Have you ever seen those amazing package designs and wondered how they do that? Or maybe you’re just starting out in the design world and want to learn more about packaging design. Read on to find out the secret about dieline!
What Exactly Is a Dieline?
A dieline is just a model used in the printing and packaging industries to guarantee the correct layout of a package design before it is mass-produced. It’s a flat, marked layout showing where to fold and cut the packaging.
Who Makes the Dieline?
In most cases, dielines are made by package designers. You can also use a printer or a die cutter to make them. In addition to boxes, dielines are used in many other packaging forms. It is impossible to cut or fold a product without dielines, which are used for everything from simple pocket folders to complicated packaging.
Dieline Types
Dielines consist of three distinct line types:
- A cut line
- A dotted perforation line
- A fold line
When your package design is sent to get printed, the machine will follow these dielines to make the necessary perforations and cuts. The printer will see the perforation lines plus the cutting lines as two distinct “chunks” of data; thus, they will print in various layers and colors. The printer may then determine which parts can be trimmed and which need to be folded.
The printer handles the perforation process in one stage and the cutting process in a different step; these two processes do not occur simultaneously.
Making A Dieline
The question of how to make the dielines may arise if one has a concept for an uncommon form of packaging but lacks access to the necessary tools. Although it may seem difficult at first, all you need to do is locate a box or container that is similar to the one you need. Put it flat, undo the tabs, and take measurements. You’ll start making your dielines with the measurements you take.
Sending the printing provider a sample of the final packaging design you want is always a good idea. Observe the flattened packaging to find numerous markings.
When you have the measurements, you may begin the design process. Many printers use Adobe Illustrator or another piece of graphic design software to make their dielines. However, there are other equally strong options. Use whatever graphic design software you are most comfortable with.
Making Dielines in Adobe Illustrator
It doesn’t matter what kind of design program you’ve used to produce the artwork itself; setting up your dielines effectively in Adobe Illustrator requires a few simple steps.
If you’ve made your artwork in another design tool like InDesign, you can import it into Illustrator by saving it as a flattened PDF file.
The next step is to ensure that CMYK is selected as the document’s color mode. You can achieve this by selecting the CMYK color mode from the Color menu under File> Document > Color Mode > CMYK.
Make a spot color swatch by selecting Window> Swatch Libraries > Color Books > Pantone + Solid Coated. Scroll down the Window with the color swatches and click on the color you want to use. You should probably rename that color to “Full Cut” or “Fold,” depending on how you plan to employ it.
Why You Can’t Make Dielines in Adobe Photoshop
The final product needs to be vector art, therefore applications like Adobe Photoshop are out of the question. Contrary to appearances, Vector artwork is composed of mathematical computations and numbers that can be read by computers and easily printed. In addition, vector pictures scale well without degradation in quality. A design for a building-sized box could be printed with the same level of detail as a sheet of paper.
Remember that requirements are of utmost importance if you are designing your dielines. Before you can generate the File in Adobe or InDesign, you’ll need to grasp its exact dimensions. If this is the first time making your dielines, you may also want to print one hard copy for reference. Any problems with the design can be found and fixed before manufacturing begins.
What Else Does Dielines Indicate?
Dielines illustrate not just the perforations, cuts, and folds on flat packaging but also the placement of any artwork or text that will be included. Spread a flat, empty cereal box out on the table to witness dielines in action. There, you’ll find instructions for putting the box together, gluing the necessary tabs, and folding the top tabs into each other to keep the inside fresh.
Your dielines have more than one purpose, even if their primary function is as a “template” for your packaging. They let you arrange your packaging’s many promotional features to clarify their respective functions and interplay. You can determine if placing the logo next to particular graphics is too much if it is necessary to add more or fewer text, and so on, by setting out the separate “parts” of the document process.
Dielines serve as a decorative border and a practical guideline for the printer to follow to get the desired result.
How To Move Forward
You can see why making dielines is integral to the packaging process. Dielines are necessary for packages to fit together (and have a unified, appealing appearance). It can be helpful to have a staff on hand that is proficient in design and printing in addition to packaging and marketing.
Simply put, the more people look over your dielines, the less likely you will make a massive mess of things and have to start over from the beginning.
Need Help Putting Together Your Dieline?
To be sure, it’s normal to feel anxious when dealing with something as complex as a dieline.CBM Print may help you in whatever way you need it to, whether learning their structure, making your own or just putting your ideas on paper (or printer).
If you fill out our dieline request form, we will make a dieline specifically for you. We have the knowledge, skills, and personnel to assist you to develop your idea from the ground up, and we’ll use cutting-edge packaging and printing technologies to guarantee your satisfaction at every stage.