A packaging design can look finished on a laptop while still leaving a printer with unanswered questions. Which line marks the edge of the wrapping paper? Does the gold logo represent metallic ink or a separate foil operation? Is the pale rectangle an intentional background, or a missing linked image? Each uncertainty creates another round of messages before production can begin.
For a custom rigid box, artwork preparation is a coordination task between the brand, designer and manufacturer. The objective is to supply a file that describes the intended result without asking the factory to guess. This guide focuses on that handover: the files, layers, measurements and approvals a buyer should organize before releasing artwork for printing.
Start With The Approved Structural Drawing
Ask the manufacturer for the drawing associated with the latest approved box structure. A reference template downloaded for a similar box may not account for board thickness, wrapping allowances, lid overlap or the particular construction being quoted. The construction method also determines the paper pattern; outside measurements alone cannot identify the correct template.
Keep the manufacturer’s drawing at its supplied scale. If the product changes size, request a revised drawing rather than stretching the template to fit. Scaling a drawing can also scale allowances that were never meant to change. Check whether the dimensions shown describe the finished outside, usable inside space or an individual component.
Identify every component that needs artwork. A lid, base, liner, sleeve and printed insert may require separate files. On a custom two piece rigid box, artwork for the lid cannot simply be reused on the base without checking orientation and coverage.
Separate Printed Graphics From Production Instructions
Organize the document so the prepress team can identify graphics and manufacturing instructions independently. Use descriptive layer names for the structure, printing, foil, embossing and other operations. A layer called “gold” is ambiguous if both a printed gold-colored pattern and genuine foil appear in the design.
Follow the factory’s conventions for naming technical colors and separating operations. Do not assume that a red line always means cutting or a dashed line always means folding. Such conventions can differ between suppliers. The drawing legend and written production brief should agree.
For a foil logo, retain clean vector shapes in a clearly identified production layer. Keep a composite visual showing the intended appearance as a separate reference. The composite helps people understand the design, while the separated file tells production which operation creates each effect. Neither replaces the other.
Distinguish Bleed, Wrap Allowance And Safe Areas
Bleed extends a printed background beyond its intended trimmed edge. A wrap allowance serves a different purpose: it provides paper that turns around the board or into the box. A safe area keeps essential text and graphics away from positions where cutting, wrapping or assembly could make them difficult to see.
Adobe’s guidance on printer’s marks and bleed explains the role of artwork extending outside the trim area. For a rigid box, use that principle together with the supplier’s specific wrapping template. A generic bleed setting does not define every production allowance.
Ask the factory to mark the required areas rather than assigning a universal distance yourself. A logo close to an outer edge may disappear around a corner even though it remains inside the paper’s cut line. Text crossing a shoulder, hinge or return edge deserves a physical mock-up before approval.
Make one folded paper check at actual size. Print the layout, mark the intended viewing direction and fold it approximately around the approved structure. This inexpensive check can reveal an upside-down side panel or a brand name interrupted by a lid overlap.
Keep Logos Sharp And Photographs Fit For Size
Vector artwork is useful for logos, lettering and shapes because it describes paths rather than a fixed grid of pixels. Supply the original vector logo when available. Enlarging a small screenshot does not recreate the missing detail, even if the image is saved inside a PDF.
Photographs and textures are normally raster images. Their suitability depends on effective resolution at the final placed size, not merely the resolution number stored in the file. For an illustrative calculation, an image containing 2,400 pixels across provides 300 pixels per inch when printed eight inches wide. Enlarging it to sixteen inches reduces that figure to 150.
Confirm the printer’s requirements for the chosen process and viewing conditions. A useful file check identifies actual pixel dimensions, placed size, cropping and whether an image is linked or embedded. Avoid repeated screenshotting or saving through messaging apps, which can quietly reduce detail.
Confirm Color Intent Before Export
State which elements will use process printing and which require a dedicated spot ink. Include the agreed spot-color reference and its relevant paper designation where applicable. A color swatch that looks correct on screen is insufficient documentation for a critical brand color.
Ask which output profile and PDF settings the printer expects. Do not convert a file repeatedly between color spaces while different team members work on it. Keep the original assets and record the intended conversion route. If a design contains both photographs and a critical solid-color logo, the printer should know how each is to be reproduced.
Black areas also need an agreed treatment. Fine black text and a large black background can have different production needs. Request the printer’s preferred setup rather than using an arbitrary multi-ink black formula throughout the document. Our overview of rigid box printing methods explains the available processes; the file specification should identify the one selected for this order.
Check Transparency, Overprint And Hidden Objects
Some artwork problems appear only when separations or transparency are interpreted for printing. A white object set to overprint may behave differently from the designer’s ordinary screen view. An unused object outside the visible artboard can also confuse the person preparing plates or finishing tools.
