Bleed and trim margin for a brochure

Bleed is 3 mm of extra image beyond the finished size. When A4 (210 × 297 mm) is trimmed, that edge is cut off; without bleed, white strips can appear. Slim Folderen expects 3 mm bleed on your PDF.

Trimming is never identical to the millimetre on every sheet. The extra 3 mm absorbs that tolerance. A safety margin (safe zone) keeps text and logos out of the danger zone.

A common mistake

A white background that ends at exactly A4, and a coloured bar that stops at 210 mm. After trimming, you see a hairline white edge. Extend the bar by 3 mm.

1. 1

   Set the document to A4

   210 × 297 mm as the finished size.

2. 2

   Add 3 mm bleed

   Top, bottom, left and right. 216 × 303 mm in total, including bleed.

3. 3

   Extend backgrounds

   Let colours and photos run into the bleed instead of stopping at the trim line.

4. 4

   Keep text within the safety margin

   Place text at least 5 mm inside the finished size.

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