Every printed box starts as a flat template called a dieline. It shows exactly where the board will be cut, folded and glued, and it guides designers so artwork lines up correctly on the finished box. This guide explains what a box dieline is and how to read one, with our free Box Dieline Generator to create templates.
The purpose of a dieline
A dieline is a technical drawing, not artwork. Printers use it to make the cutting die, and designers place artwork on a separate layer over it.
Line types
| Line | Common style | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cut line | Solid line | Where the board is cut |
| Crease or fold line | Dashed line | Where the board is folded |
| Perforation | Dotted or dash-dot | Tear-off sections |
| Glue area | Shaded area | Where glue is applied |
Colours vary between printers: cut lines are often red or black, and crease lines blue or green. Always follow your printer’s guide.
Bleed
Artwork should extend beyond the cut line by a bleed, commonly 3 mm, so no white edges appear if cutting shifts slightly.
Safe zone
Keep important text and logos at least 3 to 5 mm inside fold and cut lines so they are not cut off or bent across a fold.
Panels
A dieline labels panels such as front, back, sides, top flap, bottom flap, glue flap and tuck flap. Make sure artwork faces the right way when folded.
Board thickness
Dielines for thick corrugated board include allowances at folds. A dieline for 0.4 mm paperboard will not work for 3 mm corrugated board. See flute types.
File formats
Printers usually want dielines in vector formats such as PDF, AI or SVG, with the dieline on its own layer and spot colour.
For design tips, read dieline design tips. For simple box nets, see the Box Net Generator. For box styles, read corrugated box styles.
Frequently asked questions
What is a dieline?
A flat template showing cut, fold and glue lines for a box.
What bleed is standard?
Commonly 3 mm beyond the cut line.
Which file format do printers want?
Usually vector PDF, AI or SVG with the dieline on a separate layer.