Artwork and Dieline Guide
for Custom Mylar Bags
Getting your artwork file right before you submit it is the single most controllable variable in your packaging order. Errors caught at the file stage cost nothing. Errors caught after production cost you an entire reorder. This guide covers everything you need to know about dielines, file specs, color setup, and what to check before you hit send.
Why Artwork Setup Is the Most Important Step in the Process
Most packaging delays and reprints trace back to a single root cause: artwork that wasn't set up correctly before submission. Bleed that was missing. Colors in RGB instead of CMYK. Text placed in a seal zone. A logo that looked sharp on screen but was rasterised at 72 DPI.
None of these mistakes are hard to avoid. They're entirely preventable with a clear understanding of what a dieline is, what your file needs to contain, and what gets checked before production begins. Getting this right the first time means your bags arrive in 15 to 18 days as expected. Getting it wrong means a revision round and a delayed order.
If you have a designer building your artwork, share this guide with them. If you're building it yourself, read it end to end before you open a file. The two minutes this takes will save you more time later.
Shortcut: Download M2OM's free dieline templates at /pages/template-download. Every standard bag size is available as a pre-built AI and PDF file with bleed, safe zone, and seal areas already marked. Build your artwork on the template rather than from scratch.
What Is a Dieline and Why Does It Matter
A dieline is a flat, two-dimensional template that represents your bag unfolded. It shows every panel, every fold, every seal zone, and every structural feature of the bag before it's assembled. Think of it as a blueprint: it tells you exactly where your artwork can go, where it can't go, and where the bag will be cut, folded, and sealed during production.
Every bag format has its own dieline because the flat layout changes with the bag structure. A stand-up pouch has a different dieline from a flat pouch. A bag with a side gusset has a different dieline from a flat bottom bag. The dimensions of the dieline reflect your specific bag size and build.
What the dieline shows
A properly built dieline includes four distinct zones. The cut line is the actual finished edge of the bag after trimming. The bleed area extends beyond the cut line and ensures there are no unprinted white slivers at the edge if the cut is off by a fraction of a millimetre. The safe zone is the margin inside the cut line where all critical content (logos, product names, ingredient lists) must sit to avoid being cut off or sitting too close to an edge. Seal areas are the zones at the bottom and top of the bag that will be heat-sealed during assembly. No design elements should fall in the seal areas as they will not be visible on the finished bag.
The panels on a stand-up pouch dieline
A standard stand-up pouch dieline has three printable panels: the front panel (the primary brand face), the back panel (where nutritional information, ingredients, and compliance copy go), and the gusset panels on the sides and bottom. The gusset is the folded section that allows the bag to stand upright. On most stand-up pouches the gusset panels are visible when the bag is standing and filled, making them valuable branding real estate.
Never build artwork without a dieline. Designing on a flat canvas and hoping the proportions work out is how you end up with a logo on the fold line or mandatory compliance text sitting in the seal zone. Always start from the dieline. Always.
Critical Dimensions: Bleed, Safe Zone, and Seal Areas
These three dimensions are non-negotiable. Every file submitted to M2OM is checked against them before production begins. Files that don't meet these specs will be flagged and returned for correction, which adds time to your order.
Bleed
All background colors and design elements that reach the edge of the bag must extend 3mm beyond the cut line. This ensures there are no white slivers if the cut shifts slightly during production. If your background is black, extend it 3mm past the edge. Same for any full-bleed image or color field.
Safe Zone
All critical content (logos, product names, barcodes, QR codes, compliance text, ingredient lists) must sit at least 5mm inside the cut line. Anything within 5mm of the edge risks being cut off or sitting uncomfortably close to the bag's edge on the finished product.
Top Seal Area
The top 15 to 20mm of the bag is the heat-seal zone. This area is sealed shut during production and is not visible on the finished bag. Keep all design elements below this zone. The exact dimension varies by bag size and is clearly marked on the M2OM dieline template.
