The 4 Biggest Business Card Design Blunders! - Part 2
And we're back! Yes, we're knuckling down into the second Most Common Design Problem. You Could say this next problem is the most gruesome part of the design process, as it has to do with blood!
Or more accurately "bleeding your document"!
Design Problem #2 is "No Bleed in the Document"!
You mean I gotta give blood to get a print job out? Yeah, some of the terms in the industry can be pretty unusual! When we talk about bleeding your document, it means when the background graphic or image 'bleeds' over the edge of the page. It's to allow for the cutting tolerance of equipment.
Guilotines and Book Cutters (regardless what brand or how expensive they are) can't cut every printed product in precisely the same place. There is some movement in the process. To allow for this we put 'bleed' our document, so if the cutter, cuts slightly bigger you won't get the dodgy result of 'white paper' on the edge of it!
How do I bleed the document then?
Well, If your document has a background which you want to go all the way to the edge of the paper, then you will need to extend it even further past the edge of the document. It should be at least 3-5mm. For business cards and brochures 3mm is all that's needed, however, magazines require 5mm. 5mm would be fine for all products. (you can't have too much bleed!)
Now, it's important to note that this is for EVERY SINGLEedge of the paper! So you would have 5mm going past the TOP of your document, 5mm going past the BOTTOM of your document, 5mm going past the LEFT SIDE of your document, 5mm going past the RIGHT SIDE of your document.
Simple huh?
Strangely enough it's often overlooked and misunderstood!
We know that you won't make that mistake now don't we! (wink, wink, nod, nod!)
I'll give you a hint what the next article is...It's opposite to what bleed is....
This article was humbly brought to you by Hollands Print Solutions - the easy print provider! They produce high quality Business Cards, Brochures and Printing Flyers at affordable prices with excellent service! Visit their fantastic site at www.hollands.com.au
Published April 3rd, 2008
