Good to know
What is a bleed in printing?
The short answer
A bleed is the part of your design that runs past the edge of the finished piece, usually by 1/8 inch (0.125) on each side. It gets cut off. It is there so your color or photo reaches the very edge, with no thin white sliver left behind.
Why it is needed
Almost nothing is printed at its finished size. A business card, a postcard, or a flyer is printed on a larger sheet, often many to a sheet, and then cut down.
A cutter is accurate, but not to the width of a hair. If your background stopped exactly at the edge of the card, the smallest shift would leave a white line down one side. So the background is printed a little larger than the piece, and the extra is trimmed away.
Bleed, trim, and safe area
Every print-ready file has three edges, working from the outside in.
- Bleed. The outer edge of the artwork. Backgrounds and photos that touch the edge of the piece run out to here. Everything between this line and the next is cut off.
- Trim line. Where the piece is cut. This is the finished size: 3.5 x 2 inches for a business card.
- Safe area. An inner margin, usually 1/8 inch inside the trim line. Words, logos, and anything else that must not be clipped stay inside it.
- Bleed. The lighter band. Background runs out to here and is cut off.
- Trim line. The solid line. Where the card is cut.
- Safe area. The dashed line. Words and logos stay inside it.
How big to make the file
Add 1/8 inch to every side that bleeds. That makes the file a quarter inch wider and a quarter inch taller than the finished piece.
Large pieces such as banners and signs can call for more. Ask before you set one up.
| Piece | Finished size | With bleed |
|---|---|---|
| Business card | 3.5 x 2 in | 3.75 x 2.25 in |
| Postcard | 4 x 6 in | 4.25 x 6.25 in |
| Half-page flyer | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 5.75 x 8.75 in |
| Letter flyer | 8.5 x 11 in | 8.75 x 11.25 in |
When you do not need one
A bleed only matters when something touches the edge. If your design has a white border all the way around, with nothing running off the sheet, there is nothing to bleed and the file can be the finished size.
Some programs add the bleed for you. Canva does: you set the page to the finished size and turn the bleed on, and it adds the extra eighth of an inch itself.
Questions
More about bleeds
Don't see yours? Call 419.224.8747 and ask a person.
EXCELLENT4.9 from 58 Google reviews, rated 4.9 out of 5. Opens our Google Business profile in a new tabWhat are crop marks?
Thin lines at the corners of a print file that show where to cut. They sit outside the artwork, so they are trimmed away with the bleed. They are also called trim marks.
How much bleed do I need?
One eighth of an inch (0.125) on each side is the standard for most printed pieces. Large-format work such as banners can need more, so ask before you start.
What happens if my file has no bleed?
It can usually be fixed. The background has to be extended, or the piece finishes with a thin white border instead of color to the edge. Send what you have and tell us. You'll see a proof before anything prints.
Should my text go in the bleed?
No. Only backgrounds and photos go in the bleed, because that part is cut off. Keep words and logos at least 1/8 inch inside the trim line.
How do I add a bleed in Canva?
Set the page to the finished size, then go to File, Settings, Show print bleed, and drag your backgrounds out to the new outer edge. Our step-by-step guide covers the rest.
Make a print-ready business card in CanvaHow do I add a bleed in Microsoft Publisher?
Publisher has no bleed switch. You drag edge-to-edge items 1/8 inch past the edge of the page, then turn on the bleed and crop marks when you export the PDF.
Export a print-ready PDF from PublisherAlso worth a look
Not sure your file has one?
Send it with your request and tell us what you need. You'll see a proof before anything prints.