How to Add Bleed in Photoshop for Print

How to Add Bleed in Photoshop for Print - and should you?

Before we dive in, we recommend jumping down to our section on "Is Photoshop the best tool for your print file"

Still need to set up artwork for print in Photoshop? Photoshop does not have a dedicated bleed setting like Illustrator or InDesign, so you need to add bleed manually by making your document larger than the final trim size.

For most paper and card products, allow 3mm bleed on each edge. That means your Photoshop document should be 6mm wider and 6mm taller than the finished size.

For example:

What is Bleed?

Bleed is the extra printed area that extends beyond the final trim size of your artwork.

It prevents thin white edges from appearing if there is slight movement during printing, cutting or finishing. Small movement is normal in print production, so artwork should never stop exactly at the finished edge if the design is meant to print edge-to-edge.

At Same Day Printing, we generally recommend:

• 3mm bleed for most paper and card products
• 2mm bleed for most vinyl sticker products
• 5mm for large format prints
• 3–5mm internal margin for important text, logos and details

Check the product artwork specifications if you are unsure, as some products need different setup.

Quick answer: how to add bleed in Photoshop

To add bleed in Photoshop:

1. Work out your finished print size.
2. Add 6mm to the width and 6mm to the height.
3. Create your Photoshop document at this larger size.
4. Add guides 3mm in from each edge to show the final trim size.
5. Keep backgrounds and images extended to the outside edge.
6. Keep text and important details safely inside the trim line.
7. Save as a Photoshop PDF.

Example:
If your finished flyer is 148 × 210mm, create your Photoshop file at 154 × 216mm.

Step 1: Create your Photoshop document with bleed included

Open Photoshop and select:

File > New

Set your document up as follows:

For an A6 postcard:

• Finished size: 148 × 105mm
• Add 3mm bleed to each side
• Photoshop size: 154 × 111mm

This gives you 3mm extra on the left, right, top and bottom.

Step 2: Add trim guides in Photoshop

Photoshop will not automatically show a bleed area, so you need to add guides manually.

Go to:

View > Rulers

Make sure your rulers are showing in millimetres. If they are not, right click the ruler and choose Millimetres.

Then go to:

View > New Guide Layout

Use these settings:

Columns

• Number: 1
• Width: leave blank
• Gutter: leave blank

Rows

• Number: 1
• Height: leave blank
• Gutter: leave blank

Margin

• Top: 3mm
• Bottom: 3mm
• Left: 3mm
• Right: 3mm

Click OK.

You will now see guides 3mm in from each edge. These guides show where your artwork will be trimmed.

Step 3: Add internal margin guides

The trim guide shows where the finished edge will be. You also need an internal safe area so text, logos and important details are not too close to the edge.

For most paper and card items, keep important content at least 3–5mm inside the finished trim edge.

A simple Photoshop setup is:

• Bleed guide: 3mm from the outside edge
• Safe area guide: 8mm from the outside edge

Why 8mm?
Because your document includes 3mm bleed. An 8mm guide from the outer document edge gives you a 5mm internal margin from the finished trim edge.

To add this:

Go to:

View > New Guide Layout

Set the margin to:

• Top: 8mm
• Bottom: 8mm
• Left: 8mm
• Right: 8mm

Click OK.

You should now have two guide areas:

Step 4: Design your artwork

When designing your artwork:

• Extend background colours, photos and patterns all the way to the outside edge of the Photoshop document.
• Do not stop backgrounds at the trim guide.
• Keep text, logos, QR codes and important details inside the internal margin guide.
• Avoid borders close to the edge, as small trimming movement can make borders look uneven.
• If an image touches the edge, make sure it continues through the bleed area.

A good rule:

Backgrounds go to the outside edge. Important content stays inside the safe area.

Step 5: Check your file before saving

Before saving your print file, check:

• The document size includes bleed.
• Your file is 300dpi at final print size.
• The artwork extends to the outside edge.
• Text and logos are not sitting too close to the trim line.
• There are no thin borders near the edge unless uneven trimming will not matter.
• Each side of a double-sided design is supplied as a separate page or clearly named file.

