How to Prepare Artwork for Food Packaging

The artwork that prints best on food packaging is a vector file with the fonts converted to outlines, a simple high-contrast design in one or two colours, and every important word kept clear of folds and edges. Send that, check your free digital proof line by line, and approve it only when everything is right, because once you approve, the artwork is final. This guide explains each step in plain terms, even if you are not a designer.

Vector vs raster: why the file type matters

There are two basic kinds of image files, and they behave very differently when they are enlarged for printing.

Vector files describe shapes with mathematical lines and curves. They can be scaled to any size, from a small cup to a large pizza box lid, without losing sharpness.
Raster files are made of pixels. They look fine at the size they were made, but when they are enlarged the edges turn soft or blocky.

File type	Kind	Good for packaging?
.AI, .EPS, .SVG	Vector	Yes, generally preferred
.PDF	Vector or raster, depending on how it was made	Yes, if it was exported from design software with the artwork kept as vector
.PNG, .JPG	Raster	Only if large and sharp; often not suitable for logos
Screenshots, images saved from social media or a website	Raster	Usually too small and compressed

Across the packaging industry, vector files are preferred for logos and text. If you only have a small JPG of your logo, ask the designer who created it for the original file. Before sending anything, check our artwork file prep page for the formats we accept and how to send them.

Convert your fonts to outlines

When a design file uses a font, it usually relies on that font being installed on whatever computer opens it. If the printer's computer does not have your exact font, the software may swap in a different one, and your name or tagline can change shape without anyone noticing at first.

Converting text to outlines (sometimes called "creating outlines" or "converting to curves") turns each letter into a fixed shape, so it looks the same everywhere. Two tips:

Outline the fonts in the copy you send for printing.
Keep a separate copy with live, editable text so you can make changes later.

Design for the material it will print on

Different packaging materials hold detail differently. A design that looks great on screen may need simplifying to print well on corrugated cardboard or paper.

Corrugated boxes: one or two colours, bold shapes

Our corrugated pizza boxes print in one or two colours. Corrugated board has a textured, slightly uneven surface, so ink does not hold very fine detail. Designs that work best have:

Strong contrast between the ink and the board.
Thick lines and bold lettering rather than thin script or hairlines.
Large, simple shapes instead of photos, gradients or soft shadows.
Generous space around the logo, so it does not feel crowded.

Our pizza box design guide goes deeper on layouts that work on a box lid.

Paper: keep it simple too

Bags, food papers and paper cups also reward simple, high-contrast artwork. A clear logo in one strong colour is usually more effective than a busy layout, especially on small items.

Clay-coated boxes: room for full colour

Clay-coated boxes have a smoother printing surface and take full-colour artwork, so they suit designs with more colours, illustrations or photos. Even so, text should still be large and readable.

Material	Colours	Design tip
Corrugated pizza boxes	One or two colours	Bold, high-contrast, no fine detail
Paper bags, food papers and cups	Varies by product	Simple logo, strong contrast, minimal text
Clay-coated boxes	Full colour	More freedom, but keep text clear and large

Kraft vs white backgrounds

The colour of the material is part of your design. On white paper or board, inks look close to how you expect them to. Kraft is a natural brown, and ink printed on it takes on some of that warmth, so colours look darker and more muted.

On kraft, dark inks such as black, deep navy, dark green or deep red read best. Pale colours like light yellow, pastel pink or light grey can almost disappear.
On white, you have more freedom with colour, and brighter brand colours stay closer to how they look on screen.

Some products, such as our printed food papers, come in both white and kraft. If you are torn between them, think about which background makes your logo easiest to read, not just which looks nicer on its own.

Keep critical text away from folds and edges

Packaging is flat when it is printed and three-dimensional when it is used. Boxes fold along their edges, bags have gussets and seams, and cups have a seam and taper toward the base. Anything placed across a fold or right at an edge can be bent, hidden or cut off.

Put your logo on the panel the customer sees first, such as the lid of a box.
Keep phone numbers, websites, social handles and QR codes on flat panels with a clear margin around them.
Do not run small text across a fold line, even if it looks fine on the flat design.

Approve your proof carefully

Before production, we send a free digital proof showing your artwork on the packaging. This is your chance to catch mistakes, and it matters: approved artwork is final. Errors in spelling, phone numbers, QR codes and similar details are the customer's responsibility, as explained in our refund policy.

Use this checklist before you approve:

Spelling. Read every word slowly, including your business name, street names and menu items. Read it backwards word by word to catch errors your eye skips over.
Phone numbers. Check each digit against your actual number. Better still, dial it.
Website and handles. Type the web address and social handle exactly as printed and make sure they lead where you expect.
QR codes. Scan the code on the proof with more than one phone and confirm it opens the right page.
Colours and placement. Confirm the ink colours and that the logo sits where you want it.
The right product. Make sure the proof shows the size and item you ordered.
A second pair of eyes. Ask someone who did not make the artwork to read it too.

Production takes 7–10 business days after you approve the proof, so it is worth allowing a little extra time to review rather than approving in a rush.

Quick summary before you send your file

Vector file where possible (check the file prep page).
Fonts converted to outlines, with an editable copy saved.
One or two strong colours for corrugated and paper; full colour only for clay-coated boxes.
Dark inks on kraft; more colour freedom on white.
Important text and QR codes away from folds and edges.
Budget for the $75 one-time artwork setup per order.

When your file is ready, request your free digital proof and we will show you exactly how your design will look before anything is printed.

How to Prepare Artwork for Custom Food Packaging