Question
What's the difference between bleed and safe zone?
Answer
Bleed and safe zone are two margins that keep your design looking clean after it is trimmed. They sit on opposite sides of the trim line, the final cut line where the blade comes down and the exact size of the finished product.
| Zone | Where | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Bleed | 0.125 in beyond the trim line | Extends artwork past the edge so no white slivers show after cutting |
| Trim | The cut line itself | The final size of the piece, where the blade comes down |
| Safe zone | 0.125 in inside the trim line | Keeps text and logos away from the cut so nothing important gets clipped |
Every job has a small cutting shift, so extend backgrounds fully into the bleed, keep the essentials inside the safe zone, and those shifts will not spoil the final piece. Most printers offer templates with all three zones pre-marked, so download the template for your product size and design inside those guides.
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