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Need to submit artwork with PhotoshopΒ for your Vancouver business cards or another printing project? Here’s how correctly set up the bleed lines with Photoshop. Questions? Feel free to contact us at PrintPrint: 604-265-5914, info@printprint.ca.
Creating the Bleed linesΒ with Photoshop
Create a new fileΒ
Sizing
Make sure the document is set up at 300 dpi. when sizing a document you have to add theΒ bleed to the final file size. This is done by adding 0.25 inches to the size in both directions.Β
So if you wanted a final size of 3.5 x 2 inches you would set that up in Photoshop as 3.75 x 2.25. ThisΒ rule is the same regardless the size.
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Setting up the bleed
Next is setting up the interior bleed, or gutter.Β This step is very similar to the Illustrator setupΒ except Photoshop doesnβt have an βartboard.β InΒ the place of an artboard we use the guides to buildΒ an artboard area and gutter. As done before in the Illustrator tutorial, click andΒ drag the guides from the rulers but this time placeΒ the guides on 0.125 and 0.25 in each direction.
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Re-setting Zero
Resetting zero to the first intersecting guides (0.125 in guides) by clicking in the top leftΒ corner of the rulers and drag it to where you want zero to be. This will align the rulers soΒ that the first guides will represent the artboard.
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Understanding Bleed in Photoshop
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Any image or colour that youΒ want to bleed off the edge ofΒ the card (printed right up to theΒ edge) needs to be set up so theΒ colour or image bleeds both theΒ interior gutter safety and the cutΒ line all the way to the edge of theΒ file.
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Common Mistakes
Sometimes people think thatΒ because a file barely passesΒ the cut guide that then theyΒ have enough bleed. This isΒ incorrect because we need aΒ full extra 1/8th inch to accountΒ for any shifting or slipping onΒ the cut. This is the same reasonΒ we use the gutter safety keepingΒ the text 1/8th inch from the cut.
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Another classic move is justΒ adding white or black to theΒ extra bleed area. This is alsoΒ incorrect. Think about the bladeΒ and how if it isnβt absolutelyΒ perfect in itβs cut there could beΒ a ugly thin white or black lineΒ on the edge.
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The example below showΒ correct bleed lines with Photoshop!Β
