InDesign has several features necessary to design pages and create visual layouts, making it a useful tool. You must become familiar with a bleed in InDesign before setting up a file for printing. To learn how to add bleed in InDesign, keep reading!

To add a bleed in InDesign, begin with ‘file,’ ‘new,’ and ‘document.’ The bleed option will be visible at the bottom of the new document window by clicking on the ‘bleed and slug’ dropdown menu. Go to the ‘bleed’ section and click on the arrow under ‘top’ until ‘0.125 in.’ Finally, click create, and a bleed is added. 

Although bleed values of 0.125 inches are standard and can be added by clicking ‘top,’ some printers may require a large bleed area. To meet these conditions, it is simple to alter the bleed values. Any modifications made to the bleed under one part will also be reflected in the others.

The following video explains the steps mentioned above:

Now that you know how to add bleed in InDesign, knowing what it is and when you might need to add it is essential.

What is A Bleed?

A bleed is an area that extends past the trim edges of a paper. After your document is printed, bleed works as a margin of error. So, you should extend the content of your document into the bleed if it runs beyond the edge of the page. This will stop your document’s borders from retaining any white lines.

Adding a bleed to your InDesign document reduces any trim errors and helps your finished product seem refined, as printing issues can happen anytime. So, when do you need a bleed?

When Is Bleed Needed?

It is essential to add bleed to your InDesign document if you are preparing to print it. If the document is single-paged, then you can set a bleed around all four edges of the document. However, if your document has multiple pages that will be bound, like a book, the first pages do not need a bleed.

This is because the corners of the first page will be concealed when it is bound. Additionally, the inside edges’ bleeds will extend across the next page when you export the InDesign document as a spread rather than a single page. Thus, content from the inside bleed will move over to the other pages.

You must appropriately export your InDesign document after including bleed.

How to Export A Document With A Bleed?

To export your InDesign document in a print-ready format, you must go through these steps:

1. Check that the bleed is exported with the entire document. To do this, you must go to ‘file,’ followed by ‘export,’ and select ‘Adobe PDF print.’ 

2. Then, choose “press quality” from the drop-down list under “general choices” on the PDF print page.

3. Following this, select ‘marks and bleeds,’ which will show further options from where you need to click on ‘all printer’s marks.’ 

4. Click the ‘use document bleed settings” link under “bleed and slug” to confirm that bleed is inserted when your work is exported.

The specified bleed will now be printed when you export your document.

Final Takeaway

When creating documents for printing, adding a bleed to your InDesign document is crucial since it gives your papers a refined and professional look. It can be added and exported following the abovementioned steps.