Dielines and proofs are essential steps in packaging prepress. Prepress is all the stuff that happens to prepare your digital designs for the physical world. On this episode, Jesse covers what Dielines and Proofs are, how they work, and some tips and tricks to prevent common prepress mishaps.
DIELINES — The goal of dielines and proofs is to prepare designs for the exact capabilities and machinery of the machines in manufacturing. It starts with a dieline. A dieline is a digital layout of your packaging, laid out flat. It accounts for folds, cuts, bleed, and any 3D aspects that your design needs to account for.
PROOFS — Next comes the proof. Typically, the proof is digital and it looks like your dieline except it may have notes or changes from your manufacturer to ensure your design is perfected for manufacturing. Your packaging proof is an agreement between you and your manufacturer on the precise expectations of your project so look it over thoroughly and if you have questions, ask ASAP because every day you wait to approve your proof is a day added to your production timeline.
