1
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.
2
What is a trimline, quietspace and gutter?
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. While these are acceptable within industry standards, we’ll always aim to cut as accurately on the trim line as possible.
What is a Quiet Area
The quiet area represents the edge of the printed page inside the trim line. It protects your content from being trimmed away and keeps text and graphics away from the paper’s edges. Bleed, trim, and quiet areas are guidelines and will not physically appear on your final prints.
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.
3
Why Can’t FocusPrint Trim My Artwork Precisely Without Bleed?
Under industry standards, the tolerances of our presses, cutting and finishing machinery can cause slight movement - this is known as tolerance movement. Our state-of-the-art printers often produce multiple copies of your design on large sheets of paper, ensuring we can finish them as accurately as possible. The printed copies are trimmed together in large stacks using the trim marks as guides. Therefore, while we do our absolute best to cut your prints on or close to the trim line, the bleed accounts for tolerance movement to reduce the likelihood of unprinted edges showing on your finished prints, guaranteeing you get the best possible final result.
4
Have You Included High-Resolution Images?
The appearance of your images and files on a screen will not look the same when printed. For the best results, please ensure all images and print files have a 300dpi resolution.
You can easily find out if your images are of a high enough resolution by uploading them
here
NOTE: While you can absolutely use low-resolution images - they can look pixelated when printed. If you send through a file to us that is pixelated we'll get your confirmation about it's limitations before proceeding to print production.
5
Are You Using RGB Colour Mode?
Our software will convert CMYK color to RGB for printing, but this conversion can cause colour differences. So we recommend designing your artwork files in RGB colour mode before you create your artwork. You can also use design software to change CMYK to RGB before exporting and then fine-tune the RGB values to your liking.
Ink saturation can also affect the final look of your print job. For black and white printing - check whether you should be printing in standard black or rich black.
6
What margins and quietspace do I need for my book or booklet project?
Perfect Bound (PUR)
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 |
| Quiet area (binding edge - the centre side of the page) |
15mm |
| Quiet area (other edges - the edge on the outside) |
6mm |
Saddle-Stitched Binding (Staple-Bound)
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 |
| Quiet area (binding edge - the centre side of the page) |
6mm |
| Quiet area (other edges - the edge on the outside) |
6mm |
Wire-O Bound
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 |
| Quiet area (binding edge - the centre side of the page) |
15mm |
| Quiet area (other edges - the edge on the outside) |
6mm |
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.
| Area |
Measurement |
| Bleed space |
3mm |
| Quiet area (binding edge - the centre side of the page) |
20mm |
| Quiet area (other edges - the edge on the outside) |
6mm |
7
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.
8
What papers do you have?
Coated Matte
Matte is a coated paper with a smooth, non-reflective surface, offering a softer, less glossy appearance than satin. Its minimal glare gives printed colors a natural, refined look, enhancing readability and making it ideal for projects with text and graphics.
Satin
Satin is our recommended choice for high-quality results. Satin is a coated paper with a smooth finish and a slight sheen. Satin is suitable for print jobs containing text and pictures, making printed colours appear bright and well defined, and is great for readability.
Uncoated Matte
Unlike gloss or satin, this paper does not have a coating, which gives it a very soft finish. This paper stock is very absorbent, and colors have a more understated appearance. Uncoated paper is particularly suitable for items like Postcards since it makes them easy to write on.
Gloss
Gloss is a coated paper with a high shine. Printed colors appear bright and vivid on gloss paper, making it ideal for displaying striking graphics and photographs in color.
Recycled
Recycled papers are eco-friendly stocks that contain 100% recycled fibers. They are better for the planet and save more than 70% of the energy and water used in traditional paper production.
Kraft
Kraft paper is a sturdy, uncoated paper with a distinct brownish hue, often characterized by its natural, rustic appearance. Its textured surface adds a unique, earthy feel to printed materials, making it perfect for projects that want to convey a handmade or organic vibe. Ideal for packaging, labels, and creative prints, kraft paper brings a touch of authenticity and durability to any project.
