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What is "Full-Bleed"?
A bleed design is printed so that one or more edges of the design run off the page (color extends to one or more edges). "Full-bleed" means that the design/color extends to all four edges. There is no white margin on a full-bleed design.
In order for the design to not have any white edge when we trim the item, bleed designs require that the design is printed to extend about 1/8" beyond where the design will be trimmed. This often means that a full-bleed design must be printed on a larger page size, or we will print fewer pieces per page.
For example, in order to achieve a full-bleed 8½" x 11" design, we must print the project on an 11" x 17" sheet. The design will need to be at least 8¾" x 11¼".
To save you money on designs such as this example, we usually suggest that you allow us to print the design as large as possible on an 8½" x 11" sheet, then we will trim the design, resulting in a finished size of about 8" x 10½".
Here's an example of a full-bleed business card design:
Full-Bleed Design
Final Trimmed Card
If the above business card was set up without allowing for a bleed, the final trimmed card would look like this:
You can see that this cuts into the margins and the words "World" and "Digital" are cut off at the edges. Obviously, this would not be a desirable final product! So this is why it's important to have files set up properly with a bleed allowance.
If you are setting up a full-bleed design file, please extend your design (usually a background color or graphics) at least ¼" past the trim edge. For most projects, you should allow an additional ¼" margin inside the trim edge for text.
Questions about full-bleed or how to set up your design file? Email us or call us at 937-431-1982.
Have your full-bleed design ready to print? Place an order with our Online Order page.
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