Prevent White Edges Around Your Piece
If any color, photo, or background touches an edge, tiny shifts during cutting can reveal a white sliver. Adding bleed makes sure color reaches the edge on every piece.
Bleed is a small buffer you add around your design by expanding any background color, photo, or graphic past its intended size on every edge. Then, when we print and trim the sheets, the blade cuts through the ink, not paper. This simple step gives you clean edges and keeps every piece in your run looking the same.
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Adding Bleed Is Easy
All you have to do is extend elements on the outside edges of your document past the final size on every side. For most documents, including business cards, postcards, brochures, and flyers, add an extra 0.125 inches on each side. For larger pieces like posters, rigid signs, or banners, use a larger bleed of around 0.25 or 0.5 inches. Then, export a PDF with crop marks and the document bleed included.
Not sure how much bleed to add? Printing a specialty project with lamination, die cutting, contour cutting, or mounting? Ask us. We’re here to help.
How to Add Print Bleed in Canva
Follow these steps to add print bleed in Canva:
- Create a new design at the final trim size.
- Click File, hover over Settings, then select Show print bleed. Canva displays a faint guide outside the canvas.
- Extend background colors, photos, and shapes fully to the outer bleed guide on every
- Keep text and logos inside the safety area. Leave at least 0.125 inches between live content and the trim edge.
- Download as PDF Print. In the download options, select Crop marks and bleed. If your artwork uses effects or transparency, consider selecting Flatten PDF as well.
- Submit the PDF to United GMG. If color settings are uncertain, export with embedded profiles, and we will manage conversion for the intended press.
How to Add Print Bleed in InDesign
Follow these steps to add print bleed in InDesign:
- Choose File, then New Document. Enter the final page size. Do not include bleed in the page size itself.
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Expand the Bleed and Slug section. Enter 0.125 inch for top, bottom, inside, and outside. Click the chain icon to link all sides.
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Place or draw backgrounds so they extend to the red bleed line. Keep type and logos inside the page margins for safety.
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Use View, Overprint Preview to check edges, transparency, and placed graphics.
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Navigate to File, Export, and then Adobe PDF Print. Select the Press Quality preset.
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In Marks and Bleeds, check Crop Marks and check Use Document Bleed Settings. Export the PDF.
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For posters and other large format items, increase Bleed to 0.25 inch or more, then export using the same settings.
How to Add Print Bleed in Photoshop
Follow these steps to add print bleed in Photoshop:
- Create a new document at the final trim size and 300 PPI.
- Add bleed guides. One method is to increase the canvas size by 0.25 inch in both width and height to simulate 0.125 inch on all sides. Another method is to navigate to View, New Guide Layout with margins set to 0.125 inch to mark the safety area and additional guides 0.125 inch outside the trim for bleed.
- Extend backgrounds and images past the trim guides to your outer bleed guides.
- Keep live text within the safety area.
- Save as Photoshop PDF or TIFF. If exporting PDF, choose High Quality Print or Press Quality. Crop marks can be added by the print provider during imposition if your export dialog does not include them.
- Convert to CMYK when required. Alternatively, include embedded RGB profiles. United GMG will handle conversion based on the chosen press and paper.
How to Add Print Bleed in Illustrator
Follow these steps to add print bleed in Illustrator:
- Click File, then New, and set the final artboard size.
- Set Bleed to 0.125 inch on all sides in the New Document dialog.
- Place or draw background elements so they extend to the outer red bleed edge. Keep type and logos inside the artboard margins for safety.
- Go to View, Trim View to preview how the piece will look after trimming.
- Choose File, Save As or File, Save a Copy, then Adobe PDF Print. Select the Press Quality preset.
- In Marks and Bleeds, check Trim Marks and check Use Document Bleed Settings. Export the PDF.
Pre-Print Checklist
Check this list before you export. It just takes a minute and prevents rework.
- Confirm trim size and set the correct bleed.
- Extend backgrounds and photos fully into the bleed.
- Keep text and logos at least 0.125 inches inside the trim.
- Make sure images are 300 PPI at final size.
- Set colors for print CMYK or specified spot colors.
- Embed or outline all fonts.
- Export a PDF with crop marks and document bleed.
- Open the PDF at 200% and check corners for continuous color past the trim.
Not sure about bleed or size? Send us your file, and we’ll check it. We can confirm the right bleed, check complex folds or bindings, and make sure your file is press ready.
Pre-Print Checklist
Check this list before you export. It just takes a minute and prevents rework.
- Confirm trim size and set the correct bleed.
- Extend backgrounds and photos fully into the bleed.
- Keep text and logos at least 0.125 inches inside the trim.
- Make sure images are 300 PPI at final size.
- Set colors for print CMYK or specified spot colors.
- Embed or outline all fonts.
- Export a PDF with crop marks and document bleed.
- Open the PDF at 200% and check corners for continuous color past the trim.
Not sure about bleed or size? Send us your file, and we’ll check it. We can confirm the right bleed, check complex folds or bindings, and make sure your file is press ready.