What is bleed?
In the printing industry, specifically in printing, bleed refers to the area that extends beyond the edges of the final document format. This excess is removed after printing and subsequent trimming. Bleed serves to eliminate problems caused by deviations during printing or trimming, such as inaccurate edges or white strips.
The significance of bleed in graphic design
Bleed is essential, especially when printing materials where color or graphic elements extend to the edge of the document. When designing, it is important to adjust the placement of elements so that no important content, such as text, is located in the bleed area. Otherwise, it could be unintentionally cut off during trimming.
Bleed and its optimal size
For most printing projects, a bleed of 3 to 5 mm on each side of the document is recommended, with the specific dimension depending on the printer's requirements. For larger formats or designs with intense graphic filling, it is better to use a wider bleed.
Consequences of the absence of bleed in printing
If bleed is not used during printing, the resulting material may contain unwanted white strips along the edges. This problem arises if the paper is not precisely aligned with the printed image or if there are slight deviations during trimming.
How to set bleed in graphic programs?
Most professional graphic design tools, such as Adobe InDesign, offer the option to set bleed when creating a new document. You can add bleed later, but it is better to set this space in the initial phase of the design to avoid problems during subsequent printing.