What is bleed in printing? In the print and design industry, ‘bleed’ is a term that often comes up, but it can be confusing for those new to the trade. Whether you are a budding designer, a business owner looking to create print materials, or simply someone curious about the intricacies of design, understanding bleed is crucial. This blog aims to explain the idea of bleed, describe its importance, and provide practical tips for incorporating it into your projects.
Bleed refers to the area of a design that extends beyond the edge of the final printed product. An extra margin is essential to ensure no unprinted white edges or unwanted borders in the final product. After printing, the sheet is trimmed to the required size. Slight misalignments in the cutting process may result in white lines around the edges of the design if a bleed is absent. Bleed acts as a safety net to ensure the design reaches the edge of the page.
Bleed is crucial for ensuring that your printed materials have even borders, which creates a polished and professional look, enhancing the overall appearance and quality.
Printing and cutting processes are only sometimes perfect. Bleed accommodates slight variations in the cutting process, ensuring that the design still looks as intended, even if the cut is slightly off.
Bleed ensures no gaps are present in designs that may include backgrounds or images extending to the edge of the document. This is particularly important for brochures, business cards, posters, and other marketing materials.
The short answer is: No, not all printed files require bleed.
As a rule, if you are designing a small-format item such as a poster, flyer, brochure, or business card, you would need to include bleed, but large-format items do not require bleed.
However, there are some exceptions to this rule. If the item includes a white background and all the design elements are within the safe area, bleed should not be added. This also applies to items where a white border is preferred. Examples of this type of ‘No Bleed’ printing would be letters, certificates and some types of formal documents.
When it comes to large-format printing, such as banners, posters, and signage, bleed is typically not necessary. Large-format items are often viewed from a distance, making minor imperfections less noticeable. Additionally, the methods used in large-format printing enable precise cutting, reducing the risk of white edges that bleed is meant to prevent.
Setting up bleed involves adding extra space around your design. Here is how to do it:
– Know the Standard Bleed Size:
The industry standard is typically 3mm bleed (1/8 inch) beyond the trim edge. However, it is always a good idea to check with your printer for their specific requirements before ordering.
– Extend Your Design:
Make sure any background colours, images, or elements needed to reach the edge of the paper extend into the bleed area. Most companies that offer printing services supply templates that typically include guidelines for the safe area and trim and bleed areas. As long as your design reaches the ‘bleed line’, the design will still touch the edge even if the cut is slightly off.
– Use Design Software:
Most professional design software, like Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, or even Photoshop, has settings to include bleed. When setting up your document, look for the option to add bleed and input the appropriate measurements.
– Check Your Work:
Before sending your design to the printer, use the preview or proofing tools to ensure that all elements extend into the bleed area and that important text or graphics are within the safe zone (usually 6mm or 1/4 inch inside the trim line).
In most cases, if you use the correct design programmes and export as the correct file type, as long as you enter the required finished size and bleed allowance when setting up, it is automatically added to the final document.
Therefore, knowing the full size of your document, including the bleed, is not always necessary, but it can sometimes be useful. Below is a table of popular sizes with and without bleed.
Document | Size (mm) | Size w/ Bleed (mm) |
Business Card | 88 x 55 | 94 x 61 |
Postcard | 148 x 105 | 154 x 111 |
Invitation | 210 x 148 | 216 x 154 |
Certificate | 297 x 210 | 303 x 216 |
A3 Poster | 297 x 420 | 303 x 426 |
A4 Brochure (Best Supplied as Single Pages) | 210 x 297 | 216 x 303 |
A5 Brochure (Best Supplied as Single Pages) | 148 x 210 | 154 x 216 |
One of the biggest mistakes is not including bleed in your design. Always check the requirements and ensure you have added the necessary bleed before sending your files to print.
Remember, the bleed area is a safety net that is not included in the final product. Please make sure that all necessary text and graphics are within the safe zone and do not extend into the bleed area.
When exporting your final design, use a file format that preserves the bleed settings. PDF is the most common file format for print because it maintains high quality, retains current bleed settings, and adds crop marks.
Understanding and properly implementing bleed in your printing projects is essential for achieving professional, high-quality printed materials. Guaranteeing your final products will appear polished, proficient, and precisely as envisioned is all down to making sure the right setup. Whether creating business cards, brochures, posters, or any other printed material, remember that bleed is your friend and a key to success in print & design.
By following the guidelines and tips outlined in this blog, you will be well on your way to mastering the art of bleed and producing outstanding print designs that stand out for all the right reasons. Happy designing!