Artwork errors are one of the most common reasons flexible packaging orders get delayed. A missing bleed, an RGB file sent instead of CMYK, un-outlined fonts, or a barcode that fails verification at the production partner can each add days or weeks to a timeline. This checklist covers everything a buyer needs to prepare print-ready artwork before submitting files for a custom pouch, roll stock, or bag project.
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Submit artwork as vector AI, PDF, or EPS in CMYK color mode at 300 dpi or higher, with 3 mm bleed, 5 mm safe zone, all fonts outlined, barcodes verified against GS1 standards, and a clearly marked dieline layer. Confirm the proof approval sequence (digital proof, physical proof, production sample) before the production partner begins plate-making or cylinder engraving.
1. File Format Requirements
The production partner needs vector-based files to produce printing plates or engraved cylinders. Raster artwork (photographs, textures) can be embedded, but the structural elements of the design must remain editable vectors.
- Preferred formats: Adobe Illustrator (.ai), PDF/X-1a, or EPS. These preserve vector paths, layers, and spot color definitions.
- Resolution: All raster elements (photos, gradients, textures) must be 300 dpi or higher at final print size. Images pulled from websites at 72 dpi will appear pixelated on the printed pouch.
- Vector vs. raster: Logos, text, barcodes, and line art should always be vector. Product photos and complex illustrations can be raster at 300 dpi+. A common mistake is placing a low-resolution logo as a JPEG instead of an AI or EPS path.
- Layers: Keep the dieline, artwork, barcode, and text on separate layers. This helps the prepress team isolate elements during plate separation.
- Version: Save to a version compatible with the production partner's prepress software. If unsure, PDF/X-1a is the safest universal exchange format for print.
2. Bleed and Safe Zone
Bleed and safe zone settings prevent critical content from being cut off during converting (the process of cutting, folding, and sealing the printed film into finished pouches).
- Bleed: Extend all background colors, patterns, and images at least 3 mm beyond the trim line on every edge. For some pouch formats, the production partner may request 5 mm bleed.
- Safe zone: Keep all essential content (text, logos, regulatory marks, barcodes) at least 5 mm inside the trim line. On flexible packaging, registration tolerances during lamination and slitting mean the cut position can shift slightly.
- Seal areas: On stand-up pouches, spout pouches, and 3-side seal bags, the heat-seal zones along the edges are hidden after sealing. Do not place important design elements or barcodes in these zones. The dieline template should clearly mark seal widths.
3. Color Mode and Spot Colors
Color setup directly affects print quality and cost. The number of ink colors used in the design determines how many printing plates or cylinders the production partner must prepare.
- CMYK process: Standard four-color process printing (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) is used in both gravure and flexographic printing. Convert all artwork to CMYK before submission. RGB files will be converted by the prepress team, and the resulting color shift may not match your expectations.
- Pantone spot colors: For brand-critical colors, specify Pantone (PMS) references. Spot colors are mixed to an exact formula before printing, giving more consistent results than CMYK simulation. Each spot color adds one printing station (and one plate or cylinder), which adds cost.
- Color count and cost: A typical flexible packaging design uses 4 to 8 colors. More colors mean more cylinders or plates, higher setup cost, and longer changeover time. If budget is tight, consider designing within CMYK plus one or two spot colors.
- White ink: When printing on transparent or metallized film, a white ink layer is usually needed behind the design to make colors opaque and vibrant. White counts as an additional color in the plate/cylinder count.
- Overprint and trapping: Set up trapping (slight overlap between adjacent colors) to prevent white gaps caused by minor registration shifts during printing. The production partner's prepress team can advise on trapping values, but the designer should avoid placing small text or fine lines where two colors meet without overlap.
4. Barcode Specifications
Barcodes that fail to scan at the retailer's checkout cause returns, penalties, and reprint costs. Getting barcode specifications right the first time is critical.
- Format: Use the correct symbology for the target market. EAN-13 is standard in most countries outside North America; UPC-A is standard in the US and Canada. QR codes or Data Matrix codes can be added for traceability or marketing but do not replace the primary retail barcode.
- Placement: Position the barcode on a flat, non-curved panel of the pouch. Avoid placing it across a fold line, seal area, gusset crease, or zipper track. The barcode should be parallel to the base of the pouch for vertical scanning (picket fence orientation) or perpendicular for horizontal scanning (ladder orientation).
- Quiet zone: Maintain the minimum quiet zone (blank space) around the barcode as specified by GS1 standards. For EAN-13, the minimum quiet zone is 11 modules on the left and 7 modules on the right.
