title: Packaging design (boxes, labels, dielines) applies_to: [print, packaging, label, dieline] version: 1.0.0 last_updated: 2026-05 stability: stable

Packaging¶

Packaging is the most physically intimate brand surface. Customers hold it, open it, sometimes keep it. Get it right and it becomes a brand asset; get it wrong and it's instant garbage.

Read print-fundamentals.md first.

Categories¶

Type	Use
Folding cartons	Cosmetics, electronics, food, supplements
Rigid / setup boxes	Premium products (luxury, gifts)
Corrugated mailers	Shipping boxes (especially DTC ecommerce)
Pouches / sachets	Food, beauty samples
Labels (peel-and-stick)	Bottles, jars, anything cylindrical
Tags / hangtags	Apparel, accessories
Sleeves / wraps	Coffee cups, tissue, secondary packaging

This file focuses on folding cartons, mailers, and labels — the most common.

Dieline — the single most important file¶

A dieline is a vector template showing where the cardboard will be cut, folded, and glued. It's the printer's instruction sheet.

                ↓ trim line (cut)
    ─────────────────────────────
     │            │            │
     │   Top      │   Right    │   ─── fold line
     │            │            │
     ─────────────────────────────
     │   Left     │   Front    │   Right    │   Back
     │   panel    │   panel    │   panel    │   panel
     │            │            │            │
     ─────────────────────────────
     │            │            │
     │   Bottom   │   (glue tab)             ─── crease + glue
     │            │            │
     ─────────────────────────────

Each line type: - Solid line = cut. - Dashed line = fold (crease). - Dotted line = perforation (tear-away). - Tinted area = glue tab.

Getting a dieline¶

From the printer — most carton printers provide standard dielines for common box sizes. Ask for the dieline for your spec.
From your structural designer — for custom boxes, a structural designer creates the dieline.
DIY — only for very simple boxes. Use Esko ArtiosCAD or Adobe Illustrator with manual measurements. Test with paper mockup before committing.

Working with the dieline¶

Place dieline on its own layer in Illustrator / InDesign.
Don't move it. The cut/fold positions are sacred.
Set dieline layer to non-printing.
Design panels respecting the cut/fold lines + bleed (3-5mm beyond cut).
Critical content stays inside the safe area (5mm inside cut).

Folding carton design¶

Anatomy of a typical carton¶

┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│                                  │
│         FRONT PANEL              │   ← brand-defining; biggest visual
│         (logo + product name +   │
│          hero image / claim)     │
│                                  │
└──────────────────────────────────┘

LEFT  TOP                    RIGHT  BOTTOM  BACK
side  panel  ↓  Fold lines  ↓side   panel  panel
panel (close)              panel    (close) (info)
                                              ▾
                          ┌──────────────────┐
                          │ Ingredients      │
                          │ Manufacturer     │
                          │ Barcode          │
                          │ Net contents     │
                          │ Country of origin│
                          │ ...              │
                          └──────────────────┘

Front panel — brand-defining¶

The most-photographed panel. Carries: - Logo (top, centered or anchored) - Product name (under logo or featured) - Variety / flavor / variant ("Vanilla", "Sensitive Skin", etc.) - Hero image OR illustration OR graphic - Net weight / volume (regulatory + decision-making)

Compose for shelf impact. Test: stand 2m back. Can you read the product name?

Side panels — narrative¶

Often product story, ingredients, or brand voice. Less critical but still designed.

Back panel — regulatory + dense info¶

Most regulatory content lives here: - Ingredients list / 성분 (regulated order, regulated font size) - Manufacturer info (legal requirement) - Net weight / 내용량 - Country of origin / 원산지 - Barcode (with white quiet zone) - Best-before / 유통기한 - Lot number / 제조번호 (printed at fill, not at design) - Caution warnings - Recycling marks - Customer service contact

In Korea: regulatory content is specified by KFDA / KATS depending on category (food, cosmetics, supplements). See korean-print-conventions.md for KR-specific labeling.

Top panel — product preview¶

Often an icon, simplified visual, or short product name. Visible when the box is on a shelf with similar boxes.

Bottom panel — utility¶

Often the barcode + lot/best-before, hidden from primary view.

Labels (bottles, jars, tubes)¶

Categories¶

Front label — primary brand surface
Back label — regulatory info
Neck label — premium accent (wines, premium products)
Top sticker — simple identifier

Material¶

Paper labels — matte / glossy / textured. Cheaper, may water-damage.
Vinyl labels — waterproof; for shower / bathroom products.
Metallic / foil labels — premium look.
Clear (no-label look) — premium minimalism (clear vinyl, transparent print).

Curvature¶

Labels wrap around cylinders. The wrap distorts the design as it bends. Consider: - Center-aligned content wraps cleanly. - Edge content distorts on cylinder seams. - Hero image position: typically front-and-center, not seam.

For tight cylinders (lipstick, small tubes): every angle of the label is visible at once. For large cylinders (water bottle, jar): one face dominates.

Mailer / shipping box¶

For DTC ecommerce:

Element	Use
Outside	Brand visible? Or stealth? Affects packaging cost + brand experience.
Inside print	Premium "unboxing" — branded interior delights customers.
Tape	Branded tape adds polish.
Sticker / seal	"Thank you" sticker on inner package.
Insert card	Welcome / how-to / discount for next purchase.
Tissue / wrap	Premium feel.

Korean DTC trends 2024+: - Inside-printed mailers — outside neutral / branded; inside surprises with bold color or art. - Eco messaging — "100% recycled cardboard" / "Soy-based ink" prominently. - Reusable packaging — packaging that customers keep (premium boxes).

