
Letting images extend beyond the needed bleed clutters the file, can lead to bloated PDF files and simply looks sloppy. The fact that content needs to extend beyond the page boundaries is no excuse for sloppy design. Once the design of a job has been finalized, modifying bleed can be a real hassle so it is better to start off using the correct value. Contact your printer in case of doubt or look up their recommendations on their website.

Many prefer a bit more bleed – 5 millimeters – especially for large books, thickish paper or jobs with many sections.īleed requirements can be different from one printing company to another and from one job to another.

Generally, the bleed amount is set to 3 millimeters or 1/8 of an inch. If a small page number is put right at the edge of the page and that page is trimmed incorrectly, the page number may simply get cut away. To avoid such lines, the design elements have to extend beyond the trim edge of the page.Īctually all the reasons why bleed is needed also explain why small design elements should not be positioned too close to the outer edges of the document. If the page content exactly fits the page itself, such errors could cause a thin white line to show at one of the edges of the page. Paper is an organic material that may shrink when it is subjected to humidity and mechanical stress.

To be able to move pages, you need the content to extend a bit beyond the trimmed page size.ģ. To compensate for this effect, the entire content of pages is shifted slightly to the left or right, depending on production needs and the design of the content.
