PDF bleed checker
Check a PDF for bleed, trim size and artwork that stops exactly at the page edge, whatever app it came from.
Checked entirely in your browser. Your PDF is never uploaded.
How bleed is stored in a PDF
A print-ready PDF page has several nested boxes. The trim box is the finished size. The bleed box is slightly larger and holds the artwork that will be trimmed away. The page itself (the media box) can be larger still, to make room for crop marks. Design apps set these for you when you export with bleed.
The checker reads these boxes, measures the bleed on each side, and renders each page to see whether artwork actually reaches the edge and continues into the bleed.
Exporting with bleed
- InDesign: set bleed in File → Document Setup, then in Export Adobe PDF → Marks and Bleeds tick Use Document Bleed Settings.
- Illustrator: set bleed in Document Setup, then enable Use Document Bleed Settings when saving as PDF.
- Affinity Publisher and Designer: set bleed in Document Setup, then tick Include bleed when exporting PDF.
- Canva: see the Canva bleed guide.
- Word and Google Docs: they have no bleed setting. Make the page larger by twice the bleed (for example 8.75 × 11.25 in), stretch backgrounds to the edge, and tell the printer the finished size. The checker recognizes this layout and can mark the trim size for you.
Common bleed sizes
- 0.125 in (3.2 mm): most US printers
- 3 mm: most printers in Europe, the UK and Australia
- 5 mm or 0.25 in: some large-format, packaging and specialty printers
Questions
What's the difference between trim size and bleed?
Trim size is the finished size after cutting. Bleed is the extra margin of artwork outside the trim that gets cut away. A US Letter flyer with 0.125 in bleed is set up as 8.75 × 11.25 in and trimmed to 8.5 × 11 in.
How does the checker know where the trim is?
Well-made print PDFs store the trim size in the file. If it's missing but the page is exactly a standard size plus a common bleed, the check infers the trim size and says so. Otherwise it treats the page edge as the trim.
Can the tool add bleed to my PDF?
No. Adding bleed means inventing artwork beyond the edge, for example by stretching or mirroring the background, which changes your design. It's better done in your design app.
How much bleed should I use?
0.125 in is standard in the US and 3 mm in most other countries. Some large-format and packaging printers ask for more, so check their specifications.