the only recommended color spaces for printing.

Using the CMYK color mode, K (Black) ink is more accurate in printing black elements of design, such as text.

Text

It depends on your packaging’s material and printing process and what font size is required for legibility. For safe printing, the minimum font size should be 8pt for forward printing and 10pt for reverse printing.

The legibility of print may be affected by typefaces that have thinner or lighter font weights.

We highly recommend speaking with our product specialists before ordering if you are unsure whether your text will print clearly.

  1. Click the Illustrator icon. Make sure all your artwork layers are unlocked; click the Object → All Text Objects menu option in the App menu.
  2. After you have selected all text objects, click on your Illustrator icon and choose Type → Create Outlines.

Additional Prinding

Yes! We are capable of printing in all PMS (Pantone®) colors and Spot UV. Nevertheless, you must make sure that your file has the necessary layers to communicate which graphic elements are PMS or Spot UV. Keep your product specialists informed about the production process to prevent any mishaps.

To avoid production problems, additional file preparation is required to communicate any special options or printing (Pantone®, foil stamping, spot UV, etc.). Please follow these steps carefully in order to avoid any delays or errors in the production process:

  1. It is recommended to indicate all other printing options appropriately and to separate them into layers.
  2.  It is also recommended to place them on a duplicate artboard in black (100% K value) for more clarity.

 If your packaging requires interior printing, please mark the artboards appropriately “Inside Print” and “Outside Print.”

In addition to placing the artwork in separate layers, it is important to name the layers properly.

Dielines

Cut Line (Black Lines)

The black lines, known as Cut Lines, define your package’s final dimensions. To ensure a clean, professional look, keep essential artwork and text at least 0.125 inches inside these lines.

Crease Line (Red Lines)

Red lines, labeled Crease Lines, signal the folding zones on your packaging. They guide you on how your packaging will be folded into its intended shape.

Bleed Line (Green Lines)

The green Bleed Lines indicate the area your artwork should extend to for a seamless print. Ensure your artwork reaches these lines if it goes to the Cut Line.

Safety Margin (Dotted Green Lines)

Referred to as the Safety Margin, these dotted green lines guide placing artwork and text. As a standard industry practice, maintain a minimum 0.125-inch distance from the Cut Line for all design elements.

Perforation (Dotted Black Lines)

These dotted black lines, known as Perforation Lines, highlight where the paper is pre-punctured to facilitate easy tearing and folding.

We recommend that you do not flatten the artwork and dieline layers. Our dielines are purposefully crafted using proprietary software for accurate printing and die-cutting. Altering the dieline could result in production errors.

Our dielines are precisely configured using specialized software for optimal performance on our printing presses. Any alterations can lead to production inaccuracies, for which we are not responsible. We strongly advise against making changes to the original dielines.

Tip: Please consult your product specialist for any modifications to your dielines.

Lines

The thickness of all strokes and thin lines must be at least 0.25pt or 0.003″.

Images

Embedding all your images in the saved file is critical to prevent missing elements during printing.

  • How to Embed: Navigate to Window > Links from your App menu.
  • Open the links panel, select all images, click on the sub-menu and choose Embed Image(s).

Before sending your design for printing, ensure the image properties are correctly set.

  • How to Check: Go to Window > Links from your App menu.
  • In the links panel, select an image and click the dropdown arrow to view its properties.

High-quality printing requires your images to have a PPI (Pixels Per Inch) range of 150-300. A PPI lower than 150 is not advisable for print, particularly for large formats.

  • How to Check: Access the links panel by navigating to Window > Links.
  • Select an image, click the dropdown arrow, and ensure the PPI is within the 150-300 range.

For accurate color reproduction in printing, all images should be in the CMYK color space.

  • How to Check: Head to Window > Links from your App menu.
  • Select an image in the links panel and click the dropdown arrow to view its properties.
  • Confirm that the color space is set to CMYK.

Graphics

Regarding photographic content, formats like JPEG, PNG, or GIFs are appropriate. For all other types of artwork, especially designs created on vector-based platforms, it’s best to keep them in vector formats like AI, PDF, EPS, or SVG.

Image clarity is crucial for professional printing. Your images, whether JPEG, PNG, or GIF, should have a PPI (Pixels Per Inch) of 150-300 for the best print quality. Anything below 150 PPI is not recommended, particularly for large prints.

  • Step 1: Navigate to Window > Links in your application menu.
  • Step 2: With the links panel open, select an image and click the dropdown arrow to inspect its properties.

Step 3: Verify that the PPI value lies between 150 and 300.