Packaging guides
Learn before you print.
Short, practical guides for anyone buying or designing packaging for the first time.
- 7 min read
What is a dieline? A plain guide for first-time packaging buyers
A dieline is the flat template of your box. Learn what cut, crease, bleed and safe lines mean, and how printers use the file.
Read guide - 6 min read
How to measure your product for a box
Length, width and height explained, with clearance allowances so your product fits snugly without crushing.
Read guide - 5 min read
Straight tuck end vs reverse tuck end: which carton to choose
Both cartons close with tuck flaps. The difference is where the flaps sit, which changes how the front looks and how the blanks nest on a sheet.
Read guide - 7 min read
Choosing packaging board: SBS, kraft, rigid and corrugated
How the four common packaging materials differ in look, strength and thickness, and which box styles suit each.
Read guide - 5 min read
Dieline file formats: SVG, PDF, DXF, PNG and JPG
Which export to choose for your designer, your printer or a cutting table, and why there is no native .ai file.
Read guide - 6 min read
Production tolerances: what to check before you cut
Board grain, creep allowance, glue joints and print registration. The checks a manufacturer makes before a dieline becomes a cutting die.
Read guide - 7 min read
How to choose a box style for your product
A practical way to pick a box style: start with how the product is sold, how heavy it is and how it travels, then narrow down to a structure.
Read guide - 6 min read
Carton closures and bottoms: tuck, seal, snap-lock and auto-lock
How the four common ways of closing a folding carton work, how much weight each holds, and how fast each is to pack.
Read guide - 6 min read
Sizing mailer boxes for e-commerce
How to size a roll-end mailer for your products, inserts and postal rates, and which corrugated board to choose.
Read guide - 6 min read
Rigid boxes explained: two-piece, shoulder, book and drawer
What rigid boxes are made of, how the main styles differ, and what to plan for in artwork, cost and lead time.
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