What are bleed requirements and why are they important?

Bleed is the extra artwork you extend past the final trim line so color and images run right to the edge. Without it, a slight shift at the cutter can leave thin white slivers along the border.

• What it is: background art pulled beyond the trim, then cut away during finishing.
• Why it matters: it guarantees edge-to-edge color with no unprinted margins.
• How much: commonly 0.25" on each side, though many products call for 0.125" (1/8"), so check the template for your product. Large-format and specialty items sometimes need more.
• Exception: a design with a wide white border and no color reaching the edge can sometimes skip bleed, but adding it is always safe.

Pair bleed with a safe margin on the inside, keeping text and logos about 0.125" inside the trim, so art bleeds out, important content stays in, and trimming variance never shows.