Dielines, in the context of design, are lines drawn on two-dimensional graphic layouts that, when placed flat, form the shape of a box template. By the structural design, multiple-coloured sidelines also indicate where the sheet has to be scored, rolled up, cut, creased, or perforated (for self-assembly boxes, for example).
Safety lines, trim lines, and bleed lines are also included in this definition. It may also denote a blueprint incorporating all the dielines above in its solitary form. Hence, when you hear “the dieline generator” used by a designer, printer, or box maker, they refer to the finished blueprint.
The Importance of Dielines?
You should be familiar with “dielines” when working with any respectable offset printer to create your custom-printed packaging solution. To ensure that your printed box is precisely as you envisioned it, dielines must demonstrate the full breadth of your artwork and the precise locations of any necessary cuts, folds, or perforations.
The word originates from cutting patterns into materials like paper and cardboard. In this usage, a “die” refers to a metal mould often constructed of steel with sharp edges that allow for a clean and exact cut in the material. The dielines serve as guides for making the cuts.
Dielines: Styles, Colors, and Their Significance
Different dieline generator is shown in different ways. Therefore, ensuring your printer is compatible with your system is always a good idea. Below are some of the most typical dieline-specific color and stylistic characteristics:
Consistent verdant lines: They are usually used to indicate the desired folding location on a sheet of paper.
Lightly verdant outlines: They are often used to display “safety” margins. To prevent significant artwork from being clipped off, make sure it falls between these lines.
Lines in red, solid or dotted: often denote “bleed zones.” These illustrate the additional margins your artwork or background color has to cover to accommodate the paper’s movement during printing.
Sharp, dark lines: These lines indicate where the cardboard or paper will be sliced in half.
Patterns of black dots: sometimes referred to as “score lines,” they mark the spots wherein the paper will be lightly and partially sliced to facilitate the folding and self-assembly of the box.
Intersecting regions: Usually, a colored crisscrossed region signifies an option or flap that has to be adhered to during building.
Using a different color scheme or style system for your dielines is irrelevant. You and your printer must be “on the same page” on the meaning of each line since various designers, printers, and suppliers may use different methods.
Layout and Style:
Dielines, then, highlight the dimensions of the inside and outside of your planned box as well as the locations of cuts, folds, glues, perforations, scores, and other template operations. They also indicate where the content and artwork should go. Before beginning your artwork, it is crucial to develop this two-dimensional blueprint. All the other parts of your design will be mapped onto it effectively. Your photos, text, records, codes for goods, bar codes, and more will match and fit once you have them.
