What is Bleed?
What Is Bleed in Printing — And How Do You Set It Up Correctly?
If you’ve ever sent artwork to print and been asked, “Does it have bleed?”, you’re not alone. Bleed is one of the most common (and confusing!) parts of preparing artwork for professional printing.
But here’s the good news: once you understand what bleed is and how to set it up, it becomes second nature — and it makes your final product look cleaner and more professional.
At Ready Steady Print, we want your prints to come out perfect the first time. This quick guide breaks down what bleed is, why it matters, and how to set it up for flawless results.
What Exactly Is Bleed?
Bleed is the extra 3mm of artwork added beyond the finished trim size of your design. Think of it as a safety zone.
Why?
Because during printing and trimming, even the best commercial guillotines can shift by 1–2mm. Without bleed, you can end up with thin white edges around your artwork — not a good look.
In simple terms:
Bleed ensures your background colours, photos, or graphics extend all the way to the edge of the page, even after trimming.
How Bleed Works (A Quick Example)
Let’s say you’re designing a standard A5 flyer.
The finished size (trim size) is 148 x 210 mm.
If your artwork needs bleed, you add 3mm on every side:
Width: 148 mm → 154 mm
Height: 210 mm → 216 mm
This ensures that when the flyer is trimmed, any movement in the cut doesn’t leave a white line at the edges.
Why Bleed Is Important
✔ Cleaner, professional results
✔ No unwanted white borders
✔ Guaranteed full-edge colour or imagery
✔ Your print job doesn’t get delayed (we often need to fix files without bleed)
Skipping bleed is one of the biggest reasons artwork gets rejected or delays production — but it’s totally avoidable.
How to Set Up Bleed in Your Design Software
Below are quick instructions for the most common programs.
Adobe Illustrator
When creating a new document, set Bleed: 3mm on all sides.
Make sure any background colours or images extend to the red bleed line.
Keep text and logos inside the safe area (at least 3–5mm from the trim edge).
Export as PDF using “High Quality Print” with “Use Document Bleed Settings” ticked.
Adobe InDesign
In New Document, set Bleed → 3mm (top, bottom, inside, outside).
Extend background elements to the bleed guides.
Keep important content inside the margins.
Export → PDF (Print) → Marks & Bleeds → Tick “Use Document Bleed Settings”.
Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop doesn’t have a built-in bleed setting, so you need to manually add 6mm to your canvas size.
For an A5 design:
Canvas: 154 x 216 mm
Build your artwork to the edge.
Keep text/logos safely inside 3–5mm from the trim size.
Export as PDF.
Canva
Good news — Canva can export bleed effortlessly.
Design as usual.
When finished, File → Show Print Bleed, then make sure your background extends to the bleed edge.
Download → PDF Print → Tick “Crop marks and bleed”.
Safe Area vs Bleed — Don’t Confuse Them!
Bleed = Extra artwork outside the trim line (usually 3mm).
Safe Area = Everything important (text, logos, key images) should stay inside this margin so it isn’t cut off.
Think of bleed as “extra artwork” and safe area as “protected artwork”.
How to Check If Your Artwork Has Bleed
Before uploading to Ready Steady Print, run this quick checklist:
☑ Does the PDF size match trim size + 3mm on each side?
☑ Do colours/images extend right to the bleed edge?
☑ Are there crop marks?
☑ Are all key elements inside the safe area?
If yes — you’re good to go!
If not — don’t stress. We can usually fix your file for a small fee, or talk you through what needs adjusting.
Conclusion
Bleed is one of those small technical details that makes a huge difference to the final look of your print job. Setting it up properly ensures your design prints beautifully, with edge-to-edge colour and zero surprises.
If you ever need help preparing artwork for print, our team at Ready Steady Print is only one message away. Send us your file and we’ll happily check it for you before it goes to print.
