What Is Bleed, and Why Is It Important for Printing?
What Is Bleed, and Why Is It Important for Printing? When preparing artwork for professional printing, bleed is the extra portion of the design that extends beyond the final trim size. Printed pieces are produced on larger sheets and then cut down to their finished size. Because cutting equipment can shift slightly during trimming, artwork that stops exactly at the trim edge may leave a thin white border. Extending backgrounds, photos, and colors beyond the trim line helps ensure the design prints cleanly to the edge. At Minuteman Press Clawson , we require artwork to be submitted at the correct finished size with a total of 0.25" bleed . This means the artwork extends 0.125" past each side of the finished piece, adding a total of 0.25" to the width and 0.25" to the height . For example, an 8.5" × 11" flyer should be submitted at 8.75" × 11.25" , and a 3.5" × 2" business card should be submitted at 3.75" × 2.25" . When sub...