Bleed & trim marks
If it touches the edge, it needs bleed. Two millimetres, every time.
Applies to: Every printed product
Printers can’t print right to the edge of a sheet. To get colour all the way out, we print on a larger sheet and trim it down. Because trimming moves fractionally, artwork without bleed shows thin white edges — or loses something important off the side.
Step by step
Set the document up
Create a new document at your finished size, set orientation and artboards, and add 2mm bleed to all sides before you create it. For existing artwork, go to File › Document Setup and enter 2mm bleed on all sides.
Design past the edge
Any background, image or colour that touches the edge must extend fully past the trim line and into the bleed. Keep text, logos and anything critical at least 2mm inside the trim line.
Export it
File › Save As and choose Adobe PDF. In the Save Adobe PDF window open Marks and Bleeds. Tick Trim Marks, then under Bleeds tick Use Document Bleed Settings.
Reminder: if it touches the edge, it needs bleed.