Bleed and safe area
Understanding Bleed and Safe Area
What is Bleed?
Bleed is a printing term that refers to an extra margin around your design that extends beyond the edge of the final trimmed product. This ensures that when your printed piece is cut to size, there are no unsightly white edges or gaps in the design.
Why is Bleed Important?
Printing presses don’t cut paper perfectly every time. Slight variations can occur, and without bleed, these variations could result in white slivers appearing along the edges of your printed piece. Bleed compensates for these minor inconsistencies, guaranteeing a clean, professional finish.2
How Much Bleed Do I Need?
The industry standard for bleed is 3mm on all sides of your design.3 This means you should extend your background colors, images, and patterns 3mm beyond the intended trim line.
What is the Safe Area?
The safe area is the zone within your design where it’s safe to place important elements like text, logos, and crucial images. It’s located 3mm inside the trim line. Keeping these elements within the safe area ensures they won’t get cut off during the trimming process.
Here’s a visual to help you understand:
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- No Bleed: This can result in white edges on your final product.
- Text in the Bleed Area: Any text outside the safe area risks being cut off.
- Not Enough Bleed: Make sure you have a full 3mm bleed on all sides.
- Bleed Area is a Different Color: Maintain a consistent color or pattern from your design into the bleed area.
Need Help with Bleed and Safe Area?
If you’re unsure about how to set up your files with bleed and safe area, our team is here to help. We can guide you through the process or even make the necessary adjustments to your artwork for a flawless print result.
Table of Sizes with Bleed:
For your convenience, here’s a table with common print sizes and their corresponding dimensions with bleed included:
Contact us today if you need help setting up your artwork with bleed and safe area.