With the increase in the cost of stationery material, people are trying to cut down on the usage of paper, ink, color prints and other things. Printing especially is very expensive and if it is color printing, the cost is all the higher. When you meet a website designer or a technician in the printing press, they would ask you if you know what the term ‘bleed’ means. It has got nothing to do with blood but plays a vital role in giving a neat finish to your document. Bleed is the area of the page that extends beyond edges of the document. Some people want the color to reach the edges too and they do it to make the page look even. In fact, allowing space for bleed is very important to avoid unprinted page to show up and spoil the appeal of the paper. If the color extends to the entire page layout, it looks really neat.

When you ask for space on the page for bleed, the technician usually gives you various options and you can choose according to the print you want and the way you want it to look. Full bleed is what people usually ask for because it gives a complete look and you cannot find any unfinished edges. But if you are getting a business card or poster printing done, then you might want to leave one edge free but let the others bleed. Such designs are common and you can ask the designer for more options that will make the print look attractive. Photographs especially should be cut neatly and you should pay more attention to the bleed here. Any changes here and there will cut off the photograph. You would never want that, right!

Bleed in page layouts has a limit and you cannot allow more room for bleed on the page. The regular bleed size is 1/8 of an inch but you can extend it upto ¼ of an inch. It is completely your decision and depending upon your requirements, you should allow the bleed in the page layout. Take help from the web designer and look at all the possible options that will give you the best results. The printer will charge you extra for the bleed. It isn’t very expensive but depending on the kind of print, the cost is decided and that too is affordable.