Bleeding The Print | Print Sunday

Do you ever look at a print that looks off-balance or like a part of the image is cut off? This issue can be caused by something called "print bleed." Learning how to set up bleed for print while creating your artwork will result in a clean and professional-looking finished product!

Bleed is an important part of printing that is often overlooked, but it can make a big difference in how printed materials turn out in the end. In simple terms, "print bleed" refers to the additional area of an image or design that extends beyond the edges of the printed page. This extra area is necessary because most printing equipment cannot print right up to the edge of a page, and cutting the paper after printing will eliminate any white margins that may appear along the edges of the printed material. Without bleed, your design might have uneven edges or a white border that stands out, which can take away from how it looks as a whole. Print bleed is an important part of the printing process because it makes sure that your printed materials look professional and polished.

So, how do you set up print bleed for your designs? The first step is to understand the printing requirements of your printer. Most printers will require a minimum of 3mm of bleed on all sides of the artwork. For larger signage, we recommend a 10mm bleed on all sides. However, it's important to check with your printer to confirm their exact requirements.

Once you know the bleed requirements, you can set up your design accordingly. Most design software, such as Adobe Illustrator or InDesign, have options to set up a bleed when creating a new document. Simply select the appropriate settings for your desired bleed and ensure that your design extends beyond the edge of the page by the required amount.

To set up bleed in InDesign, follow these steps:

Open your InDesign document.
Go to File > Document Setup.
In the Document Setup dialog box, select the Bleed and Slug category.
In the Bleed section, enter the desired bleed amount. The standard bleed is 3mm, but this may vary depending on your project.
Make sure that the checkboxes for Use Document Bleed Settings and Preview are selected.
Click OK to save the changes.

To set up bleed in Illustrator, follow these steps:

Open the document in Illustrator.
Go to "File" > "Document Setup."
In the Document Setup dialog box, select the "Bleed" section.
In the Bleed section, enter the desired amount of bleed for your document. Typically, this is 3mm on all sides, but this may vary depending on your project.
Click "OK" to save your changes.

Once you have set up the bleed, you should see a red line on the edge of your document indicating the bleed area. Make sure that any images or objects that extend to the edge of the page extend into the bleed area.

When you export your document for print, make sure to select "Use Document Bleed Settings" in the Export dialog box. This will ensure that the bleed area is included in the exported file.

To set up bleed in Canva, follow these steps:

Open your design in Canva.
Click on the "File" menu at the top left corner and select "Download."
In the Download dialog box, select the file type you want to download (e.g. PDF Print, JPG or PNG) and click on the "More" button located on the right side of the format.
In the "Advanced Options" menu, select "Show Bleed" and enter the desired amount of bleed for your design. Typically, this is 0.125 inches on all sides.
Click the "Download" button to save your file with the bleed.

Once you have set up the bleed, you should see a red line on the edge of your design, indicating the bleed area. Make sure that any images or objects that extend to the edge of the design extend into the bleed area. When you open the downloaded file for printing or further editing, the bleed area will be included in the file.

When setting up your design with print bleed, it's also essential to keep in mind the critical elements of your design. For example, if you have text or important graphics close to the edge of the page, make sure they are within the safe zone of your design, which is the area inside the bleed. This will make sure that none of your important design information will be cut off.

All in all, understanding print bleed and setting up your designs accordingly is key to having a successful print job. You don't want any unexpected white borders or uneven edges. As always, check with your printer or printing company first to make sure that you are following their specific requirements. After all, it’s important for your printed materials to look good from the very first impression—because first impressions count! If you are ever in doubt, reach out to Print Sunday, we are more than happy to help!