Print Ready Checklist
Hit the ground running
Not sure how to get started in the admittedly confusing world of print setup?
This page covers all the essentials to get your files ready for us, but if we’ve missed anything or if you’re feeling unsure, don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help!
What Is Bleed, and Why Do I Need It?
Bleed is an extension of an image or colour(s) that continues beyond the finished trim size (The trim size indicates the finished page size and where we’ll aim to trim your artwork) . You need a bleed area to ensure that if any slight movement occurs during the printing and finishing stage, the paper's natural color will not show on the edge of the finished print when trimmed.
Extending images or colour(s) to the trim edge ensures a continuation of the design on the finished print. You don’t need to add bleed if a white/unprinted background surrounds your artwork and doesn’t extend to a page’s edge. The exceptions to this are if you are providing your print files as images (e.g. JPG, PNG or TIFF). With image files, the images should be uploaded at the bleed size, irrespective of whether you have content touching the trim edge.
What is a trimline, safe space and gutter?
What are Trim Lines?
Trim lines refer to a page’s edges after it’s printed and cut to the finished size. When graphics or colour fills the entire page or extends past the page edge, it must extend beyond the trim line and into the bleed line to ensure no unprinted edges appear on your finished prints. Multi-page items like Books are printed on large sheets of paper, stacked together, and trimmed to the specified size before binding. During the printing process, manufacturing variance can occur, meaning a cutting blade can sometimes cut the paper on either side of the trim line. Reasons for manufacturing variance include slight blade misalignment or paper movement due to pressure from the cutting blade.
What is the Safe Area?
The quiet area represents the space where all important elements - namely text, images or other graphic elements are kept within. During the production of your product, some of the content outside the safe area may be cut off so we recommend you situate everything within a safe area a healthy margin away from the trim lines.
What is the Gutter Area?
The gutter area appears on both sides of the inner page edge, where they are bound together in the centre. A publication’s pages are glued together on this binding edge and then to the item's spine. You can avoid content becoming obscured by the binding by positioning it away from this area.
Trim lines refer to a page’s edges after it’s printed and cut to the finished size. When graphics or colour fills the entire page or extends past the page edge, it must extend beyond the trim line and into the bleed line to ensure no unprinted edges appear on your finished prints. Multi-page items like Books are printed on large sheets of paper, stacked together, and trimmed to the specified size before binding. During the printing process, manufacturing variance can occur, meaning a cutting blade can sometimes cut the paper on either side of the trim line. Reasons for manufacturing variance include slight blade misalignment or paper movement due to pressure from the cutting blade.
What is the Safe Area?
The quiet area represents the space where all important elements - namely text, images or other graphic elements are kept within. During the production of your product, some of the content outside the safe area may be cut off so we recommend you situate everything within a safe area a healthy margin away from the trim lines.
What is the Gutter Area?
The gutter area appears on both sides of the inner page edge, where they are bound together in the centre. A publication’s pages are glued together on this binding edge and then to the item's spine. You can avoid content becoming obscured by the binding by positioning it away from this area.
How do I Count Leaves, Sides and Pages?
Here's our quick handy dandy guide to help you figure out the differences between leaves, sides and pages - because technical jargon shouldn't get in the way of you getting the best prints possible. To begin let's define what each are:
What are leaves?
A leaf, or leaves, are sheets of paper in a publication.
What is a Side?
A side refers to a printed page. For example - A double sided page has 2 printed sides.
How Do I Count Them In My Project?
Simply count the number of sides in your project and use this as your total page number. Another method is to remember that the number of leaves will be half the number of printed sides, so take this number and double it.
What are leaves?
A leaf, or leaves, are sheets of paper in a publication.
What is a Side?
A side refers to a printed page. For example - A double sided page has 2 printed sides.
How Do I Count Them In My Project?
Simply count the number of sides in your project and use this as your total page number. Another method is to remember that the number of leaves will be half the number of printed sides, so take this number and double it.
What bleed and safe-area do I need for a Perfect Bound Project?
Perfect Bound (PUR)
As a refresher -paperback books and magazines are usually perfect bound. It's ideal for reinforcing your inner pages as they are glued together and attached to the spine before the cover is added.
As a refresher -paperback books and magazines are usually perfect bound. It's ideal for reinforcing your inner pages as they are glued together and attached to the spine before the cover is added.
| Area | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Bleed space | 3mm |
| Safe Area (binding edge - the centre side of the page) | 15mm |
| Safe Area (other edges - the edge on the outside) | 6mm |
What bleed and safe-area do I need for a Saddle Stitch Project?
Saddle-Stitched Binding (Staple-Bound)
As a refresher - This binding type has slot folded printed sheets inside each other, and at the fold line, we secure them from the outside with metal staples.
As a refresher - This binding type has slot folded printed sheets inside each other, and at the fold line, we secure them from the outside with metal staples.
| Area | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Bleed space | 3mm |
| Safe Area (binding edge - the centre side of the page) | 6mm |
| Safe Area (other edges - the edge on the outside) | 6mm |
What bleed and safe-area do I need for a Wire-O Bound Project?
Wire-O Bound
As a refresher - this binding type has holes punched along one side of your printed pages before fastening them with a coated, metal coil binding.
As a refresher - this binding type has holes punched along one side of your printed pages before fastening them with a coated, metal coil binding.
| Area | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Bleed space | 3mm |
| Safe Area (binding edge - the centre side of the page) | 15mm |
| Safe Area (other edges - the edge on the outside) | 6mm |
What bleed and safe-area do I need for a Coil Bound Project?
Spiral Bound (Coil Bound)
Like Wire-O binding, spiral binding or coil binding involves threading a spiral coil into holes along the binding edge to join pages together.
Like Wire-O binding, spiral binding or coil binding involves threading a spiral coil into holes along the binding edge to join pages together.
| Area | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Bleed space | 3mm |
| Safe Area (binding edge - the centre side of the page) | 20mm |
| Safe Area (other edges - the edge on the outside) | 6mm |