Emma Davis, 4OVER4 print production voice (illustration)
Emma Davis Print Production Specialist at 4OVER4.COM

Emma is our prepress and print production voice, built from the knowledge of our production team, with over 20 years in printing.

Question

What should I do if I have dashed score lines in my design file that I don't want printed?

Answer

Dashed score or fold lines can stay in your file as visual guides, as long as you tell your printer they are guides only and should not print. Without that note, prepress may treat them as artwork.

  • Keep the dashed lines on a separate, clearly labeled guide layer if your software supports it.
  • Add a note in your file comments, or tell your printer, that the dashed lines mark scores and should be excluded from the printed output.
  • Confirm on the proof that the guide lines do not appear in the final artwork.

A clear instruction that the dashed lines are guidelines keeps them out of the finished print while still showing where the folds land.

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