General Knowledge
A die-line serves as a blueprint that ensures the correct layout for artwork designs on your packaging. It is essential to the cutting and creasing process as it gives our machines the appropriate information to precisely cut and fold areas of your packaging.
Die-lines play a crucial role in the production process of your packaging as it is the only acceptable format recognized by printers and die-cutting machines for manufacturing.
Die-lines includes information such as;
– Fold lines – lines that indicate where your packaging should be folded to construct your packaging.
– Cut lines – lines that indicate where the die-cutting machine should cut to create your packaging
– Bleed lines – lines that mark excess space to account for any movement of the substrate during printing.
– Safety lines – lines that communicate to the printer to establish where important elements (such as logos and artwork) will be present on your packaging.
At TSTINNOPRINTR an additional process refers to a special finishing that can be applied to your packaging. Additional processes are all subject to additional fees.
Some of our additional processes include:
– Window patching
– Embossing / debossing
– Foil stamping
– Spot UV
– Special die-cut
-Pantone printing
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black and is the color space commonly used within the printing industry.
Before your packaging is sent to our manufacturing facilities for print, it is important that your artwork on our die-lines are all in CMYK.
Not converting your artwork properly to CMYK color mode will result in inaccurate color output since the printing press can only operate using CMYK colors.
PMS refers to the Pantone Matching System, which is a standardized color matching system that ensures color accuracy to a physical color swatch.
PMS colors are coded through a numbering system (also known as Pantone Colors). These colors are widely used in packaging, print, fashion, graphics, and interior design when brands require a specific color output.
When opting for PMS Colors, keep in mind that additional fees apply.
Digital Print
Digital printed packaging is created using a digital printer to print directly on the material, similar to how a desktop inkjet printer would print on paper (but on a larger scale).
– Lower print quality than offset printing.
– It does not require an additional tooling fee, making it more affordable for smaller quantity orders.
Offset Print
Offset printing uses metal plates to layer color in succession, offering superior image quality and greater cost-efficiency for larger volume production runs.
– Highest print quality.
– Recommended for high quantity orders due to additional tooling/setup fee
Unfortunately, we do not offer color matching services at this time and cannot guarantee the color appearance between on-screens and the final print result.
However, we recommend that all customers go through with our production-grade sample service, which allows you to get a printed physical prototype to check for color output and sizing.
We have four prototyping options available for our customers;
– Digital 3D mockups (included with your free proof)
– Plain (unprinted) prototypes
– Digital-printed prototypes
– Production-grade prototypes
At our current state, we are not able to provide accurate pricing for our prototypes due to each customer’s customizations (type of packaging, size, print, and additional processes).
Pre-press is the stage (or process) in which digital files are prepared for the printing press. Pre-press turnaround times typically vary depending on the complexity of the project.
It can take as fast as several hours or as long as several days.
Please contact your Product Specialist to discuss more accurate pre-press time frames for your project.
Once you have decided to work with TSTINNOPRINT on your custom packaging project, our structural designers will begin to create the custom die-line based on your specifications.
Once your die-line is completed, your Product Specialist will send you your custom die-line!
When designing your artwork, always use the highest resolution images you can. The higher the resolution image you use, the higher quality your print will be!
When using .JPG, .PNG, .TIFF images, ensure that your image quality is at least 200 DPI. However, 300 DPI would produce the best results.
Every order will receive a final artwork proof that displays the final layout. If your images do not meet our recommended threshold of 200 DPI, your Product Specialist will inform you.
If you’re still unsure if your artwork will be printed high-quality, we recommend requesting a production-grade sample before moving forward to mass production.
Not exactly – The colors on your screen may vary from the printed packaging you receive.
This is mainly caused by the different color spaces used for displays/monitors and printers. Displays/monitors utilize the RGB color space while printers operate using CMYK color space. Additionally, printing on different substrates can also cause color variance as well. (Printing on kraft vs. white paper)
To get the exact color, you are looking for, we recommend requesting a production-grade sample to validate the color before moving forward to mass production.
We always provide flat lay and 3D digital proofs to you for approval before moving forward to mass production. By using the 3D digital proof, you would be able to get a general idea of exactly what your packaging will look like after printing and assembly.
If you are ordering a large volume order and are unsure of how the finished product would look like, we suggest requesting a production-grade sample of your packaging to ensure that your packaging is exactly the way you want it before moving to mass production.
Yes, we certainly do!
Other than the box styles we carry in our library, you may request a completely custom structure. Our team of professional structural engineers can make just about anything!
Yes, of course!
When starting an order with us, indicate that you have multiple artworks to work with for the same sized packaging. Our product specialists will further help you organize your order to reflect the multiple artworks you have provided us!
The same goes with multiple artworks for different sized packaging. Just let us know the details and we will help manage your order!
You sure can! We are able to print on one-side (inside or outside) or both sides (inside & outside) of your packaging.
Just specify in your quotation that you need double-sided printing. Our product specialist will help you with the rest!
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