Design Definitions to Know for Beginners

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black)

This is the color model used in printing, including at Roastar. These four colors mix to create the wide range of colors you see on your packaging. Designing in CMYK from the start will keep you from experiencing unexpected color changes when your artwork goes to print.

RGB (Red, Green, Blue):

RGB is for screens—think phones, computers, and TVs. Red, green, and blue light combine in a variety of ways to create all those colors you see in your images. While RGB looks great on screens, it won’t translate perfectly to print. Those hues that seem super vibrant on the screen will seem dull when printed. We always ask that you convert your RGB colors to CMYK prior to submitting your project. It’s a simple swap that saves a lot of time (and unpleasant surprises) during the proofing process.

Rich Black

While it might sound luxe, “rich black” is a no-go in the Roastar world. Rich black combines the four CMYK ink colors to create a super-dark black. However, the heavy ink coverage will result in quality issues, like burning and delamination, where heat is applied to seal the packaging. To prevent this issue, we ask for 100% black without any colors added in. Your CMYK color values should read C=0, M=0, Y=0, K=100.

Artboard

This is a term used by Adobe Illustrator. However, since Illustrator is our recommended program for creating artwork, this is an important one to know. Think of the artboard as your digital canvas; it’s the space you design in. Download one of our templates to find one that’s specifically tailored to your product to prevent any mistakes.

Guides

Guides are invisible lines that help you align elements in your design. Use them to keep everything in place, and your artwork will print correctly onto the product.

Before submitting your awesome design, there are a few things you'll need to check on to ensure your file is ready to print. For additional help, check out our video tutorial that covers how to set up a press-ready file with Adobe Illustrator.

Bleed

This is the extra artwork that extends beyond the trim line. Without proper bleed, your finished product could end up with an awkward border without color when trimmed due to movement throughout the production run.

Safe Area

You’ll see this as a green box on Roastar templates. Keep all critical design elements, like your logo or important text, inside this box to prevent them from being trimmed or folded onto another panel.

Cut Tolerance

The cut tolerance is the small area where the trim may vary. For peace of mind, keep important content well away from the edges. While we strive for precision, the printed material can shift throughout the manufacturing process preventing us from being able to trim the pouches apart in the exact same spot every time.

Resolution

Simply put, resolution refers to how many pixels are packed into an inch (PPI). For the web, lower-resolution images keep your site fast and smooth. For printing, however, we need 300 PPI for a crystal-clear look.

Outlining Fonts

By outlining a font, we don’t mean you need to add a visible outline around your text. Outlining fonts means converting the text into shapes. That way, the fonts you choose will display correctly even if we don’t have them on file.

Heat Seal

This is the area on your packaging where heat seals the product closed. This area also includes the zipper and valve, if applicable to your product. Keep in mind that the heat may cause slight discoloration in this area, so avoid placing key design elements like text or logos there.

White Layer

On materials like metallic, clear, or kraft, we will print a white ink layer first under certain areas of the design to block out the material. Think of it as a primer, like you use when painting your walls. The white layer creates a clean, blank canvas for colors to print on and pop as they should.

Bonus Term: ISR

Plenty of our customers are unfamiliar with ISRs or are unsure how to find out who their ISR is. ISRs are a big piece of your artwork journey, serving as your point of contact for any questions or concerns you have.

Once you’ve logged into your Roastar account, there are a few places you can find the contact info for your ISR, who is also called an account or customer service representative. Check below your company name at the top of the page in the Dashboard, underneath your company’s info in Company Settings, or in the lower right-hand corner within any project.

By now, you should have a clearer understanding of these key elements of design definitions, and hopefully, you’re feeling more confident navigating the Roastar design process. Armed with these graphic design definitions, you can collaborate with our team and use our templates like a seasoned pro, ensuring that your custom packaging not only looks stunning but also prints perfectly.

Let your creativity run wild (within the safe zone, of course), and let’s make some killer packaging together!