Dieline file formats
A dieline is only useful if the person cutting the die can read it at the right size, with the cuts and creases still distinguishable. Three formats do that job, for different reasons.
The three, and what each is for
- DXF — the one most die-makers ask for. A CAD exchange format: pure geometry, no page, no styling. Cut and crease live on separate layers, which is exactly how die-making software wants them. If your converter names one format, it is usually this.
- SVG — vector, opens in Illustrator, Inkscape and any browser. Best when a designer is going to lay artwork over the dieline, because it drops straight into a design tool with the lines intact.
- PDF at 1:1 — the one a human checks. Printed at 100% it is the actual size of the blank, so you can hold it against the product. Best for proofing and for sending to someone who does not have CAD software.
Scale is the thing that goes wrong
Every format here carries real dimensions, but PDF is the one people print — and a print dialogue set to "fit to page" will silently shrink it. Always print at 100% or "actual size", then measure a known edge against the drawing's stated blank dimensions before trusting it.
Layers, and why they matter
A dieline with cut and crease on the same layer is ambiguous: the die-maker has to guess which lines are knives and which are creasing rule. Keep them separated, and keep the naming obvious. Exports from this site keep cut and crease apart in all three formats.
Before you send it
- Check the blank dimensions against your sheet size.
- Confirm the board and caliper you drew for — the same style at a different thickness is a different drawing. See flutes and calipers.
- Say which dimensions are inside, outside or crease-to-crease. See how to measure a box.
- Cut and fold a sample. No file format substitutes for folding one up.