Bottom Seal Area
The bottom gusset and seal area on a stand-up pouch is typically 20 to 30mm depending on bag size. This forms the base of the bag. Design elements placed here may be folded or hidden by the gusset. Background colors can extend into this area but place no critical content here.
Zippers: How They Affect Your Dieline and Design
The zipper is a structural feature of the bag that directly affects where design elements can and cannot go. It is one of the most common sources of layout problems for first-time custom bag buyers, because zippers are not always obvious on flat dieline mockups and their position varies by bag size and format. Understanding how zippers work within the dieline saves you from placing your logo or a critical design element exactly where it gets obstructed.
How printing and zippers work together
Printing on a direct-print mylar bag happens on the film before the bag is assembled and before the zipper is applied. This means your design prints across the entire surface of the film, including the areas where the zipper will sit and the area above it. The zipper is then heat-welded onto the printed film during assembly. So technically, ink is present everywhere on the bag, including over the zipper hardware itself.
The practical implication is about awareness rather than restriction. The zipper sits across the upper portion of the front and back panels and is visible when the bag is in use. Design elements placed in the zipper zone will show as per normal but will be on top of the zipper. Backgrounds, patterns, and gradients that continue through the zipper zone look seamless and work well. What to avoid is placing critical focal elements: your logo, a key product image, a centred callout, directly on the zipper zone where the hardware will interrupt them visually.
The tear strip above the zipper
The more important design consideration is the area above the zipper, between the zipper and the top heat seal. This is the tear strip, the section the customer tears off when they open the bag for the first time. Once torn, this strip is gone. Any design content placed here is permanently discarded on first use. Your design will print in this area, but treat it as throwaway real estate. Background color and patterns can extend into the tear strip without issue. Critical branding, compliance text, and product information should all sit below the zipper where they remain on the bag after opening.
This makes the area below the zipper your primary brand canvas. On the dieline template, the space from the zipper down to the bottom gusset is where your logo, product name, key visual, and all required label information should live. Planning your layout with this in mind from the start avoids the common outcome of a design that looks balanced on a flat canvas but loses important content to the tear strip on a real bag.
Standard zipper vs child-resistant zipper
M2OM offers two zipper types on all standard formats: a standard press-to-close resealable zipper and a child-resistant (CR) zipper. Both sit in the same general position on the dieline but the CR zipper is physically wider and taller than a standard zipper due to its additional locking mechanism. If you are ordering bags with CR zippers, confirm this before building your artwork so the dieline dimensions you are working from reflect the correct zipper footprint.
Child-resistant zippers are required by law for cannabis products in most regulated US markets and Canada, and are increasingly used voluntarily by brands in adjacent categories as a safety and quality signal. Specify CR zippers at the quote stage if your product requires them.
Summary on zipper placement: printing happens everywhere on the film including the zipper zone and tear strip. Keep backgrounds and patterns continuous across all zones. Keep all critical branding and compliance content below the zipper where it stays on the bag after first opening. Avoid placing focal design elements on the zipper hardware itself where they will be interrupted.
File Specifications: What M2OM Requires
These are the technical requirements for every artwork file submitted to M2OM. Meeting all of them before submission means your file is approved without revision requests.
File Format
Adobe Illustrator (.ai) is preferred. PDF (print-ready, with bleed and crops) is also accepted. High-resolution PNG at 300 DPI minimum is accepted for simpler designs. Do not submit Word documents, JPEGs, or low-resolution PNGs.
Color Mode: CMYK
All artwork must be in CMYK color mode, not RGB. RGB is a screen color space. CMYK is what printing presses use. Colors that look vivid in RGB often shift when converted to CMYK. Convert before you design, not after, so you can see exactly what you are working with.
Resolution: 300 DPI
All raster images (photos, textures, non-vector graphics) must be 300 DPI at their final printed size. An image that is 300 DPI at 50% scale becomes 150 DPI when scaled to full size, which will print soft and blurry. Check resolution at actual print size, not at the size it was saved.
