What Is A Dieline?

As a society, we try to teach our kids not to judge a book by its cover. The point of this lesson is to learn the content of a person’s character and to not form an opinion of them based on the visual impression you get from a distance. This lesson does not translate into the world of marketing, however, because most of our purchasing decisions are rooted at a subconscious level where quality and craftsmanship play a huge role in our decision making.

As more and more products flood the market, package design has become an increasingly popular trend. For one, the printing industry has the technology, such as the Artios CAD 2D & 3D software, that can take nearly any design imaginable and bring it to life for a client to see and review. This can all be done with speed and efficiency that makes for lower cost and better output. Because of these realities, more companies and designers are using to gain the attention of those they are marketing to.

Why You Need a Dieline

A dieline is a template used in print production to show where a printed piece will be cut, folded, perforated, or glued. It ensures your final product is accurate and production-ready.

A dieline is usually a separate layer in an art file or PDF that is made up of solid, dashed and dotted lines, as well as colors and shaded areas. This layer is mostly used to represent where the printed piece is to be cut, perfed (perforated), folded or glued. The dieline is what will be used in the die cutting process.

Dieline Terminology:

• Cuts
• Folds
• Perfs (Perforations)
• Knock Outs
• Glue Tabs
• Gussets
• Scores

Common Designs that are Die Cut:

• Packaging
• Envelopes
• Pocket Folders
• Brochures

A common scenario is a marketing director will hand a package to a designer and say, “I want you to recreate that exact package but with our brand and product on it.” A designer can then take the package and deconstruct it. For example, if I took apart a cereal box and laid it out flat I would essentially be looking at the dieline. I would see the outline of the cut, the folds, and scores where the glue tabs are and so on.

A recent piece we created at Wallace Carlson made great use of our Artios CAD 2D & 3D software. We were able to take a flat art file that included the dieline layer and artwork, and transform it into a 3D visualization on-screen. This pre-press process allowed us to identify adjustments before printing, saving time and improving final quality.

The Dieline Layer

The Dieline Layer + The Art Layer

The Final Product

Whether you’re designing complex retail packaging or adding a simple die-cut shape to a wedding invite, a properly constructed dieline is non-negotiable. For the best results, work with your commercial print partner early in the design process—especially if your project involves folding, trimming, or specialty finishes.