Inspect the document using the design application’s overprint and separation previews. Adobe’s overprinting documentation explains how overlapping inks can behave and why previewing matters. Ask the factory to confirm any trapping or overprint settings that affect the actual job.
Remove obsolete artwork and clearly distinguish nonprinting notes. If a technical line remains visible in the composite proof, establish whether it is an intentional guide that will be removed from production. Never approve a file on the assumption that somebody else will know which visible objects to omit.
Prepare Finishing Artwork As A Separate Decision
A foil area, an embossed shape and a spot-coated detail may occupy similar positions but require different preparation. Discuss minimum practical detail, spacing, registration and compatibility with the selected paper and surface treatment. These limits depend on the materials and manufacturing route.
Keep finishing instructions explicit: identify the effect, its location, intended color or appearance, and whether it is applied before or after another operation. For example, a tactile logo on textured wrapping paper needs a sample-based discussion, not just a visual promise in a mock-up.
Where two effects must align, make the relationship visible in the reference proof. Decide which feature is visually critical and how an acceptable result will be judged. Do not invent a universal registration tolerance. Record the agreement reached with the producer for that particular combination.
Make Text And Codes Survive The Handover
Proofread the final wording in the artwork itself. A correct copy document does not prove that the designer placed the latest wording on every panel. Check product names, quantities, language variants, addresses and any required information against the approved source.
If fonts are converted to outlines, keep an editable master for future revisions. If fonts are supplied separately, confirm that licensing permits the transfer. Outlining can preserve letter shapes but does not correct spelling, poor spacing or text that is too small for the chosen process.
Test QR codes using a print at the intended size and contrast. Confirm the destination with an ordinary phone and make sure the link belongs to the correct campaign. A visually attractive code that points to a staging page is still a failed handover. Barcode requirements should be agreed with the retailer or system that will read them.
Use One Release Package Per Approved Version
Send a clearly named production package instead of a conversation containing several files called “final.” The release should include a production file, a viewing PDF, a component list and a short change record. Use a revision number that appears consistently in the email, file names and approval record.
| Handover Item | Information To Include | Buyer Check |
| Structural reference | Drawing identifier, date and component name | Matches the approved sample |
| Production artwork | Agreed format, scale and separated operations | No missing assets or unresolved notes |
| Viewing proof | Complete appearance and panel orientation | Correct wording and visual arrangement |
| Color instruction | Process route and critical color references | Same references used in approval |
| Finishing instruction | Effect, location and agreed limitations | Reflected in the quoted specification |
| Release record | Version, approver and approval date | Superseded files clearly withdrawn |
If one component changes after release, identify what remains unchanged. A corrected instruction card should not silently reopen the approved box graphics. Conversely, a bottle dimension change may affect both the insert and the outer structure. Trace the dependency before assuming the revision is limited to artwork.
Review The Proof With Named Responsibilities
Allocate responsibility before the proof arrives. The brand owner can approve identity and wording; the product team can approve product data; the factory can check production compatibility. One person should collect the decisions and issue a single release instruction.
Avoid approvals such as “looks fine” when unresolved questions remain. A useful response names the version, components and aspects approved. Where approval is conditional, describe the condition and ask for the resulting revision. A printer should not have to combine conflicting comments from several people.
Keep the approved proof alongside the order specification. When a later delivery is reviewed, those documents establish what the team actually requested. Screen captures of messages can supplement the record, but a clearly identified file and approval note are easier to use during a repeat order.
Resolve Common File Problems Before Sending
One frequent problem is a mock-up without production artwork. The perspective image shows intent but cannot establish accurate panel geometry. Another is a PDF containing a flattened low-resolution preview rather than the original design. Ask the designer to supply the correct export, not simply change the file extension.
Missing links often occur when a designer sends the main document without its associated images. Duplicate color swatches can create unintended separations. An outlined text layer may coexist with an older editable version, producing duplicated lettering. Run a final document check specifically for these handover errors.
If the factory proposes a technical adjustment, request an updated viewing proof when the appearance changes. Moving a logo away from a wrap edge may be sensible, but the brand should see and approve its new position. Technical correction and visual approval belong to the same release process.
Send A File Package The Factory Can Act On
Before delivery, open the files on a second computer or ask another team member to review the package. Confirm that the document opens without missing assets and that the viewing proof matches the production version. Test the download link and use access settings that permit the intended factory contact to retrieve the files.
Include the product dimensions, approved drawing identifier, order reference, artwork revision and the questions that still need an answer. If you are preparing a new packaging project, use the Seven Rainbow contact page to request a structure-specific artwork template. Sending the real product information with the design gives the team a practical basis for checking the file before print production is released.