Back from the break! Yes, we’re knuckling down into the second Biggest Design Problem. You Could say this next problem is the most gruesome part of the design process, as it has to do with blood!
Or more accurately “bleeding your document”!
Design Problem #2 is “No Bleed in the Document”!
You mean I gotta give blood to get a print job out? Yeah, some of the terms in the industry can be a little unusual sometimes! When we talk about bleeding your document, it means when the background graphic or image ‘bleeds’ over the edge of the page. It’s to allow for the cutting tolerance of equipment.
Guilotines, Slitters and Timmers (regardless what brand or how expensive they are) can’t cut every printed product in precisely the same place. Variations occur. To compensate for this variation we bleed the background over the edge of the document, so that if it cuts a little bigger than the finished size you won’t get the unsightly effect of ‘white paper’ on the edge of it!
So how to do it?
Well, If your document has a background which you want to go all the way to the edge of the paper, then you will need to extend it even further past the edge of the document. It should be at least 3-5mm. For business cards and brochures 3mm is all that’s needed, however, magazines require 5mm. To be safe include 5mm as general practice. (The more the merrier!)
You need to know that this is for EVERY SINGLEedge of the paper! So you would have 5mm going past the TOP of your document, 5mm going past the BOTTOM of your document, 5mm going past the LEFT SIDE of your document, 5mm going past the RIGHT SIDE of your document.
Simple huh?
The weird thing is that so many people get it wrong!
We know that you won’t make that mistake now don’t we! (wink, wink, nod, nod!)
A hint for the next article is…The reverse of bleed….
This article was humbly brought to you by Hollands Print Solutions - the easy print provider! They produce high quality Business Cards, Brochures and Printing Flyers at affordable prices with excellent service! Visit their easy-to-use site at www.hollands.com.au
- Dwane Hollands
Highlights 
April 25th, 2008 