Note: This is part two of a five-part series on Fabulous File Formats.
What is a bleed, and what is a crop mark? These two design elements are essential to good file preparation, and so are very important.
A bleed occurs when ink is set to print right up to the edge (or edges) of the paper. There will be 
no white border around the edge of the sheet where the paper shows through; the image completely covers the sheet to the edge.
In the artwork, the image must actually extend beyond the edge of the sheet, so it can be printed right off the edge of the sheet. The sheet must be oversized, and the crop marks will be used to trim the sheet down to final size. Usually 1/8th of an inch is left to “hang over” the edge for bleed.
As you might guess, crop marks denote where the piece will trim. They are important whether the job bleeds or not. Be careful not to get page elements, such as type, too close to crop marks as sheets always bounce a tiny bit as they go through a press or copier.
As always, we’d love to hear from you. Was this helpful, or do you have a comment to add? Please feel free to add your feedback, or to contact us if we can be of further assistance to you.