How to prepare packaging artwork: colour mode and print file setup
A packaging file is artwork designed on a screen and translated into print logic so the colours hold on paper or board. For that you bring the colour mode (usually CMYK, spot colour where needed), black usage, layers, fonts, images and the delivery pack into the layout your printer asks for. Profile name, ink limit and resolution vary by printer; this page gives the order and the questions, and the printer gives the numbers.
Short answer: build in the printer’s mode and separate the layers
Build the packaging print file in the colour mode the printer asks for (mostly CMYK); when a brand colour does not hold in CMYK, define the spot colour as its own channel. Keep cut, fold and finish areas on layers apart from the artwork, outline fonts, embed images and deliver in the format the printer asks for. Get profile and limit values from the printer.
Key takeaways
Summary of this guide
- Screens work in RGB; print works in CMYK and spot inks; the printer names the mode.
- A spot colour (for example Pantone®) is defined as its own channel; its CMYK equivalent is only approximate.
- Cut, fold and finish areas are separate layers.
- Fonts are outlined, images are embedded and at the resolution the printer asks for.
- Profile name, ink limit and format come from the printer; this page gives no universal values.
RGB, CMYK and spot colour
| Mode | Where it is used | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | Screens, social media, 3D previews | Does not print at the same brightness; colours shift on conversion |
| CMYK | Most packaging print | The printer supplies the profile; very vivid colours can dull in CMYK |
| Spot (Pantone® etc.) | Brand colour, metallic, special colour | Needs its own channel and naming; extra print cost |
- RGB
- Where it is usedScreens, social media, 3D previews
- Watch forDoes not print at the same brightness; colours shift on conversion
- CMYK
- Where it is usedMost packaging print
- Watch forThe printer supplies the profile; very vivid colours can dull in CMYK
- Spot (Pantone® etc.)
- Where it is usedBrand colour, metallic, special colour
- Watch forNeeds its own channel and naming; extra print cost
Related glossary terms: CMYK, Pantone® / spot colour, Vector vs raster, Print-ready file.
Settle the colour mode with the printer
The first question is which mode and profile the file should come in. Many printers ask for CMYK and their own reference profile; some prefer a CMYK file with no profile at all. That answer shapes the file setup from the start.
- Will the file be CMYK, or will the printer do the conversion?
- Which colour profile is used, and should it be embedded in the file?
- Do spot colours stay spot in the file or get converted to CMYK?
For the full list of questions to put to a printer, see Questions to ask a packaging printer.
Convert from RGB to CMYK early
Finishing a design in RGB and converting at the last moment can change colours unexpectedly; vivid blues, greens and oranges especially come out duller in CMYK. It is safer to build close to print mode from the start, or to convert early and check the result by eye.
The colour you see on screen and the printed colour will not match; a screen emits light, print reflects it. So the decision is made on the printer’s proof or sample, not on a screenshot.
Decide when to use a spot colour
Use a spot colour when a brand colour does not hold as a CMYK mix or when a special colour such as metallic or fluorescent is needed. A spot colour is named as its own channel in the file and must match the name in the printer’s library. Pantone® is a brand name and is written that way.
A spot colour means an extra print unit or a separate ink, which affects cost and lead time. For the label side of this, see Label CMYK, spot colour and white ink.
Grapxo does not invent spot colours or Pantone codes; you settle the brand spot colour and its name with your printer, and the printer decides the colour match.
Choose black deliberately
For text and fine lines, single-ink (pure) black usually gives the cleanest result, because stacking several inks can blur small type through registration shift. In large solid areas a rich black may be preferred for depth. The printer says which approach it wants and what the total ink limit is.
Reversing small type out of a dark solid can close up the letterforms; ask the printer for minimum type size and line weight.
