Or, What are Bleed, Non-Bleed, and Trim sizes?*

If you're creating a full-page ad, you have two options: It can bleed (meaning it will extend all the way to the edge of the paper) or not (meaning it will have a white border around it). We have separate sets of dimensions for each option. Here's how they work:

The red line indicates the "Trim Size" - the size of the finished publication, after it has been printed and trimmed.

Non-Bleed Size is smaller than Trim Size. All NON-bleed ads should be created at these exact dimensions. These ads are then placed in the center of the page, with a white border all the way around.

Bleed Size is the Trim Size plus an additional 1/8 inch of artwork (the "bleed") on all sides. This extra 1/8 inch is meant to be trimmed off after printing, which ensures that your ad will go all the way to the edges of the finished page.

Note that the "Bleed Size" includes the 1/8 inch bleeds -- So don't create your ad at Bleed Size and then add more bleeds to that!

Margins: If you use the Bleed Size for your ad, you must also leave a margin around the edges of the ad where no text or logos should be placed. (Background images or colors can extend into this area, but not text or logos.) This will ensure that these elements will not get trimmed off in the automatic finishing process.

Margins are usually at least 3/8 inch in from the bleed - but refer to your Media Kit for the recommended margins for your publication.

*The information on this page applies to full-page ads only. Ads smaller than a full page never need bleeds.