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 crease lines use?

Any colors work, as long as cuts and creases use different colors. By default, black lines import as cuts and red, blue, magenta, or yellow lines import as creases, matched with a generous tolerance that covers RGB and CMYK. Other colors can be assigned to cuts or creases during import and saved as your user preferences; see Preferences 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 stroke colors that aren't assigned to cuts or creases, artwork left in the dieline, 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 October 13, 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

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

Illustrator Setup

Your packaging design is composed of two parts: the dieline (the cut and crease lines that define the shape of the box) and the design (print graphics, spot colors, foil, spot UV, emboss/deboss) that goes 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 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 print 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. Any colors will work, as long as your cuts and creases use different colors. You can configure which colors are used as cuts and which are used as creases in your user Preferences or during import. By default, PackCAD Mockup uses the following color convention (either RBG or CMYK colors will work):

Cut lines - black (#000000) .
Crease lines - red (#ff0000) , blue (#0000ff) , magenta (#ff00ff) , or yellow (#ffff00) .

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

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 crease 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 your design’s print graphics as an image in PNG or JPG format. If you are using spot colors, spot UV, foils, emboss/deboss, or any other design effects, you can export each of those layers as a separate PNG as well (see Preparing Masks). In our example file we have two print 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:

Illustrator showing the interior artwork layer visible — a transparent background with text — with the dieline layer hidden The interior artwork layer on its own, ready for export.

Illustrator showing the exterior artwork layer visible — a colorful background extended to bleed lines with logo — with the dieline layer hidden The exterior artwork layer on its own, ready for export.

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

Tip:

PackCAD Mockup supports PNGs with transparency. Transparent areas are composited over PackCAD Mockup’s built-in materials, so the base material of your packaging (e.g. cardboard, paperboard, or kraft paper) shows through.

Illustrator PNG Options dialog saving a PNG with transparent background

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:

Cuts and creases in the same color - PackCAD Mockup tells cuts from creases by stroke color, so they need to be different colors. Colors other than the defaults are ignored until you assign them as cuts or creases during import.
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. Learn more about dashed lines in your dieline.
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. Learn more about how to spot and fix gaps in your dieline.
Artwork mixed into the dieline - Keep logos, text, and dimension labels out of the dieline file. Anything that is not a cut or crease line is skipped on import and may create issues if it is colored similarly to the cut and crease 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:

Create Photorealistic Rendering

Once your design is folded, PackCAD Mockup can render it as a photorealistic 4K image right in your browser, with studio lighting and materials built in. See our Photorealistic Rendering guide for the full walkthrough.

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

Create Photorealistic Rendering

Help and Support

Frequently Asked Questions