Support: Add Bleed and Crop Marks to PDF
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Common questions
How do I add bleed to a PDF?
Open the PDF here, choose the bleed your printer asked for, usually 1/8 inch or 3 mm, and download the result. Every page is extended on all four sides by mirroring the edge of the artwork, crop marks are added in the corners, and the file is told where the cut falls. It takes a few seconds and nothing is uploaded.
How much bleed do I need?
Most printers in the United States ask for 1/8 inch (0.125 in) on each side, and printers working in metric sizes ask for 3 mm. Books and packaging often use 5 mm, and banners and other large format work 1/4 inch or more. These are the common figures; use whatever your own printer specifies.
What is the difference between mirroring and stretching?
Mirroring reflects the strip of artwork along each edge outwards into the bleed, so nothing inside the page moves or changes size. Stretching enlarges the whole page by a few percent until it covers the bleed, which pushes everything slightly towards the edge and cuts the outermost part away. Mirroring is the safer choice for most artwork.
Will adding bleed change the size of my design?
Not when the edges are mirrored. The finished size stays exactly what it was: a 3.5 x 2 inch card is still 3.5 x 2 inches inside the cut line, and the page around it grows to 3.75 x 2.25 inches to hold the bleed, plus room for the marks. Only stretching changes the size of the artwork.
What are crop marks, and should I add them?
Crop marks are short lines outside the corners of the artwork that show where the sheet should be cut. Most printers want them, and here they are placed beyond the bleed so they are cut away with the waste. Some online printers ask for bleed without marks; if yours does, untick the box.
What are the trim box and the bleed box?
They are measurements saved inside a PDF that software reads. The trim box says where the page is cut, and the bleed box says how far the artwork runs past it. A printer's system uses them to place your file correctly without guessing. This tool sets both on every page.
My design already has bleed. Can I just add crop marks?
Yes. Choose It already has bleed. The artwork is left exactly as it is, the cut is measured in from the edge by the bleed amount you give, and the marks are placed outside your page. If the PDF already says where it is cut, that is used instead.
Why does the mirrored edge look odd on my file?
A reflection is invisible on backgrounds, photos and patterns, but where a recognisable shape, a face or a word touches the edge you may see it repeated in the bleed. That strip is cut off, so it rarely matters. If it bothers you, try stretching instead, or extend the background in your design program.
Does it keep links and form fields?
No. Each page is rebuilt for print, so links, form fields and comments are not carried over. Keep your original file for use on screen.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The PDF is opened and rebuilt by your browser on your own device. It is never sent to us or to anyone else, and closing the tab clears it.