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Standard commercial bleed is 3 mm (0.125 inch) beyond trim on all sides. Some wide-format and packaging jobs use 5 mm. Artwork backgrounds and images must extend into the bleed area.
Document size = Trim width + (2 × Bleed); same for heightTrim size is the final cut dimension. Live area (safe zone) sits inside trim, typically 3–5 mm from the cut edge, where all critical text and logos must remain.
Safe area = Trim − (2 × Safe margin)Crop marks indicate trim position and sit outside the bleed. Slug area beyond crop marks holds printer notes. PDF export should include bleed box and trim box separately.
PDF page = Trim + Bleed + Crop mark offsetUpdated: July 2026
Final trim 3.5×2 in with 0.125 in bleed: design file 3.75×2.25 in. Keep text and logos at least 0.125 in inside trim (safe zone 3.25×1.75 in).
Trim 210×297 mm plus 3 mm bleed on all sides: artwork 216×303 mm. Safe margin 5 mm inside trim keeps body text at 200×287 mm maximum.
Each panel bleeds on outer edges only; inner fold panels share a trim line without double bleed. Calculator sets per-panel bleed on three outer edges of the flat layout.
Bleed is cut off and discarded. All readable content belongs inside the safe zone, at least 3–5 mm from trim. Only extend backgrounds, photos, and color fills into bleed.
Export with bleed settings matching your design file dimensions. A PDF sized exactly to trim with no bleed forces the printer to scale or reject the file.
Print jobs that extend color to the paper edge require bleed — extra artwork beyond the trim line — so minor cutting variation does not leave white borders. This calculator determines bleed, trim, and safe margin dimensions for standard and custom print sizes.