What is a Bleed?

A bleed refers to printing a color copy from one edge of the paper to the other without the standard borders by which most personal printers are limited. This is useful for printing brochures, posters, and other marketing materials with printing right to the edge. Often the paper is trimmed after printing to ensure the toner or ink runs fully to the edge and does not leave any white margins.

Visual Guide

Below is guide on how to properly setup your file for Bleeds.

In order to print your file with a full bleed, there must be an additional 1/2" added to the overall dimensions. In FIG. 1 the file is setup at 9" x 11.5", the red shaded area will be cut off and the resulting final product will be FIG. 2, an 8.5" x 11" sheet with no white margins. This bleed setup works for any size document that you don't want a white margin on.

Keep in mind when printing with a bleed that you don't have any content such as text on or near the bleed cut. If you have text that is too close to where the paper will be cut there is a chance that it will be cut off. It is best practice to have any important information 1/4" from the bleed cut lines or 1/2" from the edge of the document.

No Bleed Setup

If you are printing a file that doesnt bleed and your content goes to the edges of the document (see FIG. 3), your file will be shrunk to adjust for the 1/4" printer margin when it is printed. The resulting final product will be FIG. 4, an 8.5" x 11" sheet with a minimum of a 1/4" white margin on all sides.

The best practice when printing without a bleed is to setup your file with 1/4" white margin. This will insure that your file isnt scaled and the end result will be exactly like your artwork.

When you are setting up your file it is best to know before hand if you want your document to have a bleed. This way you will know exactly how your document will look once printed and there will be no surprises when you receive the finished product.