Checklist
Packaging proof checklist
Packaging has less room for error than a flat page. The dieline, the copy, the colour and the material all affect the final product. This checklist covers the proof a client should approve and the production file the printer should receive.
Structure and copy
- Dieline
Use the printer's current dieline and confirm the version. Check the folds, the glue areas, the bleed and the safe area for every panel.
- Panel order
Check the front, back, sides and any inner panels in the order the consumer will see them. A panel that reads correctly flat can be upside down when folded.
- Mandatory copy
Check the legal name, the ingredients, the weight, the warnings, the barcode and the country of origin against the client's approved copy.
- Barcode and symbols
Check the barcode size, the quiet zone and the resolution. Confirm the recycling and certification marks are the current versions.
Colour and material
- Colour build
Confirm the brand colours, the spot colours and the overprint settings with the printer. A brand colour on uncoated stock will not match the same colour on coated stock.
- Material
Name the substrate, the thickness and the finish on the proof. The client is approving the material, not only the artwork.
- Mockup
Make a physical or a realistic digital mockup and check the folds, the text flow and the visual weight. A flat proof hides the structure.
- Production marks
Keep the dieline, the colour bars and the printer marks on a separate layer or a separate file, not on the client-facing proof.
Approval and release
- Proof pack
Send the client the flat artwork, the mockup, the dieline and the material specification together. The approval should name all four.
- Approver
Confirm who signs off the packaging: brand, regulatory, product or a combination. Get the sign-off from each required function.
- Record
Keep the approved proof, the dieline version, the material and the date. A packaging dispute often turns on which dieline was used.
- Release
Send the printer the production file that matches the approved proof. A change after approval needs a new proof and a new sign-off.
Questions
Who approves packaging artwork?
Usually the brand owner, with regulatory or legal approval for mandatory copy. The studio should confirm the required approvers before the proof is sent.
Does a digital mockup replace a physical sample?
No. A digital mockup is useful for structure and visual direction, but a physical sample is the reliable check for material, colour and fold.
What is the most expensive packaging mistake?
A wrong dieline or a missing mandatory copy. Both can require a new print run after the packaging is produced.
Sources
Reviewed November 3, 2026. Public pages can change; check the source before relying on a date or a price.