What Is Bleed On Artwork & How To Use It

Why Are Bleeds Used In Label Printing?

Die cutting labels is a mechanical process with tight tolerances but it still has some variance in exactly where the die cuts the material.

By extending the artwork past the expected die lines at least 1/16” printers can guarantee no undesired borders along the edge of your finished label. If not extended past the trim size then there's a possibility that during die cutting the label may have a thin un-intended border of the unprinted base material.

Bleed is used in conjunction with Clear Space in a label design to ensure that no desired text or graphics are lost from your finished product.

It is always suggested to check the bleed size with your print supplier as these sizes could vary. Biotef requests 1/16 of an inch as a bleed since our printing and die cutting equipment can be plus or minus .75mm or 1/32 of an inch.

It is critical for designs with color to the edge of the label that the color extends out to the bleedline.

How To Use Bleeds

While most design software will support bleed, we have listed below several guides for using bleeds in different, industry-standard Adobe software programs.

Since bleeds deal with printing you will want to make sure you have CMYK color mode selected before it is printed.

How To Use Bleed In Adobe Illustrator

Setting Bleed In Existing Artwork In Adobe Illustrator

1. Click on a corner of your artwork and drag it until it exceeds 1/16 inches of your original image size. Your chosen printer or print supplier company will tell you the set trim size they need for their machines.
2. For any existing text, you will want to adjust the font at least 1/16 inches inside the artwork away from the trim edge.

Setting Bleed In New Artwork In Adobe Illustrator

1. Open Illustrator, click on File, New.
2. Click File, Save As, Choose pdf, and click Save.
3. Click File, Settings, go to Adobe PDF Preset, and click on pdf/x-1a:2001.
4. Under Settings go to Marks and Bleeds and make sure your measure units such as Width and Height are set to inches.
5. Type 1/16 or 0.0625 inches in the first Bleed box. You can either enter 1/16 inches manually into the top, bottom, left, and right box or click on the chain box to have it enter the measurements in one box, and the rest will update automatically. Either way, you will still need to type in the 1/16 inches in the first bleed box. Make sure CMYK color mode is selected. Click save pdf when finished.

How To Use Bleed In Adobe Photoshop

Setting Bleed In Existing Artwork In Adobe Photoshop

1. Open the file you want to edit in Adobe Photoshop.
2. Click on view, rulers, or use Ctrl+R keys as a shortcut tool to display the guide line rulers.
3. With your mouse, drag the guidelines from the rulers to all 4 edges of the document.
4. Click on Image at the top of your screen, and select Canvas Size. This will display the dimensions of your current document.
5. Enter 1/16 or 0.0625 to the current values in Width and Height . If not already set then change the size measurements to inches. Once you have entered the dimensions and size, click OK.
6. Your document is now set up with bleed. Before exiting, make sure to save the document as a .pdf.

Setting Bleed In New Artwork In Adobe Photoshop

1. Open Adobe Photoshop, click on File, New.
2. Enter 1/16 in the Height and Width box. Make sure to change the Height and Width measurements into inches.
3. In the same screen, go to Color Mode and change to CMYK Color. Then type 300 in the Resolution Box and make sure it is set to Pixels/inch.
4. Open the document and make your rulers and guides visible. Set your guide tool lines 1/16 from each of the outside edges to designate the Bleed areas.
5. Design your document with the necessary changes before proceeding to the last step.
6. Save the final photoshop document as pdf and then go to Layer and click on Flatten Image.

How To Use Bleed In Adobe InDesign

Setting Bleed In Existing Artwork In Adobe InDesign

1. Open the file needed to be edited in Adobe InDesign.
2. Click on File, open the dropdown menu, and select Document Setup.
3. In the Document Setup Window, go to Bleed and Slug.
4. Type 0.0625 inches for the top, bottom, inside, and outside bleed boxes. There should be no numbers entered into the Slug boxes.
5. Check the box next to the Use Document Bleed Settings.
6. Open the preview box in the dialogue box to display the bleed area within the file. This will be shown as a red line. This red line will be the border outside of the document if it has been set correctly. The artwork or design must reach the red lines in order for it to bleed. Before proceeding to the next step, make sure the bleed changes have been made.
7. Open Export Adobe PDF, then open the dropdown menu next to Adobe PDF Preset, and select Press Quality. Make sure the check box next to Use Document Bleed Settings is still marked. Then click on Export.

Setting Bleed In New Artwork In Adobe InDesign

1. Open Adobe InDesign program, click File, New, Document.
2. Select Bleed and Slug and enter 1/16 inches in the top, bottom, inside, and outside bleed boxes.
3. When the document opens there should be a red box surrounding your page area, this is the bleed. Make sure your design extends to the red box.
4. After adjusting the design to meet the bleed lengths export your document as a pdf. Open Export Adobe PDF, in the dropdown menu next to Adobe PDF Preset select Press Quality.
5. Go to the Bleed and Slug box at the bottom of the Export Adobe PDF window. Check the box next to Use Document Bleed Settings. Lastly, click on Export.

The Importance Of Bleed In Label Printing

Printers are working with a set machine accuracy when printing your labels which is why bleed (and clear space) is so important. We recommend an 1/16 of an inch bleed as sufficient to ensure your label images and text are always on each label. The bleed area should only be filled with background colors and imagery as part of it will be cropped from your final label print.

By following these guidelines and measurements, you can ensure all important design elements reach the final printed product. If you need additional help adding bleed to your product label, our customer service team is happy to help.