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Bleed and safety margin in packaging
Printing and die-cutting have tolerances. Bleed and safety margin ensure that a small shift produces neither unprinted edges nor cut-off text.
Bleed: the print runs past the edge
Bleed, also called the bleed allowance, is the area where the printed image extends beyond the cut edge. It compensates for the fact that printing and die-cutting never line up exactly. Without bleed, a strip of unprinted board shows at the edge, a so-called sliver. That is why you extend areas, images and patterns that are meant to reach the edge beyond the cut line. How wide the bleed must be is specified by your printer. The value depends on the printing process and the material.
Safety margin: important content stays inside
The safety margin is the distance that important content keeps from cut edges and creases. This includes text, logos, mandatory information and codes. If the die-cut shifts slightly, the content stays fully on its panel. Text directly on the edge otherwise looks cut off or moves across the crease onto the neighboring panel. Your printer also specifies this value. It depends on the material and the process. Coarse processes such as flexo printing directly onto corrugated board need more margin than offset printing on board.
What is different about packaging
Packaging has more edges than a flyer. Every panel adjoins cut edges, creases or flaps. A crease does not end the board, but it does end one side of the carton. A colour change right on the crease becomes visible on the neighboring panel with even a small shift. Therefore either let backgrounds run deliberately around the edge or keep a distance. On glue areas, ink and varnish can interfere with the bond. Agree with your printer which areas must stay free.
Common mistakes
A common mistake is a background that ends exactly at the cut line. Equally common, text sits too close to a crease or to the tuck flap. Frames parallel to the edge are tricky, because even a small shift makes them visibly uneven. Images in the bleed need enough motif, because a stretched or mirrored edge is noticeable. Also check windows and cut-outs. They are cut edges too and need bleed and clearance.
Checking in JetDieline
In JetDieline the artwork sits on the real dieline. The print-data check looks at bleed and safety margin and names the affected spot. It also shows when something lies too close to a crease or on the glue flap. You adjust the limits to match your printer's specifications. The artwork PDF contains the bleed but no die-cut contour. A check with no findings replaces neither the printer's preflight nor its approval.
Step by step
- Ask your printer for the bleed and safety margin values.
- Extend backgrounds and images beyond the cut line.
- Place text, logos and codes at a distance from edges and creases.
- Keep glue areas free as specified by your printer.
- Check the result in a preview with the die-cut contour.
Frequently asked questions
How much bleed does a package need?
Your printer determines that. The value depends on the printing process, the material and the die-cutting. Ask for the dimension sheet or the data requirements before you set up the artwork.
Does the safety margin also apply at creases?
Yes. A side of the carton ends at a crease. Content that lies too close to the crease can migrate onto the neighboring panel or be hard to read in the fold.
Related features
Related terms
Related guides
Carton dimensions
Folding carton dimensions start with the product, not the carton.
Inside, outside, crease
Three dimensions describe the same carton and still produce different numbers.
Preparing print files
Packaging needs two kinds of data: the printed image and the die-cut contour.
Grain and flute direction
Board and corrugated board do not behave the same in every direction.
Packaging barcodes
A barcode must scan at the checkout on the first attempt.
Your product. Your dimensions. Your design.
With JetDieline, choose a suitable template, adjust its size, and place text, logos, and images directly on your packaging.
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