Setting bleed and crops in Adobe Illustrator is an essential step in preparing a document for printing. Bleed and crops help ensure that the final printed piece has clean edges and that no white borders or unprinted areas are left around the edges of the design. In this article, we will cover the process of setting bleed and crops in Adobe Illustrator.
What is Bleed?
Bleed refers to the area of the design that extends beyond the trim edge of the final printed piece. This extra area is necessary to account for slight variations in the printing and trimming process. Without bleed, there is a risk that the final printed piece may have white edges or unprinted areas if the trimming is not perfectly aligned.
Setting Bleed in Adobe Illustrator
To set bleed in Adobe Illustrator, follow these steps:
1. Open your document in Adobe Illustrator.
2. Go to File > Document Setup.
3. In the Document Setup dialog box, enter the desired bleed amount in the “Bleed” input fields. A standard bleed amount is 3mm or 1/8 inch.
4. Check the “Use Document Bleed Settings” checkbox to apply the bleed to the entire document.
5. Click “OK” to apply the bleed settings.
Setting Crops
Crops, also known as crop marks or trim marks, are lines that indicate where the final printed piece should be trimmed. Adding crops to your document helps the printer accurately trim the design to its final size.
To add crops in Adobe Illustrator, follow these steps:
1. Select the “Rectangle Tool” from the toolbar.
2. Draw a rectangle that is slightly larger than the size of your document. This will be the area that defines the trim edge.
3. With the rectangle selected, go to Object > Crop Area > Make.
4. Your rectangle will now have transformed into crop marks around the edges of your document.
Checking Bleed and Crops
To ensure that the bleed and crops are properly set, it is important to preview your document with these settings. You can do this by going to View > Print Tiling > Overprint Preview. This view will show you how the document will be printed, including the bleed and crop marks.
In conclusion, setting bleed and crops in Adobe Illustrator is crucial for ensuring that your designs are properly prepared for printing. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can confidently set up your documents with the necessary bleed and crop marks, ultimately leading to a professionally printed final product.
