Beginner · Artwork
What is print bleed?
Bleed is the extra artwork beyond the trim line that stops thin white edges after cutting.
What bleed means
Bleed is extra colour or imagery that extends past the final trim size — usually 3mm on every side.
We print on large sheets and trim stacks of them. A tiny shift during cutting is normal. If your background stops exactly at the edge, you can get white slivers.
Quick example
- Finished A4 flyer: 210×297mm
- With 3mm bleed: supply 216×303mm
- Business card 90×50mm → supply 96×56mm
Safe area: Keep important text and logos at least 5mm inside the trim — not only inside the bleed.
Bleed in Canva
Turn on bleed in Canva, extend backgrounds to the red bleed line, then download PDF Print with crop marks and bleed. Full steps: printing from Canva.
When you still need it
Any design where ink runs to the edge needs bleed — even if the centre of the page is white. Border frames that sit on the trim are especially risky without bleed.
Keep learning
Related guides
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