Packaging is one of the most unforgiving contexts for a logo. Unlike a website — where colours are approximate and logos can be reloaded at any size — packaging is permanent. A colour that's slightly off gets manufactured into thousands of units. A logo placed at the wrong resolution appears on every box, bag, or bottle that ships.
The file requirements for packaging are also more demanding than most other print applications. This guide covers what your logo needs before it goes anywhere near a packaging supplier.
Why Packaging Is a Different Standard
Most print applications — business cards, brochures, letterheads — are relatively forgiving. If the colour is slightly off, you reprint. If the file quality is marginal, a good printer can often make it work.
Packaging changes this:
- Scale: Packaging may be printed in the thousands or tens of thousands. An error multiplies.
- Process variety: Packaging uses different print methods (flexographic, gravure, digital, screen) with different colour capabilities.
- Substrate variety: Logos appear on cardboard, plastic, glass, foil, matte, and glossy surfaces — each requiring different colour calibration.
- Regulatory requirements: Food and pharmaceutical packaging in many markets requires specific file formats for traceability.
Getting the logo file wrong at this stage is expensive. Getting it right before submission is straightforward if you know what's required.
The File Format Requirements for Packaging
Every packaging supplier will specify their preferred formats. Most use:
EPS (CMYK) for vector art. The industry-standard vector format for print production. Your logo must be in EPS with CMYK colour values — not RGB. This is non-negotiable for most commercial packaging suppliers. If your logo came from an AI tool, the colours are in RGB screen values by default and need professional conversion. See AI logo RGB to CMYK conversion for this process.
AI (Adobe Illustrator) for suppliers who need editable source files. Some packaging studios require the working Illustrator file for layout purposes. Fonts must be outlined (converted to paths).
PDF (print-ready) as a universal alternative. A print-ready PDF with CMYK values and no embedded transparency effects is accepted by most suppliers as an alternative to EPS.
What they do not want: PNG, JPEG, RGB SVG, or any raster-format file. Submitting a PNG for packaging production either results in immediate rejection or a supplier who converts it poorly and bills you for the trouble.
If you need your current logo files converted or rebuilt for packaging use, our AI logo vectorization service and SVG conversion service produce packaging-ready EPS files as standard.
Colour Mode: CMYK Is Not Optional
Packaging is printed in CMYK ink — four ink channels (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) that combine to produce the full colour range.
RGB colours (which all screens use and all AI-generated logos have) are converted to CMYK at some point in the process. If you let the press operator make that conversion without guidance, the results will be unpredictable. Your vivid blue might print purple. Your saturated orange might print muddy brown. These are real outcomes, not hypothetical ones.
The correct process:
- Before any packaging submission, convert every logo colour from RGB to CMYK using a proper colour conversion workflow — not a mechanical formula, but a reviewed conversion that produces the closest achievable CMYK equivalent to the intended RGB colour.
- Review printed proofs against your intended colour before approving a full run.
- For brand colours that must match precisely (particularly important for recognised brand colours), specify a Pantone value and request spot colour printing.
For the full colour conversion process, see AI logo RGB to CMYK and Pantone matching guide.
Pantone Spot Colours for Packaging
Many packaging applications benefit from or require Pantone spot colours:
Single-colour or two-colour packaging (many budget packaging runs, bags, basic cartons) is often printed in spot colours rather than four-colour process. You need Pantone values for the exact ink to be used.
Colour-critical packaging (luxury goods, cosmetics, food brands with recognised colour identities) uses Pantone to ensure colour consistency across different packaging materials, different print runs, and different suppliers worldwide.
Metallic and fluorescent colours cannot be reproduced in CMYK at all — they require specific Pantone metallic or neon inks. If your brand uses a metallic gold or a neon accent colour, Pantone is the only way to specify it correctly for packaging.
Pantone values for your brand colours should be in the brand guidelines and documented alongside every logo file. If you don't have them, a professional colour system setup produces them alongside the vectorization work.
Logo File Checklist for Packaging Submission
Before sending any logo to a packaging supplier, verify:
- Vector file (EPS or AI) — no PNG or JPEG
- All colours in CMYK mode — no RGB fills
- Pantone values documented alongside the file
- All fonts outlined (no live text)
- No transparency effects that require flattening
- Bleed and safe zone noted (if the logo file includes layout context)
- Minimum logo size confirmed for the specific packaging application
- Dark background version available if packaging has dark areas
- File labelled clearly (brand name, logo version, colour mode, date)
Handling Different Packaging Print Methods
Different packaging applications use different print processes, and each has specific requirements:
Digital print (short-run boxes, labels, pouches) accepts CMYK files directly and can often work from PDF. Colour accuracy is good but spot colour matching is approximate unless the supplier has a Pantone library loaded.
Flexographic print (long-run flexible packaging, labels, bags) uses pre-made plates for each colour. Spot colours are standard. File requirements are strict: no transparency, minimal ink overlap, simple clean paths. A logo that works fine for offset print may need specific simplification for flexo.
Screen print (fabric bags, promotional packaging) is spot colour only and typically limited to 1–4 colours. The logo must be simplified to match the available colour count.
Foil and emboss are separate processes covered in our guide to logos for embossing, foil, and special finishes.
Need your logo ready for packaging production?
We produce packaging-ready EPS files with CMYK and Pantone values, outlined fonts, and clean paths that pass every supplier's file check. No rejections, no surprises.
Most packaging companies require an EPS file with CMYK colours. Some also accept a print-ready PDF from a vector source. Do not send PNG, JPEG, or RGB files — these will either be rejected or converted poorly. If you only have a PNG, you need vectorization and colour conversion first.
Screens display in RGB (light-based colour) and packaging is printed in CMYK (ink-based colour). These are different colour systems, and not all RGB colours can be exactly reproduced in CMYK. The solution is professional RGB-to-CMYK conversion before the packaging goes to print, and Pantone specification for colour-critical applications.
It depends on the packaging type. For four-colour digital or offset print, CMYK values are usually sufficient. For spot colour printing (common in flexographic and screen print), Pantone is required. For metallic or fluorescent colours, Pantone is the only option. When in doubt, specify both CMYK and Pantone — it gives your supplier more flexibility.
Yes, but the AI-generated PNG needs to be professionally vectorized and colour-converted first. The PNG itself can't be used for packaging production. Once vectorized with proper CMYK values, it works exactly like any other logo. The process takes 24–48 hours.
The practical minimum is determined by the smallest text in the logo. For logos with fine detail or thin strokes, most suppliers recommend a minimum reproduced width of 10–15mm for full-colour print and 20–25mm for embroidery or emboss. Test the logo at actual size on paper before approving.