Bleed in Printing: What You Need to Know

Are you looking for a printing technique that ensures your artwork runs off the edge of the paper, leaving no margins or white spaces? Then bleed printing might be the solution you need. This article will provide you with a comprehensive guide on bleed printing, including what it is, how to set it up, and the benefits of using it.

What is Bleed?

Bleed printing is a printing technique that involves printing an image slightly larger than the final size and trimming it down to the exact size after printing. This technique is used to create artwork that runs off the edge of the paper, leaving no margins or white spaces.

How to Set Up Bleed for Printing

To set up bleed printing, you need to follow these steps:

1. Start by designing your artwork, ensuring that it extends past the final trim size by at least 1/8inch or 3 mm. This extension is what we refer to as the bleed area.
2. Set up your document size to include the bleed area. For example, if your final size is 8.5 x 11 inches, your document size should be 8.75 x 11.25 inches.
3. Add crop marks to your document. Crop marks indicate where the final print should be trimmed.
4. Save your artwork in the correct file format, such as PDF or JPEG, with the crop marks included.

In this tutorial you can see how to add a bleed for a box dieline. Witch is a little bit complex meted then adding a bleed on a square shape

Benefits of Using Bleed in Printing

Using bleed printing has several benefits, including:

1. Professional Appearance

Bleed printing creates a professional look for your printed materials. It gives your artwork a seamless appearance, with no white margins or borders.

2. Flexibility in Design

Bleed printing allows you to be more creative with your designs. You can extend your artwork to the edge of the page, without worrying about white margins or borders.

3. Accurate Printing

Bleed printing ensures that your artwork is printed accurately, without any white spaces or margins. This technique ensures that your artwork is not cut off during the trimming process.

Bleed Printing vs. No Bleed Printing

The main difference between bleed printing and no bleed printing is the presence or absence of white margins or borders. Bleed printing creates artwork that extends off the edge of the paper, while no bleed printing leaves a margin or border around the artwork.

Tips for Bleed Printing

Here are some tips to keep in mind when using bleed printing:

1. Use High-Quality Images

Using high-quality images ensures that your artwork looks professional and sharp, even when it’s enlarged.

2. Check Your Printer’s Capabilities

Before setting up your artwork for bleed printing, make sure that your printer can handle bleed printing. Not all printers are capable of printing to the edge of the page.

3. Use the Correct Software

To set up bleed printing correctly, you need to use the right software. Adobe InDesign, for example, has built-in tools for setting up bleed printing.

4. Don’t Forget About Text

When designing for bleed printing, remember that any text or important elements should be kept within the safe zone. The safe zone is the area inside the crop marks where you want to keep any important elements to avoid getting cut off during trimming.

Conclusion

Bleed printing is a useful printing technique that creates a professional look for your printed materials. By extending your artwork off the edge of the paper, you can create a seamless, borderless appearance. Use high-quality images, check your printer’s capabilities, and use the correct software to ensure accurate printing.