Trimming Process

Why cutting misalignment occurs

• Multiple-up printing: To reduce printing costs, the data we receive from customers is often imposed onto one large sheet with multiple copies printed together.
• Cutting in stacked layers: When trimming to the final size, several hundred sheets are stacked and cut at once.

※ During this process, slight paper expansion or contraction, as well as mechanical limitations, make it impossible to eliminate minor misalignment entirely.

Acceptable tolerance

For the reasons above, the following degrees of misalignment during finishing cuts are considered within acceptable tolerance:

• Standard products: less than 2 mm
• Products with PP coating: less than 3 mm

※ We sincerely apologize, but misalignment within these tolerances is not eligible for reprinting or refunds. Thank you for your understanding.

Request to customers: How to prevent unexpected results

To prevent issues such as text being cut off or unintended white edges caused by cutting misalignment, please follow the guidelines below:

• Bleed: Extend background colors or images 3 mm beyond the final size on all sides to avoid white edges.
• Safe margins for text: Ensure that text or important design elements are placed inside the final size (typically 3–5 mm inside the trim line).

※ Following these guidelines during data creation helps us deliver a more satisfactory finished product.

Although slight misalignment during trimming is unavoidable, depending on the design layout, the misalignment may appear more noticeable.

Designs where misalignment is highly visible (not recommended)

Designs with narrow frames (1–2 mm inside the trim line) make misalignment very obvious.

Reason (example: 1 mm inner border): Even slight misalignment can cause one side of the border to disappear or appear uneven in width, making the misalignment more pronounced. This effect is especially noticeable when borders are 3 mm or thinner.

Designs where misalignment is less noticeable (recommended)

To visually minimize misalignment and achieve a more stable finish, we recommend the following border settings:

• Recommended: Place borders at least 3 mm inside the trim line.
• Reason (example: 3 mm inner border): When the border is 3 mm or wider, slight misalignment becomes less noticeable because the difference is small relative to the overall border width.
• White borders: Even if the border is white, creating it with a width of 3 mm or more helps reduce the visibility of misalignment.

Why center-aligned designs are especially noticeable

When text or shapes are centered precisely within the final size, even slight trimming misalignment can become obvious for the following reason:

• Visual perception: Human vision is sensitive to shifts from the center. A 1 mm deviation in trimming can make the left and right margins appear uneven, making the misalignment seem more pronounced.

Recommended placement (less noticeable examples)

To visually reduce the impact of cutting misalignment and achieve consistent results, it is important to provide sufficient margin from the trim line.

• Recommended placement: Place text and important design elements at least 3 mm inside the trim line.

To help ensure a high-quality printed result, especially for center-aligned designs, we ask that you allow at least 3 mm of margin from the trim line.