Fonts Outlined
All text must be converted to outlines (also called "paths" or "curves") before submission. If text is not outlined and the production system doesn't have the font installed, it will substitute a default font and your design will look completely different. Outline every font in every text element.
Images Embedded
All linked images must be embedded in the file before submission. A linked image that exists only as a path reference on your computer will arrive as a broken link. In Illustrator, use Embed Image to convert links to embedded objects before saving your final file.
Keep Dieline on Separate Layer
Keep the dieline on its own layer in your Illustrator file, separate from your artwork. Clearly label it "DIELINE: DO NOT PRINT." This makes it easy to verify alignment during the file review and ensures the dieline lines are not included in the final print output.
Use Pantone References for Brand Colors
If your brand has specific Pantone (PMS) color values, note them in the file or in your submission. Digital printing matches CMYK rather than true spot Pantone inks, but referencing the PMS value allows our team to target the closest possible CMYK equivalent during color calibration.
Include a Flat Reference Image
A flattened JPEG or PNG showing how the design should look at a glance is a useful reference during file review, especially for complex designs with multiple layers. It gives our team a quick visual check against the final file and can catch issues that are hard to spot in a layered document.
Color Setup: CMYK, Blacks, and What to Watch For
Color is the most common source of artwork surprises. A design that looks perfect on screen can print noticeably differently if the color mode is wrong or if certain values are set up in a way that doesn't translate well to print. These are the specifics that matter.
Rich black vs pure black
There are two ways to produce black in CMYK. Pure black is C0 M0 Y0 K100, which uses only the black ink channel. Rich black is a mix of all four channels (typically C60 M40 Y40 K100) that produces a deeper, denser-looking black on press. For large solid black areas like a full black background, rich black often looks better in print. For small text, pure black (K100 only) is preferred because misregistration of multiple ink channels can make fine text look slightly blurry at small sizes.
M2OM bags default to printing on a black foil laminate film, meaning the bag surface itself is near-black. If your design uses a full black background, it will blend seamlessly with the film. If your design uses pure K100 black, the printed area may look slightly different from the bare film at close range. Our team flags this during file review if relevant to your specific design.
RGB to CMYK conversion
If your original design files are in RGB, you need to convert them to CMYK before final submission. In Illustrator this is done via Edit > Color Settings and Document Color Mode > CMYK. When you make this conversion, visually check every color in your design. Highly saturated RGB colors, particularly neon greens, electric blues, and vivid oranges, can shift noticeably when converted. Adjust CMYK values manually to get as close as possible to your original intent.
Metallic and special effects
Digital printing does not support true metallic inks. If your design calls for gold, silver, or metallic elements, these need to be represented as CMYK approximations or handled through finishing options such as foil stamping, spot metallic, or spot holographic laminate. Discuss this with us at the quote stage if metallic effects are important to your brand.
Request a digital proof before production. Every M2OM order includes a digital proof step where you can review color, layout, and content placement before anything is printed. The proof is your last opportunity to catch color or layout issues at zero cost. Review it carefully against your original design intent and check every panel, every line of text, and every compliance element before approving.
What Goes Where: Panel Layout by Content Type
Knowing which content belongs on which panel saves revision time and ensures your bag meets regulatory requirements in regulated categories. Here is the standard content allocation for a stand-up pouch across all categories.
| Panel | Primary Content | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Front panel | Logo, brand name, product name, flavor or variant, key visual, finish focus area | The primary brand face. Everything here should communicate brand identity and product at a glance. Less is more. |
| Back panel | Ingredients, nutrition facts, net weight, allergens, storage instructions, certifications, compliance text | Plan this panel for information density. Leave adequate space for all mandatory label content before finalising the visual design. |
| Side gusset panels | Secondary branding, taglines, product claims, website URL, social handles | Visible when the bag is standing and filled. Valuable branding real estate often underused. Keep content simple. Gusset panels fold. |
| Bottom gusset | Background color only (no critical content) | Folded during assembly. No critical content should appear here. Background color can extend into this area. |
| Top seal area | None: sealed during production | This area is heat-sealed and not visible on the finished bag. Do not place any design elements here. |
Plan for compliance content first
In regulated categories, compliance content is mandatory and non-negotiable. Cannabis, hemp, and CBD packaging requires warning statements, universal symbols, license numbers, and THC/CBD content disclosures. Food packaging requires a nutrition facts panel, ingredient list, allergen declarations, and net weight. Supplement packaging requires a supplement facts panel and all applicable disclaimers.
