PDF

What it means in packaging

For packaging, a PDF may contain artwork, a technical dieline, or both. The file extension does not prove that fonts, colour, bleed or separations meet a printer’s requirements. A flattened proof and an editable production file serve different purposes.

A practical example

A review PDF shows dimensions for approval, while a print PDF carries artwork and separately identifiable technical lines.

What to check

Use the printer’s requested output specification and preflight the delivered file at actual size.

Use it in your project

• Print checks and production exports
• Check a supplier file

Related terms

Spot colour

A spot colour is a named colour separation handled independently from process colour channels in a print file.

Bleed

Bleed is artwork extended beyond the intended cut boundary so small cutting variations do not expose an unprinted edge.

Packaging proof

A packaging proof is a review version used to check a defined aspect of a design before production.