working with imported images

[sundaymorning]

I am using a brochure template. it has bleed and margin guides.

should I always make sure the imported images align with the bleed lines?

I am trying to add smaller pictures to some of the panels and I cannot afford any of them be cut..could I just align them with margin or trim?

I am confused since I was instructed to always make sure they align with bleed lines..but not sure why it is a mandatory thing. Background will be white anyway since the images are so small..

Thanks for your time!

[Monika Gause]

Only images that are at the edge of the brochure will need to be aligned with the bleedline.

[Bill Silbert · Accepted solution]

If in the final printed version of the brochure the images will appear to go off of the page then they must be aligned to the bleed lines. This is because jobs are printed on paper that is larger than the final trim size and then cut to size by cutting machines. The bleed is to make sure that if the cut is off at all in its precision then there will not be a gap showing the paper's color running along the edges of the page. Any images that are not required to go off of the page do not need to be aligned to bleed lines but they should be far enough away from the trim (1/8th inch minimum) to prevent a "too close" cut from making them appear as if they are bleeding off the page.