Separate layers and channels
A print file keeps the cut line, fold line, artwork and finish areas on separate layers. Spot colours and the white layer (on clear or metallic stock) are defined as separate channels. A file stacked on one layer needs re-working at the printer for every change.
| Layer | Contents | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Artwork | Colours, images, text | In the printer’s colour mode |
| Cut | Outer boundary and cut-outs such as windows | Separate layer, name from the printer |
| Fold | Fold and score lines | Not mixed with cut |
| Finish | Foil, emboss, spot UV areas | One layer per finish |
| White | Underprint on clear or metallic stock | Name and coverage vary by printer |
- Artwork
- ContentsColours, images, text
- NoteIn the printer’s colour mode
- Cut
- ContentsOuter boundary and cut-outs such as windows
- NoteSeparate layer, name from the printer
- Fold
- ContentsFold and score lines
- NoteNot mixed with cut
- Finish
- ContentsFoil, emboss, spot UV areas
- NoteOne layer per finish
- White
- ContentsUnderprint on clear or metallic stock
- NoteName and coverage vary by printer
For layer structure see the Layered vector output checklist; for finish layers see Hot foil, emboss and spot UV.
Lock fonts, images and vectors
Fonts are outlined or embedded. Raster images must be embedded at the resolution the printer asks for, and a low-resolution image prints soft. Logos and drawings stay vector where possible, because vector prints sharp at any size.
- No missing-font warning should remain; if text was outlined, keep an editable copy.
- Linked images must be embedded; the main file alone should not travel to the printer.
- Avoid heavily enlarged raster images; use a higher-resolution source if needed.
Prepare the delivery pack
Send the printer a pack rather than a single file: the print file (in the format the printer asks for), the dieline and size information, material and finish notes, and a reference proof or image if you have one. Many printers prefer PDF; if you have an SVG or other vector source, keep it and convert it to the requested format.
Last check before delivery
- Is the file in the colour mode and profile the printer asked for?
- Are spot colours correctly named and on their own channel?
- Are cut, fold and finish on separate layers?
- Are fonts outlined and images embedded?
- Is black used the way the printer described?
- Are the size, material and finish notes in the pack?
- Did you agree a colour proof or sample with the printer?
For delivery detail see How to send an SVG dieline to the printer; for common errors see Seven SVG dieline mistakes; for a checklist see the Packaging preflight checklist.
How do these steps run in Grapxo?
In Grapxo you write your product, size and brand direction into the brief. The vector engine produces a dieline and an editable, layered vector surface; you settle the brand spot colour and its name with your printer. The bundle also contains a real CMYK print file (FOGRA39, PDF/X-4).
- You take values such as colour profile, ink limit and file format from the printer’s specification; Grapxo produces the CMYK print PDF with the FOGRA39 profile and total ink of at most 300%; ask your printer beforehand if their values differ.
- The 3D preview in the browser is a visual check; it does not stand in for print colour or a printer proof.
- You send the file to the printer yourself; final preflight and colour approval sit with the printer.
Start your design in the studio with the link below; for an overview of the subject see Print-ready dieline.
Frequently asked questions
Should a packaging file be RGB or CMYK?
Most packaging print runs in CMYK and spot colour where needed. Ask the printer in advance which mode and profile it wants; some printers do the conversion themselves.
Why do colours dull when converting RGB to CMYK?
A screen emits light and can show a wider range than CMYK; vivid blues, greens and oranges especially come out duller. Rely on a printer proof to decide.
When is a spot colour needed?
When a brand colour does not hold as a CMYK mix or you want a special colour such as metallic. A spot colour is defined as its own channel and adds cost.
Why outline fonts?
If the printer’s system lacks the font, another may take over. Outlining or embedding keeps the layout intact.
Does Grapxo guarantee a CMYK or spot file?
No, there is no guarantee. Grapxo produces a dieline, a layered vector surface and a CMYK (FOGRA39) PDF/X-4 print file; spot matching and colour approval sit with the printer.
Start producing in the studio
Write your brief and let Grapxo produce a print-ready vector surface.