How do I create a 3D packaging mockup in Illustrator?

You design the flat dieline and printed artwork in Illustrator, then fold them into 3D with PackCAD Mockup, a browser-based tool that turns 2D dielines into realistic 3D packaging mockups. Export your dieline as an SVG and your artwork as images, upload them to PackCAD Mockup, and fold the design into an interactive 3D model. The Getting Started guide has the full walkthrough.

Is there a free way to make a 3D mockup from an Illustrator dieline?

Yes. PackCAD Mockup has a free tier, so you can upload your Illustrator dieline as an SVG, fold it, and preview it in 3D at no cost. You only need Pro when you want watermark-free, high-resolution exports for commercial use. See the pricing page for details.

How do I put my Illustrator artwork onto a 3D box mockup?

Design your print graphics in Illustrator on the same artboard as your dieline so everything stays aligned, then export them as image files (PNG or JPG). Import those images into PackCAD Mockup along with your dieline, and the artwork is positioned automatically on the folded 3D mockup. See Getting Started for the full steps.

What stroke colors should cut and fold lines use?

PackCAD Mockup reads each line's stroke color to tell cuts from creases. Cut lines should be black (#000000), and fold lines should be red (#ff0000), blue (#0000ff), magenta (#ff00ff), or yellow (#ffff00). The colors are matched with a generous tolerance, so close shades work too, including CMYK. See Troubleshooting Dieline Import for details.

Why isn't my artwork lining up with the dieline?

Misalignment almost always comes from not exporting through a shared artboard. Export both your dieline (SVG) and your artwork (PNG or JPG) with Use Artboards checked, using the same artboard for every file. That common reference frame is what keeps the artwork registered to the dieline once it is imported.

Can I import an .ai or PDF instead of SVG?

PackCAD Mockup imports dielines as SVG and artwork as PNG or JPG. If you have an .ai or PDF file, open it in Illustrator and export the dieline to SVG first (File > Export > Export As, with Use Artboards checked).

My dieline won't import from Illustrator — what's wrong?

The most common causes are wrong stroke colors, dashed creases drawn as separate dashes, and tiny gaps where lines should meet. PackCAD Mockup's Dieline Inspector flags these on import so you can fix them. Read more about Troubleshooting Dieline Import.

Last updated June 29, 2026

Convert Adobe Illustrator Dielines into 3D Mockups

Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard for packaging design and print graphics, but it shows your artwork flat, not how it folds into a finished 3D box. PackCAD Mockup is an online tool that works with Adobe Illustrator to convert flat dielines into folded, interactive 3D packaging mockups. This guide shows you how to prepare your dieline and artwork in Adobe Illustrator, import it into PackCAD Mockup, and fold it into a 3D mockup in just a few clicks.

A flat mailer box dieline in Adobe Illustrator beside an arrow pointing to the folded 3D box mockup rendered in PackCAD Mockup

If you are new to PackCAD Mockup, the Getting Started guide covers the whole workflow end to end. This tutorial focuses on the Adobe Illustrator side of that workflow, showing you how to set up and export your file so it folds correctly once it reaches PackCAD Mockup.

You can follow along with our example Illustrator file: MailerBox.ai

Illustrator Setup

Before PackCAD Mockup can fold your package in 3D, you build it in Illustrator from two parts: the dieline (the cut and fold lines that define the shape of the box) and the printed graphics that go on the box. You may have generated the dieline from a template or a structural design tool, or drawn it by hand.

Layers and Artboards

It’s best practice to keep your dieline and your printed artwork on separate layers in Illustrator so that they can be easily isolated from each other during export. In our example file we have the dieline on its own layer, and the exterior and interior artwork on separate layers. Each layer will be exported as a separate file and brought in one by one into PackCAD Mockup. Keep all of your layers on the same artboard so they stay aligned.

Illustrator Layers panel showing a dieline layer and separate interior and exterior artwork layers for a mailer box design

Dieline Stroke Colors

PackCAD Mockup uses the stroke color of each line in your dieline to tell cuts from creases; the colors should match the convention below:

Cut lines should be black (#000000) .
Fold lines should be red (#ff0000) , blue (#0000ff) , magenta (#ff00ff) , or yellow (#ffff00) .

