search

Bleed Printing 101: What It Is & How It’s Used

CMYK color model letter. Prepress proofing concept. Provider of printer ink and toner, letterpress printers. Keep printing!
April 15, 2021

With any piece of paper that you print, there’s a margin of white around the edges. Referred to as no bleed printing, it’s what you’ll get using any standard printer.

But for certain designs, you might desire a slightly different look. Any pages with a background colour, pattern, or photo may look better if the ink reaches the edges of the page. You can achieve this using a technique called bleed printing.

What Is Bleed Printing?

A white border can sometimes be a waste of space. It may cause elements of your image to get cut off.

With bleed printing, the edges of your design extend beyond the page. This is where the term gets its name from—the ink bleeds past the boundaries. Any trimming is done after the piece is printed, which ensures that all design elements make it to the final product.

Using bleed printing allows the image to reach the very edges of the page.

How to Use Bleed Printing

Imagine you want to print something with intricate lettering, but you don’t want any part of the image to be cut off at the edges. Here are a few ways you can utilize bleed in your printing design:

For Signs

You can use bleed printing for more than just papers. It also comes in handy for brochures, business cards, and signage. 

When you’re designing an advertisement, every inch of space is important. A white border around the edges will compromise your design and waste valuable space. Rather than focusing on the text or images, the viewer’s eyes will be drawn to the contrasting edges. Bleed printing allows you to avoid this design flaw.

For Trimming After Printing

You might not trust a printer for precise cutting jobs. If you plan to trim the page yourself after it has been printed, bleed printing prevents your design from being cut off by white lines. Printing the design to the edges of the page ensures that you won’t end up with any margins. 

This technique is essential for precise pieces. You’ll get perfect overage with each print.

For Professional Documents

Imagine if you distribute papers during a presentation, conference, or meeting, and your logo gets cut off at the edges. It’s an embarrassing mistake—your readers won’t be able to discern the name of your business! With certain printed materials (like book covers), a poorly designed material can impact overall sales.

Certain designs may look misaligned, choppy, or amateurish without bleed. A white border around a printed sheet is often a sign that the person didn’t know what they were doing or was careless.

Contact a Professional Printing Company

It’s tough to pull off complicated designs with a home printer. If you’re interested in bleed printing, you need to be careful; extend the edges too far, and you’ll lose parts of your design. For precise edges, vibrant ink, and reliable service, you may want to call a professional printing company instead.

At SpeedPro, we offer printing services in London. We can use bleed printing to make your documents look professional, clean, and perfectly printed. Call us today, and we’ll prevent your design from getting cut off by the borders of the page!
We also provide vehicle wraps in London.

Filter By Location

Filter By Categories

Recent News

Locations Across Canada

Find Nearest to You

Speedpro Quote

Get A Quote

Speedpro Gallery

View Portfolio

Speedpro Quote

Get A Quote

Speedpro Gallery