How to read a tuck-end dieline
A tuck-end dieline is the flat map of a folding carton: solid lines are cuts, dashed lines are folds, and every rectangle becomes one face of the box. Once you can name the panels and the flaps, you can check that your artwork sits on the right faces and that nothing important is lost in a fold. Printers draw the lines in different colours, so read the legend on the file you were given.
What a tuck-end box is
A tuck-end carton is cut from a single piece of paperboard, glued along one edge and closed at both ends by flaps that tuck into the box. It is the most common folding carton for cosmetics, supplements, food and small retail products. The two usual variants differ only in where the tuck flaps hinge.
| Style | Where the tuck flaps hinge | What it means in use |
|---|---|---|
| Straight tuck end | Both tuck flaps are attached to the same panel | Both ends open in the same direction |
| Reverse tuck end | The two tuck flaps are attached to opposite panels | The ends open in opposite directions |
- Straight tuck end
- Where the tuck flaps hingeBoth tuck flaps are attached to the same panel
- What it means in useBoth ends open in the same direction
- Reverse tuck end
- Where the tuck flaps hingeThe two tuck flaps are attached to opposite panels
- What it means in useThe ends open in opposite directions
Grapxo draws both from the brief; see box design for the full list of structures.
Cut, crease, bleed and glue lines
Every line on the sheet has one job. In Grapxo files each job has its own layer, so a printer can switch one on and another off.
| Line | How Grapxo draws it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cut | Solid line, CUT layer | Where the knife travels |
| Crease | Dashed line, CREASE layer | Where the board folds without being cut |
| Perforation | PERF layer | A line of small cuts, for a tear strip; not every box has one |
| Glue area | Hatched area | Where adhesive lands; no artwork is printed here |
| Bleed | Outside the cut line | Artwork that runs past the cut, so a small shift leaves no white edge |
| Safe area | Inside the cut and the folds | Where type and logos stay |
- Cut
- How Grapxo draws itSolid line, CUT layer
- What it meansWhere the knife travels
- Crease
- How Grapxo draws itDashed line, CREASE layer
- What it meansWhere the board folds without being cut
- Perforation
- How Grapxo draws itPERF layer
- What it meansA line of small cuts, for a tear strip; not every box has one
- Glue area
- How Grapxo draws itHatched area
- What it meansWhere adhesive lands; no artwork is printed here
- Bleed
- How Grapxo draws itOutside the cut line
- What it meansArtwork that runs past the cut, so a small shift leaves no white edge
- Safe area
- How Grapxo draws itInside the cut and the folds
- What it meansWhere type and logos stay
There is no single colour standard for dielines. Always read the legend of the file you were given. More on the three margins: bleed and safe zone.
The panels, one by one
On a box with length L, width W and height H, the sheet breaks down like this.
- Front and back panels measure L × H. The front carries the brand and the product name; the back usually holds the information block and the barcode.
- Side panels measure W × H. They are the narrow faces, often used for the variant name or a short benefit line.
- Tuck flap. The long flap at each end that slides into the box to close it. It is about L × W.
- Dust flaps. The two small flaps beside each tuck flap. They fold in first and close the gaps at the end of the box.
- Glue flap. A narrow strip on one side edge. It is glued to the opposite panel at the factory to make the tube. Nothing is printed on it.
The glossary entry for the glue flap has a short definition you can pass on to a colleague.
Where the artwork goes, and what stays clear
The artwork is laid over the panels, never over the structural lines.
- Keep type, logos and the barcode inside the safe area of their own panel, and off every crease.
- Keep the glue area free of artwork. Adhesive holds best on bare board, and your printer will tell you if the zone must also stay free of varnish.
- Where a graphic wraps from one panel to the next, it has to continue across the crease at exactly the same height.
- On the flat sheet some panels sit rotated. Read each panel the way it will read on the folded box, not the way it sits on the screen.
Reading a tuck-end dieline in five steps
- Name the structure. Straight or reverse tuck end? The table above shows how to tell from where the tuck flaps hinge.
- Find the front panel. It carries the brand and the product name; it is the face you want the customer to see first.
- Identify the side panels and the back. The sides are the narrow W × H panels; the back usually holds the information block and the barcode.
- Check the flaps and the glue flap. Each end has one tuck flap and two dust flaps, and one narrow glue flap sits on a side edge.
- Check the artwork orientation. Look at each panel on the proof and confirm it reads the right way up once the box is folded.
Asking for a tuck-end box in a Grapxo brief
Name the carton style, give the length, width and height in millimetres, and the engine draws the dieline and the print surface together, in one coordinate frame. Your printer’s own die can differ in the width of the glue flap or the depth of the tuck, so confirm the final dieline with them before anything is printed. Questions: info@grapxo.com.
Frequently asked questions
Does every tuck-end box look the same?
The basic logic is the same, but size, grain direction, glue-flap width and tuck depth vary from die to die.
What is the difference between a straight and a reverse tuck end?
In a straight tuck end both tuck flaps are attached to the same panel, so both ends open the same way. In a reverse tuck end they are attached to opposite panels, so the ends open in opposite directions.
What are dust flaps?
The two small flaps beside each tuck flap. They fold in first and close the gaps at the end of the box.
Where does the copy sit on a dieline?
On the printable panel faces, inside the safe area. Never on the cut lines, the creases or the glue area.
Does Grapxo draw tuck-end boxes?
Yes. Straight and reverse tuck-end cartons are drawn from the brief, with the dieline and the print surface together. The printer confirms the final die.
Start producing in the studio
Write your brief and let Grapxo produce a print-ready vector surface.