Section 12 · Output & Production

Bleed and Slug

Definition

Bleed is artwork extending past the trim edge so no white slivers appear if the cut drifts; slug is space outside the trim reserved for printer marks and notes.

Why it matters

Print production has no tolerance for guesswork — missing bleed is among the most common and costly reasons a job is rejected or reprinted. Cutting is mechanical and never perfectly accurate.

Example

Extending a background 0.125 in past the trim edge on all sides — a common default, though the correct value comes from the printer.

Note

Seeing a trimmed piece with a white sliver along one edge explains bleed better than any diagram. Physical evidence, once, is enough.