What are crop marks?

Crop marks are thin lines placed at the corners of a print file that show exactly where the sheet should be cut to its final size. They sit outside the trim area and do not appear on the finished piece.

• Purpose: they guide the cutter to trim the sheet to the correct dimensions.
• Location: at the corners, just outside the trim line and beyond the bleed.
• On the final piece: they are trimmed off, so they never show on the delivered product.

When you export a print-ready PDF, many layout programs can add crop marks automatically, which helps the finishing team align the cut precisely.