1
File format
Vector PDF or the original layout file. A screenshot or a word-processor export is not a print file.
Format
Wholesale · Artwork
Artwork guide
Twelve checks and four kinds of proof. What to get right before a file reaches the press — and what each proof can actually tell you.
Preflight
Twelve checks before a file reaches the press.
Every one of these is cheaper to fix before plates are made. Most of them take under a minute.
2
Bleed
Backgrounds and images extend 3 mm past the trim line on every cut edge.
Bleed
3
Safe area
Text and logos stay clear of folds, cuts and glue flaps by at least 3 mm.
Safety
4
Resolution
Photos at 300 dpi at final size. Web images look sharp on screen and print soft.
Image
5
Colour mode
CMYK for print. RGB is converted, and some bright colours will not survive the shift.
Colour
6
Pantone reference
Brand colours carry a number. A screen colour is a guess without one.
Colour
7
Black build
Small text uses 100% K, not a four-colour black, to avoid registration blur.
Print
8
Fonts
Text is outlined or fonts are embedded. Missing fonts substitute silently.
Type
9
Dieline layer
The cutting template sits on its own layer and is not printed.
Structure
10
Inside print
Inside artwork is on a separate page, mirrored where the construction requires it.
Structure
11
Barcode and legal
Space is reserved for barcodes, batch codes and required wording.
Content
12
Version
The file name and revision match what was approved, so the press runs the right one.
Control
Proofs
Four proofs, four different promises.
A proof only proves what it was made to prove. Matching the proof type to the decision is the whole point.
01
PDF soft proof
Proves layout, text and the position of every element. It does not prove colour, paper or finish.
02
Printed proof on your stock
Proves how the ink behaves on the actual board. The closest thing to the run without running it.
03
Physical sample, unprinted
Proves size, structure, fit and how the box opens. It says nothing about print.
04
Press check / first-off
Proves the run itself: the first printed sheet is approved against the signed proof before the rest is printed.
Templates
What is in the template pack.
Ask for this before you draw anything. Starting from the correct dieline removes most of the prepress work.
01
Cutting dieline
The flat outline of your construction, sized to your product, with every cut, fold and glue flap.
02
Safe area and bleed
Two offset lines showing where artwork must stop and where background must extend.
03
Panel labels
Each face named — front, back, lid, base, side — so artwork lands on the right panel.
04
Assembly note
A short note on how the box folds and where glue goes, useful for photography and mockups.
05
File naming convention
One agreed naming pattern, so the approved version is obvious at every stage.
06
Reference artwork
A layered sample file showing how the dieline, artwork and finishing layers should be organised.
Artwork
Five things that cost money.
None of these are printing problems. All of them are caught before plating if the file is checked first.
01
A logo lifted from a website
Screen-resolution images look sharp on a monitor and break down at print size. Send the original file, or the highest-resolution version you have.
02
No bleed
Artwork that stops at the trim line leaves a white edge after cutting. Extend backgrounds 3 mm past it.
03
Text too close to the fold
Copy within a few millimetres of a fold or cut can be clipped. Keep it inside the safe area on the dieline.
04
RGB colour for a Pantone brand
A brand colour defined in RGB will not match on press. Give the Pantone reference, or ask us to match from a physical sample.
05
Changes after plating
Text and layout edits are simplest before plates are made. After that, both timing and cost change.
Next in this guide
That is the file side. The last step is sending a brief — a photo and a size is enough to start.
Get a quote
Send your artwork for a file check
Send the file and your product size. We run the twelve checks and reply with anything that needs fixing before plating.
Email
sales@boxeschina.com
Phone
+86 132 1510 9191
Factory
Weiyuan Road, Humen Town
Dongguan, Guangdong, China 523900
Hours
Mon-Fri, 9:00-18:00 (Beijing time)
Inquiry
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