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Known Participant
February 3, 2019
Answered

BASIC Bleed and Crop Mark Question

  • February 3, 2019
  • 4 replies
  • 1954 views

Hello!

If you have experience with creating designs for print then you should be able to help me out with my problem.

I will really appreciate it if someone can explain to me in detail the difference between crop marks and bleeds when printing documents. I have been researching them for a long time in many different sites, but I still can't quite understand them. I know there are really important, so that's why I need someone to explain to me the basics and the most important stuff I have to know about them like:

1. What is the difference between them?

2. What is the proper size for bleed?

3. I'm also especially confused about crop marks because  I am unsure of how they can be placed using illustrator since that's the program I work with. I know where the option for crop marks is, I just don't know the rules I have to follow when adding them. I am also not sure if crop marks can be placed in formats other than pdf, like SVG for example.

4. Should the background color always touch the bleed lines and go beyond the workspace in illustrator?

English isn't my first language and the information I find online only confuses me, so I would be really grateful if someone can explain the most important stuff in a simple way.

Thank you for taking the time to help me out!

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Correct answer lambiloon

Hi there for better understanding about check this video...Thanks.

4 replies

lambiloon
lambiloonCorrect answer
Community Expert
February 4, 2019

Hi there for better understanding about check this video...Thanks.

Ali Sajjad / Graphic Design Trainer / Freelancer / Adobe Certified Professional
Inspiring
February 3, 2019

Here's a quick RE...

1. What is the difference between them?

- Bleed is whatever background extends beyond the trim.  Trim marks indicate where the document will be trimmed.

2. What is the proper size for bleed?

- Typical bleed is 1/8".

3. I'm also especially confused about crop marks because  I am unsure of how they can be placed using illustrator since that's the program I work with. I know where the option for crop marks is, I just don't know the rules I have to follow when adding them. I am also not sure if crop marks can be placed in formats other than pdf, like SVG for example.

- I recommend adding trim marks manually ( I also add center marks and score marks when applicable ).

4. Should the background color always touch the bleed lines and go beyond the workspace in illustrator?

- No.  You should add additional area for color bars, trim marks, and sign-off to your document.

You should get Adobe's Print Publishing Guide.  It will help.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
February 3, 2019

jdanek  schrieb

- I recommend adding trim marks manually ( I also add center marks and score marks when applicable ).

That would depend on the printing service.

When uploading a PDF to some online printing service (who collect jobs on a large press) they usually demand explicitely that you don't add any marks (at least that's the case with any of the online printers I have used so far).

I admit that this doesn't make the whole thing easier for radoslava645.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
February 3, 2019

About which kind of artwork is your question? The usual magazine, flyer, postcard? Something special such as packaging?

Known Participant
February 3, 2019

Does it matter whether a logo is being printed on a business card, magazine or any other medium?

Monika Gause
Community Expert
February 3, 2019

radoslava645  schrieb

Does it matter whether a logo is being printed on a business card, magazine or any other medium?

When delivering the files for a logo, you usually don't have any marks on it.

Printing marks are added to the final piece if at all, because the information contained in a PDF should be sufficient (the PDF boxes).

But the conecpt of bleed and marks gets more complicated with packaging.

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
February 3, 2019
Known Participant
February 3, 2019

Yup, but It wasn't detailed enough nor did I fully understand it to be honest