These colors don’t need to be exact. PackCAD Mockup matches stroke colors with a generous tolerance, so any line that is close to one of the colors above will be detected. If you are working in CMYK Color Mode (File > Document Color Mode), set each line to the closest CMYK match of the colors above and they’ll still be recognized — no need to convert your document to RGB.

A fold line selected on a dieline in Adobe Illustrator, with the Color panel showing its stroke set to red (#ff0000)

Tip:

It’s fine to work in CMYK Color Mode. A CMYK red, blue, magenta, or yellow still registers as a fold line, since PackCAD Mockup matches stroke colors with some tolerance.

Exporting Files from Illustrator

Dieline (SVG)

Hide every layer except the dieline layer so that you can export the dieline by itself (without any artwork).

Adobe Illustrator with only the dieline layer visible in the Layers panel, the mailer box dieline shown on the artboard with black cut lines and red fold lines

Then choose File > Export > Export As, select SVG, and be sure to select Use Artboards during export — this is what lets you align the dieline with your artwork in PackCAD Mockup.

Illustrator Export As dialog saving an SVG with Use Artboards checked

Most SVG export options work fine; the defaults shown below produced the sample file: MailerBox.svg

Illustrator SVG Options dialog

Tip:

Always check Use Artboards when exporting from Illustrator. This keeps the dieline in the same reference frame as your artwork layers so they can be aligned in PackCAD Mockup.

Artwork (PNG/JPG)

Next, export each artwork layer as a separate image in PNG or JPG format. In our example file we have two artwork layers: exterior artwork (the outside surface) and interior artwork (the inside surface). Hide the dieline and the other artwork layers so only one side of your packaging shows at a time. Here, only the interior layer is visible:

Illustrator showing the interior artwork layer visible — a dark background with mirrored text — with the dieline layer hidden

Then choose File > Export > Export As, select PNG or JPG, again with Use Artboards selected. Because the artwork and the dieline share the same artboard, the graphics land in the right place on the folded model. Export at a high resolution so the print stays crisp on the 3D mockup.

Illustrator Export As dialog saving a PNG with Use Artboards checked, the artwork layer visible and the dieline layer hidden

Note:

PackCAD Mockup doesn’t currently support PNGs with transparency. Flatten any transparent areas onto a solid background for now; we plan to add transparency support in Fall 2026. Join our mailing list to hear when it lands.

Here are the two artwork files exported from our example: MailerBox-interior.png and MailerBox-exterior.png

Tip:

Interior artwork often needs to be mirrored once it is imported. There is an option to mirror artwork in PackCAD Mockup, so you don’t need to do it in Illustrator (see Getting Started for more info).

Common Pitfalls

A few common issues can keep a dieline from importing or folding cleanly in PackCAD Mockup:

Wrong stroke colors - PackCAD Mockup expects cut lines in black and fold lines in red, blue, magenta, or yellow. Lines in any other color are skipped on import, so make sure your strokes match the expected colors.
Dashed creases drawn as dashes - Draw each crease as one continuous line. For a dashed look, apply a dashed stroke style to a single unbroken line instead of drawing separate dash segments.
Gaps at corners - Snap line endpoints together so cuts and creases meet where they are supposed to. Illustrator’s Smart Guides (Ctrl/Command + U) help you snap precisely.
Artwork mixed into the dieline - Keep logos, text, and dimension labels out of the dieline file. Anything that is not a cut or fold line is skipped on import and may create issues if it is colored similarly to the cut and fold lines.

PackCAD Mockup’s Dieline Inspector flags these issues on import so you can fix them before you start folding. Read more about Troubleshooting Dieline Import.

Import into PackCAD Mockup

Your dieline and artwork are ready to come together in 3D. Head to Project Setup in our Getting Started guide to learn how to import your files and fold your design into a 3D mockup like the one below:

Convert Adobe Illustrator Dielines into 3D Mockups

Illustrator Setup

Layers and Artboards

Dieline Stroke Colors

Exporting Files from Illustrator

Dieline (SVG)

Artwork (PNG/JPG)

Common Pitfalls

Import into PackCAD Mockup

Frequently Asked Questions

Help and Support