Artwork: Bleed Explained

What is bleed?

Bleed is the area of artwork that extends beyond the final trimmed edge of a printed page.

When a document is trimmed down to its finished size, small variations in cutting are unavoidable. Bleed ensures that colour, images, or background elements reach the edge of the page cleanly, with no white lines appearing after trimming.

When is bleed required?

Bleed is required whenever a design includes:

• Colour backgrounds that run to the edge of the page

• Images that extend to the page edge

• Full-page photographs or graphics

If all content sits comfortably within the page margins and does not reach the edge, bleed may not be necessary.

Standard bleed size

For most book and print projects, the standard bleed requirement is:

• 3 mm on all sides

This applies to:

• Book interiors

• Covers

• Booklets

• Flyers and leaflets

Unless advised otherwise, artwork should always be supplied with a 3 mm bleed.

Trim, bleed, and safe areas

It’s helpful to think of a printed page as three zones:

• Trim line: where the page will be cut to its final size

• Bleed area: the extra 3 mm outside the trim line

• Safe area: the space inside the trim line where important content should sit

Important text, page numbers, and logos should be kept at least 10–15 mm away from the trim edge to avoid being cut off or appearing too close to the edge.

How to set up bleed in your artwork

Most design software allows bleed to be set when creating a document.

The key points are:

• Set bleed to 3 mm on all sides

• Extend backgrounds and images fully into the bleed area

• Do not place crop marks inside the finished page area

• Ensure the final exported PDF includes the bleed

If you are unsure how to enable bleed in your software, exporting a print-ready PDF with bleed included is usually the final step.

Covers and bleed

Cover files often require bleed even if interior pages do not.

For book covers:

• Front, spine, and back covers are usually supplied as one combined file

• Bleed is required around the entire cover

• Spine width must be calculated accurately

Cover requirements can vary depending on binding type, so it’s always best to confirm specifications before finalising artwork.

Common bleed mistakes

Some of the most common issues we see include:

• No bleed added at all

• Bleed added on only some sides

• Backgrounds stopping at the trim line

• Crop marks cutting into the artwork

• Important text placed too close to the edge

These issues can cause visible white edges or require files to be corrected before printing.

If you’re unsure

If you’re not confident that your artwork includes the correct bleed, that’s fine.

You can submit your files and let us know you’re unsure. We’ll check the setup and confirm whether any changes are needed before production begins.

Related guides

You may also find these articles useful:

• Supplying Print-Ready PDF Files

• CMYK Colour Setup Explained

• Trim and Margins Explained

• Book Cover File Setup