For artwork, open the dieline as a vector PDF or an Illustrator file, and send a print-ready PDF back. SVG is the easiest way to open a dieline in design apps other than Illustrator, and DXF is for CAD software, sample tables and cutting plotters rather than for artwork.
The four formats compared
| Format | What it is | Use it for | Opens in |
|---|---|---|---|
| A vector file that keeps lines sharp at any size | Placing artwork and sending print files | Illustrator, Affinity Designer, Acrobat and most design apps | |
| AI | Adobe Illustrator’s own format | Designers working in Illustrator who want every layer kept as it was | Illustrator |
| SVG | An open vector format used across the web | Designers using Figma, Inkscape or Affinity | Most design apps and any browser |
| DXF | A CAD drawing exchange format | Structural design, sample cutting tables and plotter cutters | CAD and cutting table software |
A vector PDF is the working format for most packaging jobs. It opens directly in Illustrator with the lines intact, it is what most printers want back, and it keeps the dieline and the artwork on separate layers if you set them up that way.
AI
An .ai file is only needed if you want to keep working in Illustrator’s own format. Illustrator opens a PDF or SVG dieline directly and can save it as .ai, so on our templates the PDF is the file to start from.
SVG
SVG is the friendliest format if you do not use Illustrator. Figma, Inkscape and Affinity all open it, and you can check the layout in a browser before you open any software at all.
DXF
DXF is for machines and structural designers, not for artwork. It is the format sample tables and plotter cutters read, which makes it the file to use if you want to cut a plain sample yourself before printing. Our DXF files keep cut and crease lines on separate layers and are drawn at full size in inches.
What to send back to the printer
- A PDF with your artwork placed on the dieline, and the dieline on its own named, non-printing layer
- Fonts outlined or embedded
- Images embedded at full print resolution, not screen resolution
- Colors set as CMYK, or as named Pantone spot colors where you need an exact match
- Nothing important sitting in the bleed or across a fold
Our print-ready artwork guide goes through each of these in more detail.
A JPG or PNG is not a dieline
A picture of a dieline is fine for looking at, but it cannot be used to cut board or to line artwork up precisely. If a supplier sends one, ask for the vector file.
Send the inside dimensions and the box style, and a specialist replies within one business day. Free design help and no minimum order.
Request a dieline