Layered vector output checklist (SVG / PDF)
When cut, crease, bleed, artwork and finishes share one plane, printers send the file back. Layers are how you talk to the plant: each job gets its own, named so that nobody has to guess. This page lists the layers a packaging file needs, how to name them, and what to check before you hand the file over.
Why layers?
Mix cut with artwork and the knife can run through the logo. Mix foil with CMYK and the registration drifts. Put the fold line on the print layer and it prints. Separating the jobs lets the printer switch a layer off, move it, or send it to a different machine, without redrawing anything.
The layers a packaging file needs
Names differ from plant to plant, so ask for theirs. The jobs below do not.
| Layer | What it holds | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cut | The knife path | One closed path. Grapxo names it CUT. |
| Crease | Fold lines | Kept apart from the cut. Grapxo names it CREASE. |
| Perforation | Tear lines and perforated cuts | Only when the box has one. Grapxo names it PERF. |
| Bleed and safe guides | Margin guides | Reference lines for checking. Keep them off the print face. |
| Artwork | The printed face | Fonts outlined, images embedded. |
| Finishes | Foil, emboss and spot varnish | Each finish on its own layer, because each runs as its own pass. |
- Cut
- What it holdsThe knife path
- NotesOne closed path. Grapxo names it CUT.
- Crease
- What it holdsFold lines
- NotesKept apart from the cut. Grapxo names it CREASE.
- Perforation
- What it holdsTear lines and perforated cuts
- NotesOnly when the box has one. Grapxo names it PERF.
- Bleed and safe guides
- What it holdsMargin guides
- NotesReference lines for checking. Keep them off the print face.
- Artwork
- What it holdsThe printed face
- NotesFonts outlined, images embedded.
- Finishes
- What it holdsFoil, emboss and spot varnish
- NotesEach finish on its own layer, because each runs as its own pass.
Foil, emboss and spot varnish are delivered as separate effect layers in a Grapxo bundle. The finishes are explained on hot foil, emboss and spot UV.
Naming the layers
Use plain, consistent names such as cut, crease, bleed, artwork and varnish or foil. If your printer has a preferred naming scheme, put it in the brief and use it. Grapxo does not impose one universal schema, and the printer’s specification wins.
Where layered files go wrong
A file can look layered in your design program and still arrive as one flat plane. Check the exported file, not the project.
- Layers lost on export. Some PDF presets, such as the older PDF/X-1a, do not keep layers. Open the exported file and confirm they survived.
- Names that say nothing. A layer called “Layer 1” tells nobody what it holds. Name each layer for its job.
- Hidden is not deleted. A layer you switched off still travels in the file. Remove what you do not want the printer to see.
- A cut path in pieces. A cut made of many open segments may not close. Join it into one closed path.
- Lost names in conversion. In SVG a layer is a named group; in PDF it is an optional-content layer. Check that the names survive when you convert from one to the other.
Check before you hand the file over
Pre-handoff
- Fonts are outlined, or embedded and confirmed with the printer.
- Cut and crease are on their own layers, and there is exactly one cut path.
- Each spot colour, and any white ink, sits on its own channel.
- The dieline is locked, so nobody nudges it by accident.
- No low-resolution raster images sit on the print face.
- The file is the format the printer asked for, SVG or PDF, with the layers still separate.
If the printer wants a PDF, keep the SVG as your editable source. The steps are on how to send an SVG dieline to your printer, and the other checks are on the packaging preflight checklist.
Next step in Grapxo
Open the studio from the print-ready dieline page. The seven SVG dieline mistakes and the bleed and safe zone pages are good companions. Questions: info@grapxo.com.
Frequently asked questions
SVG or PDF?
Whichever the printer asks for. Both need the layers kept apart. Keep the SVG as the editable source.
Can art and cut share one layer?
No. Keep the cut and the artwork apart, or the knife line can print and the artwork can be cut.
Which layer names does Grapxo use?
CUT, CREASE and PERF for the structural lines. If your printer wants other names, put them in the brief; the printer’s specification wins.
Why do finishes get their own layer?
Foil, emboss and spot varnish each run as a separate pass on a different tool. A separate layer lets the printer prepare each pass without redrawing.
Start producing in the studio
Write your brief and let Grapxo produce a print-ready vector surface.