Skip to main content
search

Why do you need bleed on artwork for packaging?

Wondering why you need to apply bleed to your print artwork? Confused what bleed even means, and what the benefits are for your packaging?

If you’re looking for answers, listen to what our team have to say on the subject of using a bleed in printing. Printed packaging questions answered by our team of trusted experts.

Play Video

Why do you need bleed in printing and packaging artwork?

Essentially what the bleed does is to create an overlap of the artwork compared to where we trim.

Continue Reading

We advise a minimum of 3mm bleed and the reason for this is that when we’re cutting on our guillotines, and it is the same across the industry, there is always a small tolerance. The print on the sheet could’ve moved by half a mm, the guillotine blade could have moved by half a mm, there’s always a bit of tolerance. Nothing is exactly bang on because it’s not done by laser or robot.

So what bleed in printing means is that when you trim there’s no white areas showing on the edge. So rather than have potentially some white areas showing, you increase the image size that you’re hoping to print by 3mm on each side. We then trim exactly where we need to. It just creates a bit of tolerance in case of any overlap.

For more answers to your printed packaging questions from our team of trusted experts, check out the rest of this series or view the full library by clicking ‘view all’.

HOW TO CUT COSTS

PART ONE

HOW TO CUT COSTS

PART TWO

HOW TO CUT COSTS

PART THREE

Close Menu