Bleeds & Crop Marks
In printing terminology, the bleed is the extra margin on a print product that is meant to be trimmed off when the product is trimmed to its final size. Bleed basically means that the color and graphics on a product "bleed off the page" to ensure continuity of the color to the edge of your product. For the best results, please download the product templates from our download templates page.
When we print products such as business cards and postcards, we do not print on paper of that size. We gang-run print, which means that we organize several print jobs next to one another on a large sheet of paper, print, and then trim each individual product to its final size. Jobs cannot be trimmed perfectly on the trimming line each time. During the trimming process, a product may be trimmed within or beyond the trimming line. As a result, the product may have a white edge, or a portion of the artwork from the surrounding jobs. Thus, we require a bleed on each individual product so that when the product is trimmed, there is an extra margin to prevent imperfections.
A full bleed is required for all print-ready files. For the correct bleed for your product, please view the list below. For example, most business cards have a 0.1" bleed, so a 2" x 3.5" business card without round corners will have a bleed size of 2.1" x 3.6".
0.1" bleed: most business cards, folded business cards, bookmarks, CD packages, club flyers, collectors cards, DVD packages, event tickets, most postcards, rack cards, rip business cards, rolodex cards, stickers, table tents, greeting cards, "wink" special shapes.
0.125" bleed: a-frame signs, banners, brochures, door hangers, envelopes, flyers, folded hang tags, hang tags, illumaprint panels, letterheads, mini menus, notepads, posters, Large Format Posters, roll labels, retractable banner stands, staggered cut flyers, window clings, window decals, yard signs.
0.125" bleed: booklets, calendars, catalogs
0.3" bleed: folders
0.325" bleed: business cards with round corners in either 2'' x 3.5'' and 3.35'' x 2.17'' size. Postcards with round corners in the following sizes: 4'' x 6'', 5.5'' x 8.5'', 4.25'' x 5.5'', 5'' x 7''. All special shapes, except for "wink" special shape, which is 0.1".
Crop marks are small lines or guides placed at the corners of a design to indicate where the paper should be trimmed after printing. They are essential in the printing process, especially for projects requiring precise sizing or full-bleed designs (where the artwork extends to the edge of the page). Crop marks ensure that the final product has clean edges without any unwanted white borders. They are particularly useful in print-on-demand and professional printing to maintain consistency and accuracy across multiple copies.
The image area refers to the portion of a design or print that contains the visual elements intended to be seen and reproduced. It is the active area where images, text, and graphics are placed, excluding any margins, bleed, or blank spaces. In print-on-demand, defining the image area helps ensure that the content is properly aligned and fits within the specified dimensions of the product, such as a t-shirt, poster, or book cover. Properly managing the image area is critical for maintaining a professional appearance and avoiding unintended cropping or misalignment during printing.
Colors & Color Mode
Color options refer to the range of colors available for designing and printing a product. In the context of print-on-demand, this can include options for both the design itself (e.g., specific color palettes, gradients, or spot colors) and the base product (e.g., t-shirt colors, mug backgrounds). Understanding color options is essential for achieving the desired visual effect and ensuring the print outcome matches the original design. Additionally, choosing the right color options can enhance the appeal of products and make them suitable for various audiences or occasions.
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black), which are the four primary ink colors used in the color printing process. This color model is subtractive, meaning it works by subtracting light from a white background, such as paper, to create various colors. CMYK is essential for high-quality printing, as it allows precise control over color mixing to reproduce vibrant and accurate designs. Unlike the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) model used for digital screens, CMYK is specifically designed for physical printing, making it critical for print-on-demand projects to ensure the colors appear as intended on the final product.
File Formats & Size
A bitmap image, also known as a raster image, is a digital graphic composed of a grid of tiny squares called pixels. Each pixel represents a single point of color, and together, they create the overall image. Bitmap images are resolution-dependent, meaning their quality is directly tied to their pixel density (measured in DPI or PPI). Enlarging a bitmap image beyond its original resolution can result in pixelation, where individual pixels become visible and the image appears blurry or jagged. Common bitmap file formats include JPEG, PNG, GIF, and BMP. Bitmap images are ideal for detailed and complex visuals, such as photographs, but they require careful resolution management in print-on-demand to ensure high-quality output.
A vector image is a type of digital graphic made up of mathematical paths, defined by points, lines, curves, and shapes, rather than individual pixels. Unlike bitmap images, vector graphics are resolution-independent, meaning they can be scaled up or down without any loss of quality. This makes them ideal for creating logos, icons, illustrations, and text-based designs that need to maintain sharpness and clarity at any size. Common file formats for vector images include SVG, AI, EPS, and PDF. In print-on-demand, vector images are particularly useful for designs that need to be resized for various products, such as t-shirts, posters, or mugs, ensuring crisp and professional results every time.
The maximum file size acceptable for uploads is 5MB. This limit ensures that files are manageable for processing while maintaining sufficient quality for most print-on-demand products. Designers should optimize their files to stay within this size constraint, balancing resolution and file compression to ensure the best visual output without exceeding the limit. Common practices include saving files in efficient formats like JPEG, PNG, or optimized PDF, and reducing unnecessary elements or excessive resolution that may increase file size unnecessarily.