How to Read a Packaging Dieline (With Food Box Examples)

A dieline is the flat template of your box. Learn what the lines mean and how to place artwork so it prints and folds correctly.

What is a dieline?

A dieline is a flat drawing of your box before it is cut and folded. It shows where the board will be cut, where it will fold and where your artwork should go.

Every custom box starts as a dieline, and your artwork is laid on top of it before printing.

Cut lines

Solid lines usually show where the cutting die will cut through the board. Everything outside the cut line is waste. Artwork must extend slightly past the cut line to avoid thin white edges, which is called bleed.

Fold and crease lines

Dashed lines usually show where the board is creased and folded. Avoid placing small text or fine detail directly on a fold, because the board can crack slightly and distort it.

Bleed and safe zones

Bleed is the extra artwork beyond the cut line, often 3 mm. The safe zone is the area inside the cut line where important text and logos should sit, often 3 to 5 mm in from any edge or fold.

Glue areas

The glue flap is where two parts of the box are stuck together. Artwork and coatings are often kept off glue areas so the adhesive bonds properly. Your dieline will mark these areas.

Panels and orientation

Each panel of the dieline becomes a side of the finished box. It is easy to place artwork upside down on panels that fold back. Label each panel front, back, top and so on, and check which way up each one will be when the box is closed.

Example: a tuck end carton

A tuck end box, like our tea boxes or cereal boxes, has four side panels in a row, a glue flap on one end and tuck flaps at top and bottom. The front panel is usually second from the glue flap.

Example: a clamshell

A clamshell, like our burger boxes, has a base and lid joined by a hinge fold. The lid panel is often upside down relative to the base on the dieline, because it folds over the top.

Common artwork mistakes

• No bleed, leaving white edges.
• Text across folds.
• Logos upside down on the lid.
• Artwork on glue areas.
• Low-resolution images below 300 dpi at print size.

Getting your dieline

These products show the ideas in this guide in practice:

• Tea Boxes: Tuck-end boxes sized for 20, 50 or 100 bags sit neatly on café and supermarket shelves. Use an inner bag or liner for anything that must stay dry, and let the carton do the branding.
• Cereal Boxes: Large printable panels leave plenty of room for ingredients, nutrition information and your story. Use an inner bag or liner for anything that must stay dry, and let the carton do the branding.
• Burger Boxes: A clamshell hinge and vent holes stop buns going soggy from trapped steam. Choose vented styles for fried food and close the box just before hand-over, not while the order waits.
• Tuck End Food Boxes: The most economical folding carton style, quick to fill and easy to print. Match the box strength to the courier journey and add void fill or inserts so contents don't shift.
• Cake Boxes: Tall walls and a rigid base stop fondant and buttercream from touching the lid on the drive home. Let warm bakes cool for a few minutes before closing the lid, so steam doesn't soften icing or pastry.

We supply a dieline for every custom box after you confirm the size and style. Request a quote and we'll send the template for your box.