Bleed & Trim Size Calculator
Enter the finished size of your print and the bleed your printer asks for. You get the size to build your artwork at, the safe area for text, and the pixel size.
- Bleed: extend backgrounds and images to the outer edge
- Trim line: where the print is cut
- Safe area: keep text and logos inside
Bleed, trim and safe area
A print file has three outlines. The trim is the finished size, where the print is cut. The bleed is a margin of artwork outside the trim that gets cut off. The safe area is a margin inside the trim that keeps important content away from the cut.
The artwork size is the trim plus the bleed on both sides of each direction: width + 2 x bleed by height + 2 x bleed. A 3.5 x 2 inch business card with 0.125 inch bleed is a 3.75 x 2.25 inch file. With a 0.125 inch safe margin, the text stays inside 3.25 x 1.75 inches. At 300 DPI that artwork is 1,125 x 675 pixels.
Standard bleed and safe margins
| Item | Common value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bleed | 0.125 in (3 mm) | Each side. Large formats and some products ask for more. |
| Safe margin | 0.125 in (3 mm) or 0.25 in (6 mm) | Inside the trim. More space looks better on small items. |
| Resolution | 300 DPI | For photos and raster artwork on hand-held prints. See the print size and DPI calculator. |
Setting up the file
- Create the document at the artwork size shown above, not the trim size.
- Mark the trim and safe lines with guides so you can see them.
- Extend backgrounds, colours and images all the way to the outer edge of the document.
- Keep text, logos and anything important inside the safe area.
- Export using your printer's template or settings, and check whether they want crop marks.
Your printer's template always comes first. If it asks for a different bleed or margin, enter that here and the sizes will follow.