How to send an SVG dieline to your printer
Most printers do not want an SVG on its own. They want the dieline and the artwork together, in a format their prepress software opens, at true size, with cut and crease kept apart from the print graphics. This page shows what goes into the hand-over pack, how to name the layers, and what to ask before you press send.
Will your printer accept SVG?
SVG is an open vector format. It opens in Illustrator, Affinity, Inkscape and any browser, which makes it a good editable source and a quick way to show a dieline. Print shops, though, usually work from PDF for the artwork, and die-making and cutting-table software often takes DXF. Ask before you send, and keep the SVG as your source.
| Format | What it carries | Where it is usually used |
|---|---|---|
| SVG | Vector lines and shapes, usually RGB colour | Editable source, quick review; some printers accept it |
| Vector artwork with fonts outlined or embedded; CMYK is possible (PDF/X-4 for print) | The artwork file most printers ask for | |
| DXF | Lines only: no colour, no artwork | Die making and cutting tables |
- SVG
- What it carriesVector lines and shapes, usually RGB colour
- Where it is usually usedEditable source, quick review; some printers accept it
- What it carriesVector artwork with fonts outlined or embedded; CMYK is possible (PDF/X-4 for print)
- Where it is usually usedThe artwork file most printers ask for
- DXF
- What it carriesLines only: no colour, no artwork
- Where it is usually usedDie making and cutting tables
A Grapxo carton bundle holds the knife drawing as SVG and DXF, the structure drawing as SVG and PDF, a proof SVG with the artwork laid over the knife, the printed face as SVG, and a CMYK PDF/X-4 print file (FOGRA39, type outlined). If your printer insists on an AI file, open the PDF or SVG in Illustrator, save it as AI, and check the layers and the scale afterwards.
What goes into the hand-over pack
Think of the pack as the answer to every question the printer would otherwise have to email you.
The pack
- Dieline file. Vector, at true size in millimetres, with a single cut path and the crease and perforation on their own layers.
- Artwork file. The print PDF, with type outlined and images embedded.
- Proof. A file or picture showing the artwork laid over the dieline, so nobody has to guess which panel is which.
- Spec note. Closed size (length × width × height in mm), board and weight, finish, quantity, any spot colours, and a person to ask.
- File list. What is in the pack, so a missing file is noticed on day one.
In a Grapxo bundle the readme lists the contents, the closed size, the bleed and the colour space, so the file list is already written.
Layers, lines and units
Three things decide whether a dieline file is usable at the plant.
- Layers. Cut, crease and perforation are separate layers, apart from the artwork. In Grapxo files they are named CUT, CREASE and PERF. Some plants ask for the dieline as one named spot colour set to overprint instead; tell them what you have and let them say.
- Lines. Keep the dieline as clean vector lines with a real weight. Do not trace it, flatten it into an image, or merge cut and fold into one path.
- Units. Millimetres at 100% scale. A pixel-based or unitless SVG can open at the wrong size, so measure one panel against your brief after exporting.
The mistakes printers send back most often are collected in seven SVG dieline mistakes, and the layered vector output checklist shows how to name the layers.
Five steps to hand the file over
- Lock the size and structure. Put the box style and the millimetres in the brief, so every panel fits the dieline.
- Generate in the studio. Grapxo draws the vector surface and the dieline together, in one coordinate frame, so the artwork and the knife line up.
- Read the studio checks. Fix anything the studio flags before a download opens.
- Export the bundle. Download the files and package them the way your printer asked.
- Confirm with the printer. Cut, crease, board and colour are signed off at the plant, not in the file.
Five questions to ask before you send
- Which format do you want for the dieline, and which for the artwork?
- Which colour space and profile do you print in, and is any colour a spot ink?
- How much bleed do you need, and how far must type stay from the cut?
- Which board and which grain direction does the job run on?
- How do you proof: a digital proof, a white sample or a printed sample?
The packaging preflight checklist covers what to check on your side, and questions to ask a packaging printer goes deeper. Questions about a Grapxo file: info@grapxo.com.
Frequently asked questions
Is an SVG alone enough?
Usually not. The printer also needs the artwork, the unit, cut and crease kept apart, and a note on the material. Ask which formats they prefer and send those.
Does Grapxo upload files to the printer?
No. The studio produces the files; you send them to your printer and agree the proof with them.
What if my printer wants a PDF?
Many do. The Grapxo bundle already includes PDFs, and the SVG stays as your editable source.
Is DXF the same as SVG?
No. DXF carries lines only, with no colour and no artwork. Die makers and cutting tables use it; printers use a PDF for the print artwork.
Which colour space is the file in?
Grapxo’s SVG files are RGB, which is screen colour. The print PDF in the bundle is CMYK (FOGRA39, PDF/X-4). Ask your printer which one they want.
Start producing in the studio
Write your brief and let Grapxo produce a print-ready vector surface.