Free prepress tool
Bleed & Trim Calculator
Set up your artwork correctly the first time. Enter your final size and this tool gives you the exact document size, trim line and safe area — with a live visual so there are no surprises at the cutter.
Inputs
Standard bleed is 3 mm (0.125 in). Keep important text and logos inside the safe margin so nothing is trimmed off.
Result
- Document (with bleed)
- 91 mm × 61 mm
- Trim (final) size
- 85 × 55 mm
- Safe area
- 79 × 49 mm
The basics
What is bleed, trim and safe area?
Three simple lines decide whether your print looks clean or has white edges. Here is what each one means.
Bleed is artwork that extends past the edge — normally 3 mm all around. Cutting blades move slightly, so the bleed makes sure the colour reaches the very edge instead of leaving a thin white line.
Trim line is where the sheet is actually cut — your final size. It is the dashed blue line in the diagram above.
Safe area is an inner margin (3–5 mm) that keeps text and logos away from the cut, so nothing important gets clipped.
Setup
How to add 3 mm bleed in your design app
Adobe InDesign
File → Document Setup → Bleed → 3 mm on all sides. Export PDF with “Use Document Bleed Settings” and crop marks on.
Adobe Illustrator
File → Document Setup → Bleed → 3 mm. Save as PDF and tick “Marks & Bleeds”.
Adobe Photoshop
Add 6 mm to each dimension (3 mm per side) when you create the canvas, then place guides 3 mm in from each edge.
Canva
File → Settings → Show print bleed. Download as “PDF Print” with crop marks and bleed enabled.
Quick reference
Common sizes with 3 mm bleed
| Product | Trim size | Document (with bleed) |
|---|---|---|
| Business card | 85 × 55 mm | 91 × 61 mm |
| A6 postcard | 148 × 105 mm | 154 × 111 mm |
| A5 flyer | 210 × 148 mm | 216 × 154 mm |
| A4 | 297 × 210 mm | 303 × 216 mm |
| A3 poster | 420 × 297 mm | 426 × 303 mm |
| DL flyer | 210 × 99 mm | 216 × 105 mm |
Questions
Bleed & trim — FAQ
What is bleed in printing?+
Bleed is extra artwork that extends past the trim line — usually 3 mm on every edge. Because cutting machines have a small tolerance, the bleed guarantees the ink runs all the way to the edge with no white slivers after trimming.
How much bleed do I need?+
The industry standard is 3 mm (0.125 inch) on each side. Some large-format or specialty jobs use 5 mm. When in doubt, 3 mm is safe for business cards, flyers, brochures and most commercial work.
What is the safe area (safe margin)?+
The safe area is an inner margin — typically 3–5 mm inside the trim line — where you keep important text, logos and anything that must not be cut off. It absorbs the same cutting tolerance on the inside.
What size should my document be with bleed?+
Take your final (trim) size and add twice the bleed to each dimension. For an 85 × 55 mm business card with 3 mm bleed, the document is 91 × 61 mm. This calculator does the maths for you.
How do I send a print-ready file to ADP Printing?+
Export a PDF that includes 3 mm bleed and crop marks, keep text inside the safe area, and use CMYK colour at 300 dpi. You can send it through our quote form or on WhatsApp and we will pre-flight it before printing.
Not sure your file is right? Send it to us — we pre-flight every job before printing.
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