Skip to main content

​
What is Bleed?

Bleed is the extra area of your design that extends beyond the final trim size. It’s insurance against white edges when your printed piece is cut.
Simple Analogy: Imagine cutting a cake. If the frosting only goes to the edge, any imperfect cut shows bare cake. But if the frosting extends beyond where you’ll cut, every piece looks perfect!

​
Why Do We Need Bleed?

​
The Cutting Problem

Industrial cutting machines (guillotines) are incredibly fast and powerful, but they’re not 100% precise. They can be off by:
  • 1-2mm on standard projects
  • Up to 5mm on large format prints
Without bleed: If the cut is even 1mm off, you’ll see a white edge where the paper shows through.With bleed: The cut can be off by a few millimeters and your design still looks perfect!

​
Visual Example

Here’s what happens with and without bleed: 
WITHOUT BLEED ❌
┌─────────────────┐
│                 │
│  [Blue Design]  │  ← Design ends at edge
│                 │
└─────────────────┘
      ↓ Cut slightly off
┌────────────────┐
│                │ ← White edge shows!
│ [Blue Design]  │
│               │
└───────────────┘

WITH BLEED ✅
┌────────────────────┐
│ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │
│ ░ [Blue Design]  ░ │  ← Blue extends beyond edge
│ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │
└────────────────────┘
      ↓ Cut slightly off
┌─────────────────┐
│                 │ ← Still looks perfect!
│  [Blue Design]  │
│                 │
└─────────────────┘

​
Standard Bleed Sizes

Different projects require different bleed amounts:
Project TypeBleed SizeReason
Business cards3mm (0.125”)Standard small format
Flyers & brochures3mm (0.125”)Standard print
Posters (small)3mm (0.125”)Up to A2 size
Posters (large)5-10mm (0.2-0.4”)Larger cutting tolerance
Magazines & books3-5mmPlus binding allowance
Banners10-25mm (0.4-1”)Large format tolerance
Most Common: 3mm (0.125”) is the industry standard for 90% of print projects.

​
How to Calculate Dimensions with Bleed

​
The Formula

Design Size = Final Size + (Bleed × 2)
Why × 2? Because bleed goes on all sides (top, bottom, left, right).

​
Real Examples

  • Business Card
  • A4 Flyer
  • US Letter
  • Large Poster
Final Size (Trim): 90mm × 54mm Bleed: 3mmCalculation:
  • Width: 90mm + (3mm × 2) = 96mm
  • Height: 54mm + (3mm × 2) = 60mm
Design Size: 96mm × 60mm

​
Setting Up Bleed in Figma

1

Calculate Full Size

Add bleed to your trim dimensions:
Final: 90mm × 54mm
+ Bleed (3mm each side)
= Design Frame: 96mm × 60mm
2

Create Frame

Press F and create a frame with the full size (96mm × 60mm)
3

Add Guides

Mark where the trim will be:
  1. Enable rulers: Shift + R
  2. Drag guides 3mm from each edge
  3. These mark your trim lines
4

Design to Edges

  • Extend backgrounds and colors to the frame edges (full bleed)
  • Keep important content inside the guides (safe area)

​
Method 2: Let Print for Figma Handle It

1

Design at Trim Size

Create your frame at the final size (90mm × 54mm)
2

Design to Edges

Make sure backgrounds extend to all edges
3

Enable Bleed in Plugin

  1. Open Print for Figma
  2. In Document tab: “Add Bleed” → Enable
  3. Set bleed amount: 3mm
  4. Choose mode: “Expand” (extends design outward)
“Expand” vs “Contain” Mode:
  • Expand: Keeps trim size, adds bleed outside (recommended)
  • Contain: Keeps artboard size, trim area shrinks inside

​
Designing with Bleed: Best Practices

​
✅ DO:

Any element that touches the trim edge should extend into the bleed area.Example: Colored background should reach all edges of your design frame, not stop at the trim line.
If an image bleeds off the page, make sure it extends fully into the bleed area.
Always mark your trim line with guides so you know where the final cut will be.
Occasionally hide elements outside the trim line to see your final design.

