Producing high-quality print materials as a Nottingham printer requires understanding technical terms like “bleed.” In this article, we’ll explain what bleed is, why print design requires it, and how to set up your artwork with bleed.
Bleed ensures no unwanted white edges or borders appear when the final piece is trimmed. Without bleed, white edges can make the design look unprofessional. Bleed is a crucial element of print design, especially when producing high-quality materials.
For example, a standard A4 document requires a 3mm bleed on all sides for designs that go to the edge. This means artwork must be 216mm x 303mm in total, with an extra 3mm on each side as the bleed area.
Bleed allows for variations in the printing and trimming process. Including bleed ensures that small shifts or variations won’t affect the final design.
So, how do you set up your artwork with bleed? The easiest way is to simply extend the edges of your design by 3mm on all sides. This means that if you’re designing an A4 document, you would set up your document to be 216mm x 303mm in total, with the extra 3mm on each side being the bleed area. When you export your design as a PDF, make sure to include the bleed area in your export settings.
It’s important to keep all important text and images at least 5mm away from the edge of your design. The “safe area” is the area inside the edge of your artwork that should contain all of the important content. As a general rule, it’s a good idea to keep all important text and images at least 5mm away from the edge of your design. This is because there is always a risk that some of the content may be trimmed off during the printing and trimming process.
As a Nottingham printer, we understand the importance of bleed in producing high-quality printed materials. By including bleed in your artwork, you can ensure that your final printed piece looks professional and polished. Don’t forget to set up your artwork with bleed and make sure to keep important content within the safe area to avoid any unwanted trimming. Contact us today if you need help from Tenfold, your Nottingham Printer.