- Bar width reduction (BWR): Flexible film printing, especially flexographic, causes dot gain (ink spread). The production partner will apply bar width reduction to compensate, but the designer must supply the barcode at the nominal (unreduced) size. Do not apply your own BWR unless the production partner has given you specific values.
- Color contrast: Dark bars on a light background. Black bars on white or light yellow are safest. Avoid red, orange, or dark blue backgrounds behind bars, as infrared scanners may not read them correctly.
- Verification: Ask the production partner to verify the barcode on the digital proof or film proof using a barcode verifier (ISO/IEC 15416 grading). A grade of C or above is the typical retail requirement.
5. Font Handling
Font problems are among the most frequently encountered artwork issues. If fonts are not properly handled, text can reflow, substitute, or disappear entirely when the file is opened on a different system.
- Outline all fonts: Convert every text element to outlines (curves) before submitting the final artwork file. This eliminates font dependency and ensures the text prints exactly as designed, regardless of which fonts are installed at the prepress workstation.
- Keep an editable copy: Always retain a separate editable version with live text for future revisions. Once outlined, text cannot be spell-checked or easily modified.
- Minimum font size for flexo: Flexographic printing has coarser resolution than gravure. Positive text (dark text on light background) should be at least 6 pt; reversed text (light text on dark background) should be at least 8 pt, and preferably in a bold weight. Very thin strokes may fill in or break up.
- Minimum font size for gravure: Gravure can reproduce finer detail. Positive text can go as small as 4 pt; reversed text should be at least 6 pt. However, smaller text in multiple colors risks misregistration, so keep small text in a single color whenever possible.
- Regulatory text: Ingredient lists, nutritional panels, and regulatory text often have legally mandated minimum font sizes (for example, FDA requires a minimum type size based on the principal display panel area). Confirm your market's requirements before finalizing text sizing.
6. Dieline and Structural Layout
The dieline is the structural blueprint of the pouch. It defines where the film will be cut, folded, and sealed, and where each panel of the design appears on the finished package.
- Request the dieline from the production partner: Do not draw your own dieline. The production partner will supply a dieline template based on the confirmed pouch dimensions, format (stand-up pouch, 3-side seal, flat bottom, spout pouch, etc.), and material structure. Design your artwork within this template.
- Fold lines: Clearly marked fold lines show where the film folds to create the front, back, gussets, and bottom of the pouch. Ensure design elements align correctly across folds.
- Seal areas: Heat-seal zones are typically 5-10 mm wide along each edge. Content in these areas will be hidden or damaged by the sealing process.
- Registration marks: The production partner will add registration marks, color bars, and eye marks for the converting equipment. Leave space outside the bleed area for these marks; do not add your own unless requested.
- Repeat layout: For roll stock film, multiple pouch repeats are printed across the web width. The production partner handles the step-and-repeat layout. The buyer submits artwork for a single repeat unit.
- Zipper, valve, spout, and hang-hole positions: If the pouch includes a zipper track, degassing valve, spout fitment, or hang hole, these positions must be marked on the dieline. Do not place critical design elements where a die-cut or fitment will obscure them.
7. Proof Approval Process
Proof approval is the buyer's last checkpoint before production. Skipping a proof stage to save time often results in costly reprints.
- Digital proof (soft proof): A PDF or printed color proof generated from the separated artwork files. Use it to check layout, text accuracy, barcode placement, and overall design intent. Colors on screen or from an office printer will not exactly match the final print on film, but obvious errors should be caught here.
- Physical proof (hard proof / press proof / gravure proof): A proof printed on the actual production substrate using the actual inks. This is the most accurate color reference. For gravure, this may be a proof pulled from the engraved cylinders. For flexo, it may be a proof from the plates mounted on a proofing press. Approve colors, registration, text clarity, and barcode readability at this stage.
- Production sample: The first pouches off the production run, converted and sealed. Check the finished pouch for seal strength, dimension accuracy, zipper function, print alignment across folds, and overall appearance. Many production partners will ship a small quantity of production samples for buyer approval before releasing the full order.
Each stage requires formal written approval (typically an email confirmation or a signed proof sheet) before the production partner proceeds. Changes after cylinder engraving or plate-making incur additional tooling costs.
