HELLO CUSTOM BOXES · PACKAGING GUIDE
Dieline Guidelines
Read the structure before adding artwork.
A dieline maps a package's flat structure so artwork can be positioned around cuts, folds, and assembly areas. Start with the supplier-approved template for the actual job. A similar-looking drawing may describe a different fit or closure, even when the front panel seems right.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Work at 1:1 scale in agreed units on the current supplier-approved structural template. Confirm whether dimensions describe internal space or the finished outside size. Read the cut, crease, glue, bleed, and safe-area instructions before designing. Check a prototype with the product before settling the structure.
Start with the correct structural template
Confirm the drawing belongs to this box, this size, and this revision.
Request approval for the actual job
Ask the supplier to identify the structural file approved for artwork placement. Record its filename, revision, and intended box dimensions. Check that any insert, window, closure, and inside printing shown in the brief are accounted for. Resolve mismatches before adding graphics.
Treat style codes as references
A FEFCO code identifies a corrugated packaging design style and helps people describe the construction. It does not replace the approved drawing for a particular order. This guide explains how to read and check a template; it does not provide a downloadable production dieline.
Reference: Esko: A Guide To The Full Packaging Prepress Process · FEFCO Code
Read the drawing's legend
Use the supplier's labels and conventions instead of guessing from line colors.
Cut and crease
Cut lines identify edges or openings to be cut. Crease lines identify intended folding locations. A crease is not a finished edge: a headline crossing it may wrap around a corner. Ask about unfamiliar perforations, partial cuts, or other symbols before placing artwork nearby.
Glue and assembly
Identify glue flaps, bonding areas, and overlapping panels. Confirm where ink or finishes are restricted. Do not assume that every visible flap is available for decoration. For example, a message placed on a flap may disappear under another panel after assembly.
Bleed and safe areas
Bleed marks where edge-reaching artwork must extend beyond the cut. Safe areas show where important content should remain, with clearance from cuts and folds. Keep these boundaries distinct. Neither boundary changes the physical size of the box, and neither has a universal numerical allowance.
Reference: Ghent Workgroup: Packaging · Esko: A Guide To The Full Packaging Prepress Process
Confirm scale, units, and dimension meanings
Agree on what is being measured before comparing a drawing with the product.
Keep the artwork at actual size
Use 1:1 scale in the units agreed with the supplier, whether inches or millimeters. Verify a labeled dimension after importing the file. A page that fits on your screen is not evidence of correct scale. Avoid fit-to-page settings when making a size-check print.
Separate internal from external size
Internal dimensions describe usable space inside the assembled box; external dimensions describe its outside extent. Ask which convention applies and confirm the length, width, and height orientation on the drawing. Do not assume that product dimensions, flat-panel measurements, and finished outside dimensions are interchangeable.
Leave structural allowances intact
Esko's structural documentation treats thickness and folding or gluing allowances as design inputs. That is why a flat panel measurement may differ from the finished dimension you expected. Ask the supplier to explain a discrepancy instead of shifting crease lines to make the labels match.
Reference: Esko ArtiosCAD: Adding a Board
Request a revision when the structure changes
Resize the structure through the supplier's structural workflow.
Do not enlarge an old dieline blindly
Uniformly scaling a drawing also scales its flaps and allowances. Those features need to suit the revised package. If the product grows taller, send the changed requirement to the supplier and request an updated template. Keep the original geometry locked while designing.
Recheck reused designs
An old project can help explain your intent, but its template needs fresh approval before reuse. Compare the structural revision, dimensions, panel orientation, and assembly details. If a new template arrives, check all artwork against it; do not assume that replacing the background file completes the update.
Reference: Esko: A Guide To The Full Packaging Prepress Process · Esko ArtiosCAD: Adding a Board
Check artwork on the assembled shape
Follow each panel through folding, closing, and opening.
Trace the viewing direction
Label the front, back, top, bottom, and inside where relevant. Follow the panel sequence before rotating text. A side-panel phrase may look upright in the flat file yet face the wrong direction on the assembled box. Check hidden flaps and overlaps too.
Keep technical objects identifiable
Retain the approved dieline separately from printed graphics and confirm its delivery treatment with the printer. Check the exported file so structural marks are not mistaken for decorative lines. Use the Artwork Guidelines for PDF settings, fonts, and ink separations.
Reference: Adobe: Preview output (Acrobat Pro) · Ghent Workgroup: Packaging · Esko: A Guide To The Full Packaging Prepress Process
Test fit before settling the structure
Use a prototype to answer physical questions that the flat drawing leaves open.
Try the complete pack
Ask the supplier about an appropriate structural sample. Check it with the actual product, insert, and other packed components. Try loading, closing, opening, and removing the product. Note tight spots, unwanted movement, and flap interference. A hand-cut paper mockup can flag orientation problems, but it does not establish production fit.
Record the result clearly
Photograph issues and identify the template revision when requesting changes. Once the structure changes, repeat the affected fit checks and review artwork placement. Record structural approval and artwork approval separately.
Reference: Esko: A Guide To The Full Packaging Prepress Process · Esko ArtiosCAD: Adding a Board
Before You Send the Specification
Use these checks to prepare your handoff.
Dieline Guidelines FAQs
Can I use a template from another box?
Use it as a reference for discussion. Get supplier approval of the structure for the current job before placing final artwork.
Is there a standard bleed for every dieline?
No. Ask for the job's bleed, safety clearances, and restricted areas. This guide intentionally gives no universal measurements.
Does a visual mockup confirm fit?
A visual mockup helps explain appearance. Confirm physical fit through an appropriate structural sample and checks with the packed product.
PLAN YOUR PACKAGING
Start with the right structure for your product.
Share your product, box size and the details you need help with.