The single most common design mistake in regulated categories is finishing a beautiful front panel design and then trying to fit mandatory compliance content into whatever space is left on the back. Plan the back panel first with all required content mapped out, then design the front panel around what the back panel needs. This sequence produces better designs and never runs out of space for required information.
The Most Common Artwork Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
These are the errors that come up most frequently during file review. All of them are avoidable. All of them cause delays when they aren't caught before submission.
RGB artwork submitted as CMYK
File says CMYK but colors were built in RGB and converted at export without checking. Colors can shift significantly, especially in the orange, green, and blue ranges. Fix: build in CMYK from the start, or convert and manually correct every color value.
Missing bleed on background elements
Background color stops at the cut line instead of extending 3mm past it. Results in a white sliver on one or more edges of the finished bag. Fix: select all background elements and extend them 3mm beyond the cut line on every edge.
Text or logos outside the safe zone
Critical content placed too close to the bag edge, in the area that gets trimmed or sits uncomfortably close to the physical edge. Fix: keep all logos, text, barcodes, and compliance content at least 5mm inside the cut line at all times.
Fonts not outlined
Text left as live type instead of converted to outlines. If the production system doesn't have the font, it substitutes a default and the design changes completely. Fix: in Illustrator, select all text, then Type > Create Outlines before saving the final file.
Low-resolution images
Images sourced from websites, social media, or small exports that look fine on screen but are 72 to 150 DPI at print size. Print at 300 DPI minimum or use vector graphics instead of raster images wherever possible.
Design built on wrong bag dimensions
Artwork built to approximate or assumed dimensions rather than the actual dieline for the specific bag ordered. Panels won't align, seal areas will be in the wrong place, and the whole file needs to be rebuilt. Fix: always start from the M2OM dieline template for your specific bag size.
Dieline lines included in print layer
Dieline guides accidentally left in the print layer rather than on a separate locked layer marked as non-printing. Results in visible cut lines and guide marks on the printed bag. Fix: always keep the dieline on its own clearly labelled layer separate from all artwork layers.
Content placed in the gusset fold zone
Logos or text placed in the gusset area that folds during bag assembly. This content gets hidden inside the fold and is not visible on the finished bag. Fix: check the dieline template for gusset fold lines and keep all critical content outside of them.
Pre-Submission Checklist
Run through this before you submit. Every item on this list is something that causes a revision request or a reorder when it's missed.
The Artwork Submission Process at M2OM
Download the Dieline Template
Go to made2ordermerch.com/pages/template-download and download the dieline for your specific bag size and format. Templates are available in AI and PDF. Build your artwork directly on this template, not on a blank canvas.
Build and Check Your Artwork
Design your artwork in CMYK at full size. Run through the pre-submission checklist above before saving your final file. Outline all fonts, embed all images, confirm bleed, safe zone, and seal areas are correct.
Request a Quote and Submit
Submit your bag specifications at made2ordermerch.com/pages/request-a-quote and upload your artwork file. If you don't have artwork ready yet, request a quote first and submit the file when it's ready.
Design Proofing
Our team checks your file against all technical specifications. If anything needs adjusting you will be contacted before production begins. Once the file is approved a digital proof is sent for your review.
Approve and Produce
Once you approve the proof, production begins. Average production time is 7 business days. Your order ships free worldwide and arrives in 15 to 18 days from artwork approval.
