When it comes to sending your artwork for professional printing, proper setup is crucial to ensure that your design prints accurately and looks as intended. If not set up correctly, your artwork can result in unwanted white edges, cropping, or misalignment. One key aspect of preparing artwork for print is the inclusion of print bleed, which ensures that your design extends beyond the trim area, allowing for a perfect edge-to-edge print. In this article, we’ll go over how to set up your artwork for printing, including the critical details about print bleed.
1. Understanding Print Bleed
Print bleed is the area of your artwork that extends beyond the final trim size of the printed piece. It ensures that when the print is trimmed, there’s no risk of having a white edge around your design. In other words, bleed compensates for minor shifts in alignment during the cutting process, so the artwork appears seamless and full-bleed.
Without bleed, any slight movement during trimming could result in a thin white line at the edge of your artwork where the design didn’t reach, creating an unprofessional appearance.
2. Determine the Correct Bleed Size
We require a bleed of at least 1/8 inch (0.125 inches), or 3 mm, on each side of the document for all artwork excluding business cards which is half the bleed amount (1.5mm). This means you’ll need to extend your design beyond the final trim size by that amount to ensure full coverage once the piece is cut to its final size.
For example, if you’re designing an Invitation that will be trimmed to 5 x 7 inches, you’ll need to set your document size to 5.25 x 7.25 inches (5 inches plus 0.125 inches for the top and bottom, and 7 inches plus 0.125 inches for the left and right sides).
Key points about bleed:
- Bleed ensures that there are no unwanted white borders after trimming.
- The typical bleed size is 1/8 inch (0.125 inches/3mm).
- Make sure important elements (like text or logos) are kept away from the bleed area.
3. Set Up Your Document
When setting up your artwork for professional printing, you need to define the right dimensions in your design software (Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, etc.). Here’s how to configure your document:
- Step 1: Start by setting your final trim size. This is the size your printed piece will be after it’s cut.
- Step 2: Add the bleed area. For a 5 x 7-inch invitation, set your document size to 5.25 x 7.25 inches (5 + 0.125 on both sides and 7 + 0.125 on both sides).
- Step 3: Create guidelines to mark the trim line (final cut edge) and the bleed area. This can help you ensure that important design elements are not too close to the edge of the document. Typically, the trim line is set at the final size, and the bleed area extends beyond that.
Note: In Adobe InDesign, for example, you can input bleed settings directly when you create a new document. In Adobe Illustrator, you can manually extend the artboard and add guides for bleed.
4. Design with the Bleed in Mind
When designing your artwork, ensure that any background colors, images, or design elements that are meant to extend to the edge of the paper go all the way to the edge of the bleed area. This ensures that after trimming, the design will appear seamless, with no unexpected white gaps.
Keep important elements away from the edge:
- Text and logos should be kept at least 0.25 inches (6 mm) away from the trim line to prevent them from being accidentally cut off. It’s especially important to avoid placing critical elements in the bleed area.
- Borders and graphics that are close to the trim line should extend into the bleed area for a clean, professional finish.
5. Export Your Artwork
Once your design is complete, it’s time to export it for printing. When saving your file, make sure to choose a print-friendly format, like PDF, TIFF, or JPEG.
- In Adobe InDesign or Illustrator, choose File > Export and select PDF (Print) as your file format. Ensure that the Use Document Bleed Settings box is checked in the export options. This will include the bleed area in your exported file.
- In Photoshop, make sure your file size includes the bleed area and that you save your file in CMYK colour mode for professional printing.
6. Check for Colour Mode and Resolution
Besides print bleed, other important considerations for your artwork include colour mode and resolution:
- Colour Mode: Always design in CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) color mode, as this is the colour profile used in professional printing. Designing in RGB (Red, Green, Blue) might cause color discrepancies when printed.
- Resolution: Your artwork should be at 300 DPI (dots per inch) to ensure that it prints clearly and sharply. Anything lower could result in pixelated or blurry prints.
7. Proof Your Design
Before sending your file off to the printer, always request a proof. A proof is a sample print of your artwork, allowing you to check for any errors or discrepancies in the design before the final print run. Make sure to review the proof carefully for:
- Trim accuracy
- Bleed and edge alignment
- Colour consistency
- Text and logo positioning
8. Submit Your File
Once you’ve set up your artwork with the correct bleed, colour settings, and resolution, and reviewed your proof, you can send your file to the printer. We offer direct uploading of files on our website during your order creation..
Conclusion
Properly setting up your artwork for professional printing is essential to ensuring that your designs turn out beautifully and as intended. The most critical element to consider is the print bleed, which ensures that no unwanted white space appears around the edges of your printed piece. By following these steps — from adding bleed and setting up the correct document size to exporting with the right settings — you’ll ensure that your artwork is ready for flawless printing.