Gravure vs. Flexo vs. Digital: Artwork Requirements Compared
Different printing methods have different prepress requirements. The table below summarizes key differences buyers should be aware of when preparing artwork.
| Requirement | Gravure | Flexographic | Digital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical file format | AI / PDF / EPS with separated layers | AI / PDF / EPS with separated layers | PDF/X-1a or high-res PDF; some accept TIFF |
| Resolution | 300 dpi minimum (400 dpi preferred) | 300 dpi minimum | 300 dpi minimum |
| Minimum text size (positive) | 4 pt | 6 pt | 4 pt |
| Minimum text size (reversed) | 6 pt (single color preferred) | 8 pt (bold weight preferred) | 5 pt |
| Line width minimum | 0.1 mm positive / 0.15 mm reversed | 0.2 mm positive / 0.3 mm reversed | 0.1 mm |
| Typical color count | Up to 10+ (one cylinder per color) | Up to 8 (one plate per color) | CMYK process; project setup and proofing costs may still apply |
| Spot color support | Yes (common and cost-effective at volume) | Yes (each spot adds a plate) | Limited (simulated from CMYK in most systems) |
| Barcode BWR needed | Yes (production partner applies) | Yes (higher dot gain, more reduction) | Usually not required |
| Tooling lead time | 7-14 days for cylinder engraving | 5-10 days for plate-making | No conventional print cylinders or photopolymer plates; setup and proofing are still reviewed |
| Best suited for | High-volume runs, photographic quality, fine detail | Medium-to-high volume, solid colors, cost-effective for simpler designs | Short runs, prototyping, variable data, fast turnaround |
8. Common Mistakes That Delay Production
These errors are seen repeatedly across packaging projects. Each one can add days to the timeline and sometimes require new plates or cylinders at the buyer's cost.
- Wrong color mode: Submitting artwork in RGB instead of CMYK. The prepress team will convert it, but the color shift (especially in blues and greens) may not match the designer's intent. Always convert to CMYK and review the result before submitting.
- Missing or insufficient bleed: Background colors or images that stop at the trim line. When the cut position shifts even slightly, a white edge appears on the finished pouch. Extend all backgrounds 3 mm beyond the trim line.
- Un-outlined fonts: Fonts not converted to outlines will substitute or disappear if the prepress workstation does not have the same font installed. The production partner may not notice the substitution until the proof stage, causing a cycle of revision.
- Wrong barcode format or size: Using a UPC-A when the target market requires EAN-13, or scaling the barcode below minimum dimensions. Both cause scan failures at retail.
- Designing without the dieline: Drawing artwork to assumed dimensions without the production partner's dieline template. The result almost always requires repositioning of text, barcodes, and graphics to avoid seal areas, fold lines, and fitment positions.
- Low-resolution images: Placing 72 dpi web images or compressed JPEGs into the print file. These appear acceptable on screen but will print blurry or pixelated.
- Too many colors for the budget: Designing with 9 or 10 colors when the project budget supports 4 or 5. Each additional color adds a plate or cylinder. Discuss the color count with the production partner before design begins.
- Skipping the physical proof: Approving only a digital proof and going straight to production. Screen colors do not match printed colors on film. The physical proof is the only reliable color reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What file format should I send for flexible packaging artwork?
Send vector files in Adobe Illustrator (.ai), PDF/X-1a, or EPS format. All raster elements (photos, textures) should be 300 dpi or higher at final print size. Keep the dieline, artwork, text, and barcodes on separate layers. Avoid sending finished artwork as JPEG, PNG, or Word documents.
How much bleed do I need for a custom pouch?
Standard bleed for flexible packaging is 3 mm on all edges, though some production partners request 5 mm. Keep all critical content (text, logos, barcodes) at least 5 mm inside the trim line as a safe zone. The production partner's dieline template will indicate the exact bleed and safe zone for your pouch format.
Should I use CMYK or Pantone colors?
Use CMYK as the base color mode. Add Pantone spot colors for brand-critical colors that must match exactly across production runs. Each spot color adds a printing plate or cylinder and increases cost, so limit spot colors to two or three for the most important brand elements. All artwork should be converted from RGB to CMYK before submission.
Can I draw my own dieline for the pouch?
No. Always request the dieline template from the production partner. Dieline dimensions depend on the confirmed pouch format, material structure, seal widths, and converting equipment tolerances. Designing to a self-drawn dieline almost always requires repositioning elements later, which costs time and may require new proofs.
What is bar width reduction and do I need to apply it?
Bar width reduction (BWR) compensates for ink spread (dot gain) during printing on flexible film. Flexographic printing has more dot gain than gravure, so it needs more reduction. Do not apply BWR yourself unless the production partner gives you specific values. Submit the barcode at nominal size and let the prepress team apply the correct reduction for the printing method and substrate.
How long does the proof approval process take?
A typical timeline is 2-3 days for the digital proof, 7-14 days for the physical proof (including cylinder engraving or plate-making for gravure/flexo), and 3-5 days for production samples. Each stage requires the buyer's formal written approval before the production partner proceeds. Delays in approval at any stage extend the overall production timeline by the same number of days.