Back from the break! Yes, we're knuckling down into the second Biggest Design Problem. You Could say this next problem is the most gruesome part of the design process, as it has to do with blood!

Or more accurately "bleeding your document"!

Design Problem #2 is "No Bleed in the Document"!

Come on dude I get queasy easy! Yes we know, some of the terms in the industry can be a little baffling sometimes! When we talk about bleeding your document, it means when the background graphic or image 'bleeds' over the edge of the page. It's to allow for the cutting tolerance of equipment.

Guilotines and Book Cutters (regardless what brand or how expensive they are) can't cut every printed product in precisely the same place. There is some movement in the process. To allow for this we put 'bleed' our document, so that if it cuts a little bigger than the finished size you won't get the dodgy result of 'white paper' on the edge of it!

How do I bleed the document then?

Well, If your document has a background which you want to go all the way to the edge of the paper, then you will need to extend it even further past the edge of the document. It should be at least 3-5mm. If it's a business card or brochure 3mm is fine, but if it's a magazine it should be 5mm. 5mm would be fine for all products. (you can't have too much bleed!)

Now, I want you to understand that this is for EVERY edge of the paper! So you would have 5mm going past the TOP of your document, 5mm going past the BOTTOM of your document, 5mm going past the LEFT SIDE of your document, 5mm going past the RIGHT SIDE of your document.

Child's play huh?

Yeah we think so! But weirdly enough many people overlook it or misunderstand it.

We know that you won't make that mistake now don't we! (wink, wink, nod, nod!)

A hint for the next article is...It's opposite to what bleed is....