Help My Art Is Bleeding!

Posted September 10, 2011

"If you don't allow for trimming variance then the color that is supposed to nicely flow off the edge of the paper will be interrupted with a white area where the cut extended past the printed area."

Asking a client to submit artwork with bleed doesn’t mean that I am asking them to sick their 300 lb cousin named Moose on it to work it over until it cries Uncle. Bleed is the area of a printed image that extends beyond the finished trimmed edge of the page, i.e., it is the part that is cut and thrown away. If color runs to the edge of the paper then it bleeds. I guess that term came from the color bleeding off the edge. It makes sense to me.

Depending on the type of project you are printing, the amount of bleed may vary but it is safe to say that 1/8” (0.125) on all edges will suffice in most cases. No trimming process is exact. Just try cutting a straight line with cisors. Machines handle this process with much greater accuracy but the margin for error still exists which is why a little grace area is needed. If you don't allow for trimming variance then the color that is supposed to nicely flow off the edge of the paper will be interrupted with a white area where the cut extended past the printed area. That is a great way to mess up a perfectly good design.

Crigital or any good graphic designer can save your artwork according to the specifications requested by your printer and most online design programs can build it in for you so that your projects will print correctly. There is no reason to confine your designs within a white border unless you are printing digitally. In some cases of short run digital printing it may be necessary that your art not bleed. Ask your print representative if you have questions. Bring on the bleed, no bandages required.

Oh, one more very important note: BEWARE OF MS PUBLISHER! Achomplishing bleed from this application that is suitable for print is next to, if not impossible. For the most professional and best results you should purchase Adobe InDesign (multipage projects) or Adobe Illustrator (1 to 2 page and/or vector projects).

Call or email a Crigital Media Marketing Team Member today. We'll show you just how easy it is to get your marketing plan started with our unique mix of traditional and "new school" print and digital marketing products and services. 615.754.9430 Email a Marketing Team Member Now.