​
❌ DON’T:

The bleed area might get cut off! Keep all important elements (text, logos) at least 3mm inside the trim line.
If your design has color to the edge, it must extend into the bleed. Never stop exactly at the trim line.
Always confirm your printer’s bleed requirements before starting a project.
Keep bleed uniform on all sides unless you have a specific reason (very rare).

​
Common Bleed Mistakes

​
Mistake #1: No Bleed

Problem: Design stops exactly at trim size Result: White edges after cutting Fix: Extend all edge-to-edge elements by 3mm beyond trim

​
Mistake #2: Content in Bleed Area

Problem: Important text or logos placed in bleed zone Result: Text or logos get cut off Fix: Keep all important content in the safe area (3mm inside trim)

​
Mistake #3: Inconsistent Bleed

Problem: Bleed on some sides but not others Result: White edges on some sides Fix: Ensure bleed extends uniformly on all four sides

​
Mistake #4: Not Enough Bleed

Problem: Using 1mm bleed when 3mm is required Result: Printer rejects file or white edges appear Fix: Always check printer’s requirements (usually 3mm)

​
Bleed and Borders

​
Designing with a Border

If your design has an intentional border (like a picture frame):
1

Position Border Inside Trim

Place your border at least 5mm inside the trim line:
  • 3mm for safety zone
  • 2mm extra as visual buffer
2

Extend Background

The background color (inside the border) should still extend to the bleed.
3

Make Border Thick Enough

Minimum border thickness: 2mm (1-2pt can look unintentional)
Thin borders near trim edges are risky! If cutting is slightly off, the border will look uneven. Either make it thick and well-inset, or skip it.

​
Checking Your Bleed

Before exporting, verify your bleed is correct:
  1. Look at your design frame
  2. All backgrounds extend to edges? ✓
  3. All images extend to edges? ✓
  4. Nothing important in outer 3mm? ✓
  1. Check frame dimensions
  2. Should be: Final Size + 6mm (3mm bleed each side)
  3. Example: 90mm card → 96mm frame ✓
After exporting:
  1. Open PDF in Adobe Reader
  2. Page size should show full bleed dimensions
  3. Design should extend to PDF edges
  4. Crop marks should be outside design

​
Special Cases

​
Full-Bleed vs. Non-Bleed Designs

  • Full-Bleed
  • Non-Bleed
Definition: Design extends to edges (no white border)Bleed Required: Yes! 3mm all aroundExamples: Most brochures, posters, business cardsSetup: Design + 3mm all sides

​
Folds and Perforations

For pieces with folds or perforations:
  • Folds: No extra bleed needed at fold line
  • Perforations: May need small bleed (check with printer)
  • Multiple panels: Each panel needs bleed on its outer edges

​
Bleed in Different Software

How other design tools handle bleed:
SoftwareBleed Setup
InDesignDocument Setup → Bleed settings
IllustratorArtboard size + manual extension
PhotoshopCanvas size + manual guides
FigmaFrame size or plugin (Print for Figma)
Print for Figma Advantage: Automatically handles bleed for you. Just design and enable bleed in the plugin!

​
Quick Bleed Calculator

Need to quickly calculate your design size?
Final Size+ Bleed (3mm)= Design Size
90 × 54mm+ 6mm each= 96 × 60mm
85 × 55mm+ 6mm each= 91 × 61mm
210 × 297mm (A4)+ 6mm each= 216 × 303mm
148 × 210mm (A5)+ 6mm each= 154 × 216mm
3.5 × 2”+ 0.25” each= 3.75 × 2.25”
8.5 × 11”+ 0.25” each= 8.75 × 11.25”

​
Summary: Bleed Checklist

Before sending your file to print:
  • Bleed added: +3mm (or specified amount) on all sides
  • Backgrounds extend: All edge-to-edge colors reach frame edges
  • Images extend: All bleeding images extend fully
  • Content safe: Important elements are 3mm+ inside trim
  • Dimensions correct: Frame size = Trim size + (Bleed × 2)
  • Verified in PDF: Exported file shows correct bleed
If all boxes are checked, your bleed is set up correctly!

​
Next Steps

Now that you understand bleed, learn about:

Crop Marks

How printers know where to cut

Safety Zone

Keeping your content safe from the blade

Complete Setup Guide

Put it all together in a real project

Video Tutorial

Watch bleed setup in action
Still confused about bleed? Ask in our Discord community - we’re here to help!