Print-ready packaging is artwork prepared to the chosen supplier’s requirements for the actual pack. A convincing mockup is useful for reviewing the design. The production file has a different job: putting that design in the right places, with the file setup the printer expects.
Get the current template first
Ask the supplier for the current dieline or label specification before final artwork begins. A dieline is the flat template that shows how the package is cut and folded. A label specification establishes the dimensions and other setup requirements for the label.
Record the filename, date and supplier. If the size, material or format changes, ask whether the template changes with it.
ePac explicitly asks customers to use its supplied dieline and provides instructions for layers, outlined type, embedded images and color setup. These are that supplier’s requirements. Get the equivalent instructions from the printer doing your job. ePac artwork support
Check how the flat artwork becomes a pack
Review the front, back, sides and any opening or display position that matters. A panel can look perfectly reasonable on a screen and end up facing the wrong way when the box is assembled.
Packlane recommends printing and assembling a box model to check panel orientation. Its file guidance also covers artwork placement and safe areas. Follow the template for the particular pack rather than borrowing settings from another job. Packlane artwork setup
Understand what the proof tells you
Ask what you are being asked to approve. Is this a layout proof, a color reference, a physical sample or something else? Find out what it can establish before treating it as final confirmation.
A digital proof is not an exact promise of printed color. Packlane’s policy makes that distinction. Ask your supplier how to evaluate colors and finishes on the selected material. Packlane policies
Name the person making each decision
Our suggested handoff record is short:
| Decision | Record it here |
|---|---|
| Artwork | Approved filename and version |
| Format | Supplier and current template |
| Product information | Person approving the final copy and claims |
| Technical setup | Person checking the file against the supplier’s instructions |
| Proof | Type of proof, comments and what its approval covers |
| Production release | Person authorizing the final run and the date |
Keep that record with the files. A new attachment in an email thread should not leave everyone guessing whether it replaces the approved version.
What Face Value includes
Our packaging scopes include artwork prepared to the supplied specifications, a call with your printer or co-packer, and one round of comments on the printer’s proof. Your team supplies and approves the product information and authorizes production.