In this article, you’ll find the guidelines you should follow to create a correct graphic file and generate a real-time 3D preview on Packly. We strongly advise you to follow these guidelines closely to avoid issues with the online preview and/or the final print results.
Jump to the sections Printing with Packly: best practices and Embellishment.
3D PREVIEW
 | Do not change the page size nor the die-cut template |
 | Pantone® or spot colors must be converted to CMYK for a correct 3D preview |
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Printing with Packly: Best practices
 | Packly dieline – The die-cut template must remain unchanged – Do not move nor delete any line – Main path colors: Bleed, Cut, Crease |
 | Safe margins You should keep important elements of your artwork at least 3mm away from any side edges |
 | Bleeds – Bleeds are required in all artworks with an image or a background color extending to one of the borders and should reach the green Bleed path which is placed 3mm over the blue cut edge. This is necessary to avoid white threads along the product edges |
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 | Layers Delete all layers that are either invisible or contain elements you do not want to be printed |
 | Image resolution – Images should have a min 250 – max 300 ppi resolution – Bitmaps should have a min 600 – max 1200 ppi resolution |
 | Colours – Use CMYK combination for all your colors – Images in RGB and Pantone® colours will be automatically converted. To achieve greater control over the convertion, you should only use spot or Pantone® colors that are already converted to CMYK based on the standards of your libraries of choice |
 | Lines The lines in your artwork should be at least 0.3pt (0.1mm) thick |
 | Rich black For black backrounds or large black elements, we suggest this recipe: C=40% M=30% Y=0% K=100% |
 | Text Keep text at 3pt (4px) at least |
 | Black text For black text only, use 100% K |
 | Gray background To create a neutral and even gray backround, use a desired percentage of only black (K) I.e. C=0% M=0% Y=0% K=50% |
 | File saving – Please keep the downloaded Packly die-cut template in your file without altering its original colors – Keep your artwork and the downloaded Packly die-cut template on two separate layers – Save your file in CMYK mode – Save the file as Adobe® PDF preset “high quality” |
Embellishment
 | Gold – Use a spot color named Raised-Gold-Foil – Use it at 100% of coverage – Choose from “Attribute” > Overprint |
 | Silver – Use a spot color named denominato Raised-Silver-Foil – Use it at 100% of coverage – Choose from “Attribute” > Overprint |
 | Spot varnish – Use a spot color named Raised-Spot-Varnish – Use it at 100% of coverage – Choose from “Attribute” > Overprint |
 | Line thickness and distance between elements – Use lines that are at least 1pt thick (0,35mm) – Leave at least a 1pt (0,35mm) gap between elements |
 | Text – The minimum font size is 10pt (about 1.7 mm based on the height of the lowercase “x”) |
 | Embellishment layer – Delete elements with layers you do not want to be printed |
 | Safe margins – The safety distance between the embellished area, cutting and folding lines is 3 mm. This minimum distance ensures that the finishing is not damaged during the cutting or folding process |
 | Overprint – All the objects must be set to 100% coverage and “overprint” |
 | Suggestions – Avoid graphic effects (shadows, gradients, glare, etc.) – Avoid transparencies, color grids, shades and tones, etc. – Avoid overlapping between two or more graphic elements with different finishing |
 | File saving – Keep artwork, embellishment and dieline on three different layers. – CMYK mode – Save the file as Adobe PDF preset “high quality” |
Video tutorial
Check the video below to get further tips on how to apply embellishments to your Packly box. We’ll explain step by step how to add special finishes, such as metallic silver, gold foil and spot varnish.
Don’t forget to visit our YouTube channel to find even more useful resources and tutorials on how to design your own custom packaging.
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