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Bleed calculator

Calculate the total document size including bleed for any print product. Standard 3 mm / 0.125 inch bleed by default; configurable for large format and pa…

Common sizes
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Document size (with bleed)
91.0 × 61.0 mm
Trim size
85.0 × 55.0 mm
Safe area
79.0 × 49.0 mm
  • Bleed — extend artwork to here
  • Trim — where it gets cut
  • Safe — keep text inside

The math is straightforward but easy to get wrong manually under deadline pressure:

  • Total document = trim + (2 × bleed) on each axis. A 85×55 mm business card with 3 mm bleed becomes a 91×61 mm document.
  • Trim line matches the input trim size — that's where the cutter hits.
  • Safe zone = trim − (2 × safe-zone-margin). Critical content inside this is guaranteed clear of the cut.
  • Pixel dimensions at 300 DPI = total document × (DPI / 25.4) for mm. For inches, total document × DPI. The pixel count is what your editor's "image size" or "document size" dialog wants when you create a new file from a bitmap.

For commercial print, 300 DPI is the default. For large format (banners, posters viewed from a distance), 100–150 DPI is often acceptable. For close-up consumer products (photo books, business cards), don't go below 300 DPI.

FAQ

Bleed FAQ

What is bleed and why does it matter?

Bleed is the extra area of artwork that extends past the final trim line. Print finishing — guillotine cutting on offset, contour cut on digital — has a mechanical tolerance of 1–2 mm. If your design ends exactly at the trim line and the cut shifts by even 1 mm, you get a thin white edge where the paper shows through. Adding bleed (typically 3 mm / 0.125") ensures the artwork extends past the cut so there is never a white edge.

How much bleed do I need?

The standard is 3 mm (0.125 inch) for most commercial print work. Some processes require more: 5 mm for large-format (banners, posters), 5–10 mm for packaging dielines, and 1.5 mm minimum for business cards on certain digital presses. Confirm with your printer — over-the-bleed never hurts; under-the-bleed creates problems at the finishing stage.

What is the safe zone?

The safe zone is the area inside the trim where critical content (text, logos, faces) should stay. Anything inside the safe zone is guaranteed to be far enough from the cut that finishing tolerance will not clip it. Standard safe zone is 3 mm inside the trim line.

Do I need bleed if my design has a white background?

No. If your design has no artwork at the edges (white background, white margin), the cut can shift slightly without anyone noticing because there is no edge for the cut tolerance to expose. Bleed is only required when artwork goes to the edge.

Why doesn't my PDF look like it has bleed?

Most PDF viewers (Acrobat, Preview, Chrome) display the trim box by default, not the bleed box. The bleed is there — it is just clipped from view. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat and turn on the trim/bleed/art box overlay (View → Page Display → Show Art Trim Bleed Boxes) to see them.

PrintIntegrator handles bleed automatically.

Set bleed once per product family. Every customer-personalized design generates with correct bleed, trim, and safe-zone enforcement — no operator re-prep.

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