Print Bleed Size Calculator

Work out print bleed size instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Print Bleed Size Calculator

Bleed is added to every edge, so the document is the trim size plus twice the bleed in each direction, while the safe area is inset from the trim by the safe margin. Guillotines cut with a tolerance of a millimetre or two, so artwork without bleed shows white slivers and text too close to the trim gets clipped.

Formulas

Document size

document dimension = trim dimension + 2 x bleed

Safe area

safe dimension = trim dimension - 2 x safe margin

Worked example

With the default values below, Print Bleed Size Calculator returns Document width with bleed of 216.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Trim widthminimum 1 mm: 210 mm
Trim heightminimum 1 mm: 297 mm
Bleed on each edgeminimum 0 mm: 3 mm
Safe margin inside the trimminimum 0 mm: 5 mm

Results

Document width with bleed: 216.00 mm
Document height with bleed: 303.00 mm
Safe area for critical content: 200 x 287 mm
Extra area added by bleed: 4.94%

Step by step

1Values used
2Document size
3Safe area
4Document width with bleed= 216.00 mm
5Document height with bleed= 303.00 mm
6Safe area for critical content= 200 x 287 mm
7Extra area added by bleed= 4.94

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Print Bleed Size figure worked out?

document dimension = trim dimension + 2 x bleed. Bleed is added to every edge, so the document is the trim size plus twice the bleed in each direction, while the safe area is inset from the trim by the safe margin.

Why does this matter?

Guillotines cut with a tolerance of a millimetre or two, so artwork without bleed shows white slivers and text too close to the trim gets clipped.

What do I need to enter?

Enter trim width, trim height, bleed on each edge, safe margin inside the trim. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.