Faltlinie

Faltlinie is a German term literally meaning "fold line" and is used in several crafts and industries to denote the intended location for folding or creasing a material. It commonly appears in paper arts such as origami, graphic design, printing and packaging, and in pattern-making for textiles.

In origami and paper modelling, a Faltlinie marks where paper should be folded; conventions distinguish mountain and valley folds, often represented by different dashed or dashed-and-dotted line styles on diagrams. Precision of the Faltlinie determines the accuracy and structural integrity of the finished model. Tools used to create or emphasize fold lines include bone folders, scoring wheels, and creasing boards.

In printing and packaging, Faltlinien are part of dielines or cutting templates that indicate where cartons, brochures or other printed materials should be folded. Pre-scoring or creasing along these lines helps produce clean, repeatable folds and reduces material stress and cracking at the fold. In sewing and pattern-making, a Faltlinie can indicate a center fold or placement for pleats and hems.

As a general design element, a clearly defined Faltlinie aids manufacturability and assembly by guiding users or machines to fold materials accurately. The term is also used in technical documentation and instruction diagrams to communicate folding sequences and expected outcomes. Etymologically it derives from the German words falten (to fold) and Linie (line).