Step 6: Save your Photoshop file for print

To save your file:

Go to:

File > Save As

Choose:

Photoshop PDF

Use a clear file name, such as:

BusinessName_A6_Postcard_148x105mm_Front.pdf

Then select:

High Quality Print

Save the PDF.

You do not need to add trim marks if your artwork has been set up at the correct size with bleed included.

Common Photoshop bleed mistakes

1. Creating the file at the finished size only

If your finished size is A6, do not create the Photoshop file at only 148 × 105mm if the design prints to the edge.

Create it at 154 × 111mm so the bleed is included.

2. Adding white space around the design

Bleed is not a white border. Bleed should be a continuation of your artwork beyond the trim edge.

3. Keeping text too close to the edge

Bleed protects the outside edge. It does not protect text from being trimmed too close. Keep important content inside the safe margin.

4. Using borders near the edge

Even tiny cutting movement can make a border look uneven. If you want a border, make it thick enough and place it well inside the trim line.

5. Supplying a low-resolution file

For most printed items, set your Photoshop file to 300 pixels/inch at the correct physical size.

FAQ: Adding bleed in Photoshop

Does Photoshop have a bleed setting?

No. Photoshop does not have a proper bleed setup tool like Illustrator or InDesign. To add bleed in Photoshop, create the document larger than the finished size and use guides to mark the trim area.

How much bleed should I add in Photoshop?

For most paper and card products, add 3mm bleed on each side. This means adding 6mm total to the width and height of your Photoshop document.

What size should an A6 Photoshop file be with bleed?

An A6 postcard finishes at 148 × 105mm. With 3mm bleed on each edge, your Photoshop document should be 154 × 111mm.

What size should a business card be in Photoshop with bleed?

If your finished business card is 90 × 55mm, your Photoshop document should be 96 × 61mm with 3mm bleed on each edge.

Do I need trim marks?

No. If your file is supplied at the correct size with bleed included, trim marks are usually not required.

Can I add bleed after I have designed the file?

Yes, but it depends on the artwork. You can increase the canvas size by 6mm in width and height, then extend the background into the new bleed area. Do not simply add white space around the design.

Should I use Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign?

Use Photoshop for photo-based artwork. Use Illustrator or InDesign for files with text, logos, vector shapes, cut lines, white ink, foiling, specialty finishes or dielines.

Set Internal Margin Guidelines

We are going to repeat the above steps now to add guidelines to show us where to keep text, logos and other important content inside so it does not get trimmed off or end up visually too close to the edge of the page.

Select View > New Guide Layout

• Select your 3mm Bleed preset you just created
• Change the Margin to 8mm (this will set text in 5mm on the final product)
• Save the preset as “5mm Internal Margin”
• Click OK

Your document now has two guidelines on each side. The one closest to the edge is the final trim size of your document and the one inset further is your internal margin,

Designing your artwork

Tip: If this is a size document you are likely to use again, save a copy of it now to use as a template for future jobs

With guides now in place you can set about designing your artwork. Keep in mind:

• The final printed piece will be trimmed at the outer guides
• We recommend not having borders. As bleed is included to account for movement in the print, if you choose to include borders it’s likely this movement will make borders appear uneven on the finished print.
• For a nice visual finish we recommend you keep elements that do no inside the internal margin, or extend them all the way to the edge of your artboard. The only time this does not apply is if: their distance from the edge is not a critical element of your design; it does not affect symmetry; and if you place it closer than 2mm from the edge, it does not matter if it is trimmed.

Design away – You can use layers, shapes, and anything else that you normally use in your design.

Is Photoshop the Best Tool for Your Project?

Before we dive in,  it's important to note that if your project involves text elements, Adobe Illustrator or InDesign will provide a crisper text output. This is because these software programs work with vector files, which define each element individually. In contrast, Photoshop produces raster files, which are more like a single image.

Here's a comparison of the same design created in Illustrator and Photoshop, showing the text and shape edge detail the printer can see.

If you only have access to Photoshop, you can use it and if all your settings are correct, it will create a nice print, but this software is designed for and best used for editing photos which can then be placed into Illustrator or InDesign.

Note: Photoshop files are not suitable for any print item where shape or font edge needs to be read by the printer. This includes but is not limited to: T-shirts, apparel, shape-cut or die-cut items, or clear stickers requiring white ink.