What is Print Bleed? Bleed Lines for Printing Explained

Designing printed items is an art, and when this art comes to its physical form, the design should properly be printed on paper. But sometimes, the print does not turn out well, and it mostly happens with the corners. That’s where the concept of bleed printing comes in. It is a minor yet very important detail for prints where you need the design to flow from corner to corner.

So, if you are a designer or a business that is about to procure some printed items like business cards or even big prints like hoarding graphics or hoarding lighting boards, then you must know what bleed means in printing. So, let’s start this guide about, what are bleed lines in printing and 3mm bleed meaning.

What are Bleed Lines in Printing?

If you are wondering what does bleed mean in printing and think it’s an error, well, it’s not. Actually bleed is often used when the ink spills in a print with bleed lines are different. Bleed in printing means the margin of around 3mm where the background of the print is extended to. Still confused? Let’s simplify.

When you create a design, let’s say a pamphlet, you will most likely utilise the whole page size, right? But when taking out the print of the design, you may find out that some of your design in the corner has been compromised. To tackle this bleed lines for printing were introduced. These bleed lines create a 3mm bleed on all the four sides. However, the final product is when the margin bleed is cut.

Full Bleed Printing Vs Normal Printing: A Detailed Comparison

So now that you understand what bleed in printing is, let’s have a look at how it can be differentiated from normal no-bleed printing.

Definition

In bleed printing, the background design of the print goes all the way to the edges, and the main design is kept inside a 3mm bleed and crop marks. However, for large format printing like hoarding boards the bleed can be 6mm or customised as per the need.

On the other hand, a normal print also has borders, but the design background strictly remains within the borders.

Use Cases

Bleed printing is best for printed items where the design must cover the whole area, like a visiting card, and white borders may look odd. Printing bleed marks are essential in such cases to ensure the design extends beyond the trim area, providing a seamless, edge-to-edge look.

No bleed printing can be used for certificates, letters, etc., but even bleed printing can be done for the same. Printing bleed marks help maintain precision and avoid any unwanted white edges on the final product. For larger formats like hoardings, proper bleed printing and hoarding lighting play a crucial role in creating impactful and professional displays. Learn more about effective solutions here: Hoarding Lighting.

Designing

As you get done with creating your design, you’ll have to reconsider the bleed of 3mm. Most of the popular editing software has a setting for bleed in their editing menu.

However, for a normal print, the software is already calibrated, requiring no need to follow any extra steps. To ensure the best results, especially for large-scale projects, check out our blog: 3 Things to Keep in Mind for Creating the Best Quality Hoarding Print.

Size of Printed Products Before and After Bleed Lines

If you need to put the bleed lines manually or just want a reference, here is a table for common printed items before and after the bleed.

Conclusion

In totality, this is why bleed lines in printing are important and how you can calculate them for your print. These borders can provide your design with a lively look. But when it comes to designing hoarding graphics or other printed items, then you should keep these three things in mind for the best quality hoarding prints.