What A Die Line Is
A die line is a flat drawing of the pack showing every cut, every crease and every glue area. It is produced by the factory, not by the brand, because it has to match the cutting forme and the folding equipment that will actually make the box. Once we have built a mock up, we draw the die line and send it to you.
The Handover
Your designer places the print artwork inside our die line and returns the print ready file. The die line layer stays in the file but does not print. This handover is where most schedule slips happen, because artwork is usually the last thing to be finished and the first thing to be blamed.
If The Pack Needs An Insert
When the box needs an insert tray to hold the product in place, we need either the physical product sample or a very detailed dimensional drawing before the insert tray mould can be cut. A drawing that is a couple of millimetres out produces an insert that grips or rattles, and the mould has to be recut.
Five Mistakes That Cause Reprints
- Artwork placed outside the safe area. Every die line has a margin where trimming and wrap overlap eat into the panel. Work inside it.
- Barcodes across a crease. The scanner reads a distorted bar pattern and fails, even though the print is correct.
- Spot UV and foil supplied as a visual effect rather than as a separate registered layer. The factory cannot guess where the varnish goes.
- Small reverse type on uncoated stock. Under about 6 pt it fills in on kraft and on uncoated offset paper.
- Colour approved on a flat proof for a job that will be laminated. Approve on the finish that will actually ship.
Sampling Reality
A printed box with an insert tray is a finished packaging sample and is charged. The cost is usually around USD 300 for the box and the insert tray mould together, courier excluded, and for orders above 10,000 pieces it is normally refunded once the production order is placed and the deposit received. Sampling takes 7 to 10 days plus 3 to 7 days of international courier, so build it into the launch plan rather than treating it as a formality.
A Checklist Before You Send Artwork
- Artwork is on the current die line version, not last month's.
- Bleed is present on every trimmed edge.
- Spot colours are named, not left as unnamed swatches.
- Special finish layers are separate, named and registered.
- Fonts are outlined or embedded.
- Barcode sits on a flat panel with quiet zones intact.
