Ever walk into a print shop and start talking to a staff member about what you need designed, and one of the first questions they ask is about the bleed?
And then you cock your head to the side like a puzzled dog, and think, “Bleed? Am I bleeding? I have no idea what is being mentioned.”
The staff manager understands your quizzical look and says, “You have no idea what I am talking about, do you?”
You smile weakly and shake your head.
So the staff member begins to explain as simply as possible:
“The bleed is a design term used every day in the print world. It is printing that goes beyond the edge of the sheet after trimming. The bleed is the part on the side of a document that gives the printer a small amount of space to account for movement of the paper, and design inconsistencies. Bleed ensures that no unprinted edges occur in the final trimmed document.”
Images, background images and fills which are intended to extend to the edge of the page must be extended beyond the trim line to give a bleed.
Bleeds in the United States are usually 1/8 of an inch from where the cut is to be made. This can vary from one print company to another. Some printers ask for specific sizes; most of these companies place the specific demands on their website or offer templates that are already set to their required bleed settings.
Full bleed printing is from one edge of the paper to the other without the standard borders by which most personal printers are limited. This is useful for printing brochures, posters, and other materials. Often the paper is trimmed after printing to ensure the ink runs fully to the edge and does not stop.
No comments:
Post a Comment