Nick,
"Bleed" is a couple of millimetres overprint beyond the edges where the surplus paper will be cut off.
This ensures clean, margin free paper edges.
Also a knockout, where text will be printed, slightly shrinks to avoid white edges aroud the (vector)text.
Rob
OK, so what do I have to do when saving the file to account for the few extra millimeters?
Make it a few millimetres larger beyond the cutting marks.
Rob
Oh ok, so all I have to do it increase the image size a little bit? So instead of dimensions 1440×1152 (8×10) I would do something like 1460×1172?
Not quite – you *also* need to ensure that the 3mm or so at each edge is ‘surplus’. Find out exactly what size bleed is required, and don’t put anything in – or even very close to – those margins that isn’t surplus to requirements. Make sure it’s just extra background, no text or integral parts of the image you want to be printed.
Imagine you have a 120 × 120 mm file. You are asked to add a 3 mm. bleed all round. This means you’ll have to make a 126 × 126 mm. file.
Build the file with those dimensions taking into account that you’ll be losing 3 mm by each side when the cutter trims the page to its final (timmed) size.
However, if you simply export the PDF from Photoshop with a "save as…" you’ll have no direct way to put TrimBox and BleedBox values (final trimmed page and page wtih bleed included, respectively). You’ll be able to do that aftwerwards in Acrobat or by printing with Distiller to make the PDF (say goodbye to any transparency then).
(Please, take into account that there is as well something that you may call "security zone" around the borders fo a document that is going to be folded or trimmed: Is that zone that, because of its being too near the edges, is a dangerous place to put meaningful information. 5 mm all around the edges is usually a minimun to avoid.)
Ok, I understand pretty much all of this. I really appreciate this.
The only part I didn’t fully understand was this:
"However, if you simply export the PDF from Photoshop with a "save as…" you’ll have no direct way to put TrimBox and BleedBox values (final trimmed page and page wtih bleed included, respectively). You’ll be able to do that aftwerwards in Acrobat or by printing with Distiller to make the PDF (say goodbye to any transparency then)."
I’m just not entirely sure what this means….can you please clarify?
Thanks a lot!
Nick, Photoshop isn’t really set up to export your bleeds "easily" like Illustrator or InDesign, where setting the document bleed settings is in Document Layout section, and then options are available for inclusion and exclusion when printing and exporting.
So basically you "manually" create your own document bleed settings. You are obviously working in mm, which is a foreign language to me, so excuse if examples I give are in my more "comfortable" measurements.
Assuming you didn’t set up file correctly at outset of a project. File is 8 x 10
You want .125 bleed (or "overrun") on all four edges Document needs to become 8.25 x 10.25
Change CANVAS size to this, leave image area in middle.
Solid fills can be extended manually, picture areas, you may need to "clone" a little "fake" image in. Remember, anything that you are extending to "new" frame edge WILL NOT PRINT, it is there for jumps and shifts during press run, so that when trimmed to finished size you don’t get unintended white or "paper" showing on edge of your sheets.
If you want crops on your finished piece you can manually add them in at this point. This is sloppy and I do not reccommend.
Adobe Acrobat Professional has options for adding these things in later, if you have it. You could also "Place" the Photoshop file into a program like InDesign with bleeds set correctly, and then export PDF, EPS etc. using dialogs for including bleeds and desired registration and color bars etc.
If you place the Photoshop file in ID, you can leave in layers and all that jazz, and still have dialog imput over bleed, marks, trims and bars.
Ok, that actually helped quite a bit. Basically all I need to do is extend the canvas size out to whatever "extra" size I need, and fill that in with extra picture (knowing it will get cut off) just to eliminate the possibility of ANY white border showing.
Pretty sure I’ve got it now. Thanks SO much for all the help guys! I really appreciate it.
Yep, sounds like you’ve got it now. Happy Bleeding!
Well that has helped me also quite a bit…..
In Photoshop CS it has a section in the Print with preview menu – but I need a 3mm bleed all the way around – so am i right to assume i need a 6mm bleed value? as i printed at 3mm and it looked like it was 1.5mm each side…
My other question is how do I embed fonts into a PDF – as the printer has requested this – and i dont know! I usually do Web based visuals so all this is new to me!
Thanks for any help in advance
Rob
how do I embed fonts into a PDF
If it’s CS1, when saving the PDF in "Save as…":
– Mark "Include vectorial data".
– Mark "Embed fonts".
As for the bleed value: It’s xxx mm. in each side that is to be trimmed. That is: If it’s to be trimmed all around and the set value is 3 mm, you need to add 6 mm vertically and the same amount horizontally (3 mm for each side).
Hope it helps 🙂
And remember: Do not put anything meaningful "too close" to the edges.
Thank you Ill give it a try when I get home – Thankyou all……
