How to Prepare Artwork for Custom-Printed Food Packaging

Supply the logo as vector artwork

Use a vector file such as AI, EPS, SVG or an editable PDF for the logo. Vector paths remain sharp at any size, so the same mark can reproduce clearly on a small sauce container and a large carrier bag. A low-resolution PNG forwarded through messaging or a screenshot may produce pixelated edges and lose fine details.

If the logo fonts are not available in the file, convert the lettering to outlines or supply the licensed fonts separately. When a brand guide exists, include clear-space rules, minimum sizes and one-colour versions. This prevents the logo from being improvised for different backgrounds.

• Preferred formats: AI, EPS, SVG or editable PDF
• Embed photographs and textures instead of leaving missing links
• Outline fonts or supply the licensed font files
• Prepare full-colour, black-and-white and reversed logo versions

Build the design on the actual dieline

Packaging artwork belongs on the product-specific dieline, not on a generic rectangle. Cut lines show where the board is trimmed, crease lines show where it folds, and glue areas identify surfaces that may not remain visible. Resizing the template or guessing panel positions can leave the lid artwork upside down or move important graphics into a glued seam.

Keep cut and crease information on a separate technical layer that will not print. Preserve the printer’s specified swatch names, line weights and layer structure. Even products with the same description can use different tooling, so an old dieline should be reconfirmed before a repeat order.

Treat bleed and safe area as a pair

When a background colour or photograph reaches a cut edge, extend it beyond the cut line. This bleed prevents a white edge from appearing because of small cutting tolerances. The required amount varies by product and process, so take the exact value from the approved supplier dieline rather than assuming one universal measurement.

Critical elements such as logos, contact details, allergen notices and barcodes should remain inside the safe area, away from cuts and folds. Being technically inside a panel is not enough: information must still be easy to read once the box is assembled. Reviewing both the flat artwork and an assembled three-dimensional mock-up helps reveal these problems early.

• Extend backgrounds to the bleed boundary specified by the printer
• Keep logos and copy away from cuts, creases and glue areas
• Confirm lid orientation and the front panel after assembly
• Do not place text over vents, locking tabs or windows

Do not confuse RGB screen colour with print colour

Phones and monitors display light-based RGB colours, while packaging is usually printed with CMYK inks or defined spot colours. Neon green, bright blue and orange tones that glow on screen may appear more restrained on paper. Prepare artwork in the agreed print colour space and do not define a critical brand colour with a HEX value alone.

When brand-colour consistency is essential, use a Pantone or another spot-colour reference agreed with the printer. The same ink will still appear different on white board, natural kraft and coated stock. Kraft can affect pale tones and white areas in particular, so a white underprint or a substrate-specific colour adjustment may need to be considered.

Test small type, fine lines and scannable codes

As ingredients, social accounts, legal information and multilingual copy increase, there is pressure to reduce type size. Very small lettering, fine reversed lines and tiny text built from several inks may lose clarity within normal print tolerances. Ask the printer for minimum type and line specifications suitable for the selected process.

QR codes and barcodes are functional elements, not decoration. They require clear space, strong contrast and a reasonably flat surface. A code placed over a crease or inside a busy image can become difficult to read. Before mass production, test codes at final print size with several phones or the appropriate barcode scanners.

• Edit long copy instead of sacrificing readability
• Avoid unnecessary four-colour builds for very small black text
• Preserve the quiet zone around a QR code
• Scan codes from a full-size printed proof, not only from a PDF

Approve the proof with a checklist

A digital or physical proof is not only a design review. Confirm product dimensions, spelling, languages, logo direction, colour references, quantity and printed sides together. If an assembled mock-up is available, inspect the closure, panel sequence and the angle from which the customer first sees the pack.

Changes after approval may affect tooling, plates, lead time and cost. Sales, design and operations should therefore work from one current file. Add a date or version code to the filename and retain written final approval to reduce the risk of an outdated revision reaching production.

• Are the product dimensions and dieline correct?
• Have all copy, languages, numbers and web addresses been checked?
• Are brand colours and substrate recorded in writing?
• Are print direction, front and reverse sides, and quantity approved?
• Does the final PDF match the approved proof version?

Production-ready artwork creates a consistent brand

Correct artwork preparation does more than simplify production. It allows colour, logo and messaging to follow the same system from burger boxes to cups. That consistency makes a brand feel more professional across branches and markets.

Lupipak reviews custom-printed food-packaging designs together with the selected structure, material and printing method. Sharing logo files, colour references and final copy at the beginning of the order helps the project reach production-ready artwork faster.