Related Guides
Custom Mylar Bags
Styles, film structures, sizing, pricing, and how to order. The full reference guide for direct-print custom bags.
Printing MethodsDigital vs Gravure Printing
How each printing method works and which one makes sense at your order volume.
FinishesMatte, Gloss, Soft Touch and More
All seven finishes explained with photography guidance and category-specific recommendations.
MOQ and PricingLow MOQ Custom Packaging
What low MOQ means in practice and the real cost of over-ordering for independent brands.
Free Dieline Templates for Every Standard Bag Size.
Download M2OM's free dieline templates in AI and PDF for every standard stand-up pouch, flat pouch, and flat bottom bag format. Build your artwork on the correct template, submit a clean file, and get to production faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
What file format should I use for my artwork?
Adobe Illustrator (.ai) is the preferred format. Print-ready PDF with bleed and crop marks is also fully accepted. High-resolution PNG at 300 DPI minimum works for simpler designs. Avoid JPEG, Word documents, Canva exports, or any file format that doesn't support vector graphics and CMYK color.
What is a dieline and where do I get one?
A dieline is a flat 2D template of your bag that shows all panels, seal zones, bleed areas, and safe zones. It's the blueprint your artwork needs to be built on. M2OM provides free dieline templates for all standard bag sizes at made2ordermerch.com/pages/template-download. If you need a custom size not available on that page, contact us and we'll send you the correct template.
My design was made in RGB. Do I need to rebuild it in CMYK?
You don't need to rebuild it, but you do need to convert it and check every color after the conversion. In Illustrator, change the document color mode to CMYK and then visually review every color in the design. Highly saturated RGB colors can shift noticeably when converted. Adjust the CMYK values manually until the colors match your original intent as closely as possible.
What resolution do images need to be?
300 DPI at the actual printed size. An image that is 300 DPI at 4 inches wide becomes 150 DPI when scaled to 8 inches wide in your layout. Check resolution at actual print dimensions, not at the size the image was originally saved. Use vector graphics (Illustrator paths, SVGs) wherever possible to avoid resolution issues entirely.
What happens if I submit artwork that doesn't meet the specifications?
Our team checks every file before production begins. If your file has issues such as missing bleed, RGB colors, unembedded images, or fonts that aren't outlined, we will contact you with a specific list of what needs to be corrected. Nothing goes to press until the file is approved. This is your protection against receiving bags that don't match your artwork.
How do I know where to put my logo and text?
The M2OM dieline template shows you exactly where every zone is: the printable areas, the safe zone margins, the seal areas, and the fold lines. Build your layout on the template so every element sits within the correct zone. As a general rule: primary branding on the front panel, compliance and ingredient information on the back panel, secondary brand elements on the side gussets.
Can I include a barcode or QR code on my bag?
Yes. Barcodes and QR codes need to be placed inside the safe zone, at least 5mm from any edge, and must be sized large enough to scan reliably. For a standard retail barcode (EAN-13 or UPC-A) the minimum print width is 25mm. QR codes should be at least 20mm x 20mm at print size with adequate quiet zone (white space) around the border. Both should be set up as vector objects rather than raster images for sharpest output.
What is the minimum font size for text on a mylar bag?
6pt is the absolute minimum for text that needs to be legible, and even that is small. Compliance copy, ingredient lists, and nutritional information should be at 7pt to 8pt minimum. Anything smaller risks being unreadable at retail and may not meet regulatory minimum size requirements for mandatory label information in your category. When in doubt, print a 100% scale PDF proof on paper before approving the final file.
Do I need a separate file for each side of the bag?
No. A properly built dieline file contains all panels of the bag laid out flat in a single document. The front panel, back panel, and gusset panels are all part of one flat layout that the production team prints onto the film before the bag is assembled. You submit one file covering the entire bag surface.
What if I don't have a designer and need help with artwork?
Download the dieline template from made2ordermerch.com/pages/template-download and share it with a designer alongside this guide. If you need a packaging designer we have in house graphic designers that would be happy to help.