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Artwork Guidelines

Over 20 Years Crafting Rigid

Over 20 Years Crafting Rigid

At Eco Packing Masters, we want every custom box to look exactly as you envisioned. Supplying print-ready artwork helps us produce high-quality packaging with accurate colors, sharp graphics, and a flawless finish.

At Eco Packing Masters, we want every custom box to look exactly as you envisioned. Supplying print-ready artwork helps us produce high-quality packaging with accurate colors, sharp graphics, and a flawless finish.

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Artwork Guidelines Section
Artwork Guidelines

8 Rules for Preparing Artwork Files

When getting your artwork ready, please follow these 8 rules to ensure the best printing results.

Detailed Artwork Guide — FAQs

Detailed Artwork Guide

A step-by-step guide to help you prepare your artwork perfectly.

File Format

To help accommodate as many people as possible, we accept a range of different file formats for submission. These are limited to:

  • PDF (Portable Document Format)
  • AI (Adobe Illustrator)
  • EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)

Graphics and text designs (basically, any non-photographic content) are best submitted as vector-based PDFs, AI, or EPS. This will ensure your lines and text are nice and crisp when printing.

For best results, we recommend using the following preset to preflight your designs: Press Quality.

  1. When your artwork is finalized and ready to be saved, go to the App menu: File > Save As…
  2. With the Save As… window open, set the format to Adobe PDF (pdf).
  3. With the Save Adobe PDF window open, set the Adobe PDF Preset to Press Quality and save.
Tip: Want to speed things up? Use this shortcut once your artwork is finalized —
Mac: Shift + Cmd + S  |  PC: Shift + Ctrl + S

No problem — you can prepare your artwork in any design software that supports exporting to a vector PDF (such as Photoshop, InDesign, Canva, Affinity Designer, or CorelDRAW). Just make sure the final export follows our recommended file specifications: correct dieline, bleed, CMYK color mode, and outlined text.

We recommend keeping your final print-ready file under 50MB whenever possible. Large files usually come from unembedded high-resolution images or unnecessary extra layers — flattening unused layers and compressing images to 300 PPI can help reduce file size without affecting print quality.

Color Profiles

In Adobe Illustrator, go to File > Document Color Mode > CMYK Color. In Photoshop, go to Image > Mode > CMYK Color. This converts your artwork's color space so it matches the inks used in the printing process.

We do not recommend it. Printing presses use CMYK inks, so any artwork submitted in RGB will be automatically converted, which can shift colors — especially bright blues, greens, and oranges. To get an accurate preview of your final colors, always design and submit your files in CMYK.

Black elements — especially small text and fine lines — should be built using 100% K (0/0/0/100) rather than a rich/mixed black. Mixed black uses multiple ink channels which can cause registration issues, resulting in blurry edges or a visible halo around small text.

Text

We recommend a minimum font size of 6pt for bold, sans-serif fonts, and 8pt for thinner or serif fonts. Anything smaller risks becoming blurry or illegible once printed, especially for light-weight typefaces.

In Adobe Illustrator, select all your text, then go to Type > Create Outlines (or use the shortcut Shift + Cmd/Ctrl + O). This converts your text into vector shapes, so the fonts don't need to be embedded and your layout stays exactly as designed on any computer.

Additional Printing

Yes. We support Pantone Matte and Metallic spot colors, as well as Spot UV finishes. These need to be set up as separate spot color swatches in your artwork file, named clearly (e.g. "Spot UV", "PMS 185 C") so our print team can identify and apply them correctly.

Create a dedicated layer for each special finish (Spot UV, foiling, embossing, etc.), fill the artwork area with 100% of that spot color, and name the layer/swatch clearly. Keep this layer separate from your main CMYK artwork layer so it isn't accidentally flattened together.

For products that print on both sides (like folding cartons or boxes), submit your inside print artwork as a separate page or file, matched to the same dieline as your outside artwork. Make sure the orientation lines up correctly once the box is folded.

Dielines

Dieline colors typically follow a standard convention: solid lines mark cut lines, dashed lines mark fold lines, and a different accent color may mark perforation or glue areas. Always check the legend included with your specific dieline template, as conventions can vary slightly by product.

The dieline shape and dimensions should not be altered, since it's built to match the cutting die used in production. If you need a different size or structure, please request a custom dieline rather than resizing the provided template yourself.

No — the dieline layer must stay separate from your artwork layer. Flattening them together makes it impossible for our production team to isolate the cut/fold lines, which can delay your order or cause it to be sent back for correction.

Lines

All strokes and thin lines should be at least 0.25pt (0.5pt for reverse/knockout lines). Thinner lines may not reproduce reliably during printing and can appear broken or disappear entirely.

Images

In Adobe Illustrator, open the Links panel (Window > Links). Select each linked image, then click the panel menu and choose Embed Image. Repeat for every linked file, or select them all at once before embedding.

Select the image, then open the Links panel (Window > Links) and click the small info arrow at the bottom, or double-click the linked file. This shows the resolution, color mode, and file format of the selected image.

Check the image's effective resolution in the Links panel info (not just its original resolution — resolution drops as you scale an image up). For print, effective resolution should be 300 PPI at the final printed size.

Open the Links panel info for the image, or open the file directly in Photoshop and check Image > Mode. If it shows RGB, convert it to CMYK before placing it back into your artwork file.

Graphics

Whenever possible, prepare logos, icons, and text-based graphics as vector shapes rather than raster images. Vectors scale to any size without losing quality, keeping edges and lines crisp when printed. Reserve raster (image) files for photographs only.

Check the image's effective resolution in the Links panel (Window > Links) — this accounts for any scaling applied inside your document. For sharp printed results, aim for 300 PPI at the final printed size.