Shipping box specs¶

Standard sizes (mm) — pick based on product: - 200×150×50 — small flat (apparel, books). - 250×200×100 — small cube (cosmetics, accessories). - 300×200×100 — medium flat (most products). - 400×300×200 — medium cube (multi-item orders).

Custom sizes available but expensive at low volume. Use a standard size with internal void fill if possible.

Color in packaging¶

Spot color is more common in packaging than print collateral. Pantone-matched brand color ensures consistency from box to box, run to run.
Foil stamp for premium products (gold, silver, copper, holographic).
Spot UV for tactile contrast (matte box + glossy logo).
Soft-touch lamination — velvety feel; popular in premium beauty.
Reverse-printed clear (printing on the inside of a clear material; design shows through with depth).

Accuracy¶

Packaging colors are brand-defining. The Coca-Cola red on every can has been Pantone-matched for decades.

For brand-critical packaging: 1. Specify exact Pantone (PMS) numbers. 2. Get press proof from each printer / each material. 3. Compare proofs in standardized lighting (D65 daylight standard). 4. Approve in writing.

Substrate / material¶

Cardboard weight (gsm or pt):

Use	Weight
Light folding carton (cosmetics insert)	250-300gsm
Standard folding carton (most products)	300-350gsm
Sturdy folding carton (electronics)	350-400gsm
Premium rigid box (luxury)	1000-1500gsm cardstock + wrap
Corrugated mailer	E-flute (1.5mm) or B-flute (3mm)
Heavy-duty corrugated	C-flute (4mm), B-C double wall

White (SBS — solid bleached sulfate) is the most common board for color-printed cartons. Brown kraft signals natural / eco. Gray-back is cheaper but shows on inside.

Production process¶

Folding carton workflow¶

Spec the box — dimensions, material, finish, special effects.
Get / create dieline.
Design on dieline — keep critical content in safe areas.
Press proof — small run for color check.
Bulk print — usually offset for large runs (5000+); digital for small (< 1000).
Cut + crease — die-cut machine creates the precise cuts and crease lines.
Glue + assemble — glued or shipped flat.
Pack — products inserted; cartons sealed.

Lead time: 2-6 weeks for small runs; 4-12 weeks for large runs with custom finishing.

Costs¶

Highly variable. Rough Korean pricing: - Standard folding carton (CMYK, 350gsm, 1000-unit run): 300-800 KRW per unit. - Premium with foil + spot UV: 1500-3000 KRW per unit. - Rigid box (luxury): 5000-20000 KRW per unit. - Custom shipping mailer: 200-800 KRW per unit at 1000+.

Korean packaging regulations¶

Brief overview (always confirm with current KFDA / KATS / regulator):

Food (식품)¶

Ingredients in descending weight order.
Allergens (알레르기 표시) bolded.
Net contents (내용량) prominent.
Best-before (유통기한) format: YYYY-MM-DD.
Country of origin (원산지).
Manufacturer (제조원) + distributor (판매원).
Storage instructions (보관방법).

Cosmetics (화장품)¶

All ingredients listed, including INCI names.
Manufacturer (제조판매업자).
Net contents.
Use-by / expiry.
Country of origin.

Supplements / health-functional foods (건강기능식품)¶

Strict label format and approved claims only.
Health functional food (건강기능식품) mark required.
All claims pre-approved.

Recycling marks (분리배출 표시)¶

Required on all packaging: - 종이 (paper) - 플라스틱 (plastic + resin code: PE, PP, PET, etc.) - 비닐 (vinyl) - 캔 (can) - 유리 (glass) - Multi-material: 다중구조

The recycling mark is a regulated icon + Korean text. Can't redesign for brand.

Sustainability in packaging¶

2024+ trends: - Plastic-free packaging — paper alternatives, no plastic windows. - Mono-material packaging — easier to recycle than mixed. - Compostable / biodegradable — for food, cosmetics. - Refillable / reusable — premium positioning + eco. - Reduced packaging — less material; right-sized boxes. - FSC certification — sustainable forestry on paperboard.

Korean ESG-aware brands increasingly call this out on the packaging itself — "재활용 가능", "100% FSC", etc.

Common packaging mistakes¶

Designing without a dieline — content gets cut or folded incorrectly.
Critical content too close to fold — gets creased / illegible.
Spot UV / foil overlapping each other — registration issues.
Forgetting the back panel — regulatory info missing.
Brand color wrong on press — didn't proof; full run reprinted.
Wrong recycling mark — KR regulator can require recall.
Ingredient font too small — KFDA can reject.
Box doesn't fit the product — too tight or too loose.

Don't¶

Don't design without a dieline. The whole project will need to be redone.
Don't skip the press proof for brand-critical color. RGB → CMYK shift is real.
Don't forget regulatory content — KFDA / KATS rejects can delay launch by weeks.
Don't use thin paperboard for products that need to feel premium.
Don't print on the inside of a recycled-kraft mailer with full bleed — kraft texture shows through.
Don't mix metric and imperial in dieline measurements. Pick one.
Don't design Korean labels in English then translate at the last minute. Korean expansion / contraction breaks layouts.

Cross-reference¶

knowledge/print/print-fundamentals.md — CMYK, bleed, DPI
knowledge/print/korean-print-conventions.md — KR regulatory
knowledge/patterns/brand-identity.md — brand foundation
knowledge/illustration/illustration-systems.md — illustration on packaging
knowledge/i18n/korean-document-style.md — Korean copy on packaging