Dieline guide: cut, crease and glue lines explained
A dieline is the flat drawing of a package: a solid line where the board is cut, a dashed line where it folds, plus glue areas, bleed and a safe zone. Your printer needs it at your exact size, with the artwork sitting on it. Grapxo draws the dieline and the print face together, so the two always match.
Line types on a dieline
Most dielines use the same six line types. Their colours and styles vary from printer to printer, so there is no universal colour code; Grapxo keeps cut, crease and perforation on separate layers.
- Cut: the solid outline where the die cuts through the board.
- Crease: the dashed line where the board is pressed so it folds cleanly; see crease (score).
- Perforation: a line of small cuts, for example for a tear strip.
- Glue: the flap area where adhesive goes. No artwork is printed there.
- Bleed: artwork that runs past the cut line so no white edge shows after cutting; see bleed.
- Safe zone: the inner area where type and logos stay clear of cuts and folds.
For the plain definition, see what a dieline is in the glossary. The numbers behind bleed and safe zone are on dieline bleed and safe tolerances.
Common box and label dielines
Each structure has its own dieline, and the same structure needs a different dieline at a different size.
- Straight tuck end: the top and bottom flaps tuck in on the same side of the box. Reading a tuck-end dieline walks through its panels.
- Reverse tuck end: the top and bottom tucks sit on opposite panels, so the box opens at the front at one end and at the back at the other.
- Mailer: a folding box with a hinged lid, common for shipping and unboxing; see e-commerce box design.
- Sleeve: a band that slides over an inner box or tray; see sleeve, box and label.
- Pillow box: a small one-piece carton with a curved, pillow-like body that closes at the ends without a separate lid, used for small, light items and gifts.
- Flat label and wrap label: a flat label is one outline; a wrap label goes round a bottle or jar, see bottle wrap label.
Getting a dieline at your size
A dieline is only right at the size it was drawn for, and stretching a template made for another size rarely works. In Grapxo you give the box type and the product’s inner dimensions in millimetres in the brief, and the engine draws the dieline at that size with the artwork already on it. If you are unsure which size to give, read how to determine box size. For what your printer receives, see print-ready dieline files.
Why it matters
Wrong fold or cut lines create cost in prototype and print. Clear dimensions and form in the brief make the output usable.
How you use it in the studio
Share product type and dimensions; the engine produces a structure-aware surface. Tighten copy and layout through revisions.
Frequently asked questions
What is a dieline?
A dieline is the production language of cut, fold, and glue lines. Grapxo advances design on that structure — not a random image.
How does Grapxo use the dieline?
Share product type and dimensions in the brief; the engine produces a structure-aware vector surface. Tighten copy and graphics through revisions.
How is this different from the print-ready dieline page?
This page explains the concept and structure. See the print-ready dieline page for export and preflight steps to follow before you send files to the printer.
Is it guaranteed at every printer?
No. The goal is vector structure close to production language; material and preflight approval belong to your printer.
What is the difference between a cut line and a crease line?
A cut line is where the die cuts through the board. A crease line is where the board is only pressed so it folds cleanly. They are drawn in different line styles and belong on separate layers, so a fold is never read as a cut.
Is a dieline the same as a template?
A template is a dieline someone drew for one set of dimensions. It only fits a product of that size, and stretching it to another size rarely works. Grapxo draws a new dieline at the size you give in the brief.
Start producing in the studio
Write your brief and let Grapxo produce a print-ready vector surface.