Bring Your Packaging to (Real) Life
The first step to creating a great package is a great template. Your account manager can provide you with a template for one of our many standard box sizes, or request a custom! After receiving your template, here is what you need to get started.
Open the provided .PDF or .AI file in your preferred program. We recommend Adobe Illustrator over anything else, as that will retain the layer separations we require. Once opened, you will see the template with bleed, cut, and crease lines. The die lines are color coded for our press.
BLACK = CUT
Where the actual box is cut and ends.
GREEN = CREASE
Where the box will be scored and folded.
RED = BLEED
Where the artwork should end.
This is outside the cut line to protect against possible print shifts or misalignment when cutting. It also helps to visualize the panels that will not be visible once assembled and thus do not need art.
If in Adobe Illustrator, the layers will be separated accordingly as shown above. All but the ART layer will be locked. Please do all your designing on the Inside Art and Outside Art sublayers, and do not adjust the other layers in any way. If in a program that does not retain layers, create an ART layer.
Get creative!! Design your box to the specifications above. Be sure to carry all artwork to the red bleed lines and be mindful of orientation once folded. Keep all important text well inside the cut lines.
Exporting for Print
If in an Adobe program, package the file and compress it before sending to your account manager. After saving your final working file, simply select File > Package and include all items. If in another program, hide all but the ART layer and export as a .PDF. Be sure to include any pertinent fonts or links when you submit your art in case we need them.
