Bleed Calculator
Beta
Bleed is the bit we cut off. Leave it out and I cry a little.
Pick a size 4OVER4 prints and it gives you the document size to build at, the safe area to keep text inside, and the pixel count at print resolution.
Build your document at
2 1/4 x 3 3/4 in
2 x 3 1/2 in trim plus 1/8 in of bleed on every edge.
- Trim size (finished)
- 2 x 3 1/2 in
- Bleed
- 1/8 in on every edge
- Document size
- 2 1/4 x 3 3/4 in
- Safe area
- 1 3/4 x 3 1/4 in
- Pixels at 300 DPI
- 675 x 1125 px
4OVER4 asks for 1/8 in of bleed on standard print and 1/4 in on large format. This page uses the standard figure because the configurator marks this product as standard print.
Bleed exists because a press cuts a stack, and the stack moves. Extend the background past the trim so a cut that lands a hair off still finds ink instead of white paper.
The safe area is the same rule in the other direction. Nothing you need to read may sit within 1/8 in of the trim, including page numbers and small print.
BetaThis is in beta, so some things may not work yet. We’d love your feedback.Send feedback
What the Standard Business Cards configurator says about size
- Sizes
- The configurator offers 4 sizes for this product. Every one of them is listed above, exactly as the configurator lists it.
- Custom size
- This product takes a custom size. The configurator accepts 1.5 to 2.125 in on the width and 2 to 3.5 in on the height, in steps of 0.1 in.
- Press limits
- On top of the product limits the press bounds apply: the shorter side must be 1.5 to 22 in and the longer side 1.5 to 28 in. The configurator turns the size the same way round before it checks, so 11 x 2.5 and 2.5 x 11 are the same size to it.
- If it is out of range
- This custom size is currently not available for this product. Please select a different combination (switch between width and height values) or try selecting another product from the Print Products Menu. Contact us if you have a Custom Order.
Enjoying this tool?
Whatever you make, 4OVER4 prints it
Business cards, stickers, banners, boxes and hundreds of other products, printed and shipped to your door.
All productsAbout the bleed calculator
Pick a product and a size, and get the document size, the bleed and the safe area to build to.
Add 0.125 inches of bleed to every edge on small format, and 0.25 inches on large format. A 3.5 x 2 in business card is built as a 3.75 x 2.25 in document, with all text kept 0.125 in inside the trim.
Why bleed exists
A press does not cut one piece at a time. It prints a sheet of many and guillotines the stack, and the stack shifts a fraction as the blade comes down. Bleed is the insurance: you extend the background past the cut line so the blade never finds white paper.
Small-format work uses 0.125 in of bleed. Large format uses 0.25 in, because the material moves more and the tolerances are wider.
The safe area is the same rule, inwards
If the blade can land outside the trim it can also land inside it. The safe area is the margin where nothing important may sit: no text, no logo, no page number.
0.125 in inside the trim is the working minimum on small format. On a hemmed banner it is 2 inches, because the hem folds the edge over and the grommets punch through it.
Common questions
Questions about bleed calculator
How much bleed does a print file need?
0.125 inches on every edge for small format, and 0.25 inches for large format such as banners. That is added outside the finished trim size.
What document size do I build a business card at?
3.75 x 2.25 inches. That is the 3.5 x 2 in trim plus 0.125 in of bleed on each of the four edges.
What is a safe area?
The margin inside the trim where nothing important may sit, so a cut that lands slightly inside the line does not slice your text. 0.125 inches is the working minimum.
Do I need bleed if my design has a white border?
Not strictly, but supply it anyway. A file with bleed can always be trimmed; a file without it cannot be extended, so a shifted cut shows as an uneven border.
What happens if I forget the bleed?
Either the job is held while we ask for a new file, or it prints with a white sliver on one or more edges where the blade missed the ink.
Explore more
Where to go next
DPI Calculator
The largest sharp print from your pixels, checked against real sizes.
Paper Weight
What a point weight measures, with every stock 4OVER4 offers at each one.
Business Card Size
Standard, square, round, oval and rounded-corner cards, with the bleed and safe zone drawn on each.
Flyer Size
Letter, half, quarter, 4x6, 5x7, legal and tabloid flyers with the right bleed on each.