What is Bleed

When preparing artwork for printing, it’s important to understand that trimming (cutting the paper down to final size) always involves a small amount of mechanical shift. To prevent unexpected white edges or parts of your design being cut off, please check the two points below.

If your design has color or images that extend to the edge of the paper (such as flyers or posters),you must extend the artwork 3 mm beyond the final size on all sides. This extra area is called bleed.

Why is bleed necessary?

Prints are first output on large sheets, then stacked and cut with a heavy industrial cutter. Because of factors such as vibration, paper expansion, and cutting pressure, a small trimming shift (usually 1–2 mm) can occur.

If your artwork is designed exactly to the final size with no bleed, even a tiny shift will expose the white paper underneath, making the edges look uneven or “chipped.”

What to check

1. Make sure background colors, photos, or patterns extend past the trim line (outside the crop marks).
2. Standard bleed amount: 3 mm on all four sides.
3. Illustrator Tip: How to set bleed when creating a new file
   • File → New…
   • Enter your document size.
   • Open the Bleed section and set 3 mm for Top / Bottom / Left / Right.
   • Illustrator will show a red frame representing the bleed area.

If you already have an existing file, you can set bleed via:

1. File → Document Setup → Bleed
2. Then extend your artwork to the outer red line.

Important text, logos, or key design elements should be placed at least 3 mm inside the final trim area.

Why is this necessary?

Just as trimming can shift outward (causing white edges),it can also shift inward. If text or logos sit too close to the edge, they may be partially cut off.

What to check

1. Ensure essential information (address, phone number, URLs, etc.) is not placed too close to the edge.
2. Frames, borders, or decorative lines placed too close to the trim line will highlight even slight trimming shifts, so keep them comfortably inside.

Illustrator Tip: Creating a safe area

A common method is:

1. Draw a rectangle the size of the finished document.
2. Use Object → Path → Offset Path…
3. Enter –3 mm to create an inner “safe area” guide.