What You Need to Know About Artwork Bleed and Promotional Products

Design Decoration Methods Artwork Your Logo

 

Artwork bleed is an important concept in the world of printing, especially when it comes to full-color artwork on promotional products. It refers to the area beyond the edge of the artwork that is intentionally added to ensure that the final product does not have any unwanted white space or borders. In this post, we will explore what artwork bleed is, why it is important in printing full-color artwork on promotional products, and how it affects the final product.

 

What is Artwork Bleed?

Artwork bleed is the extra area of the artwork that extends beyond the edge of the final product. This extra area is intentionally added to allow for any inconsistencies in the printing process. During the printing process, it is common for the paper or material to shift slightly, resulting in small white spaces or borders around the edges of the artwork. To avoid this, artwork bleed is added to ensure that the artwork extends beyond the final cut line, giving the printer a bit of leeway to ensure that the final product looks clean and polished.

Full Color Artwork on Promo Products

Printing full-color artwork on promotional products can be a complex process, so we are here to make it easy on your end! Promotional items come in different shapes and sizes, and it is essential to ensure that the artwork is printed correctly to achieve the desired result. Artwork bleed is especially important in this process for several reasons:

1. It ensures that the artwork is printed to the edge of the final product. Without artwork bleed, there is a risk of unwanted white space or borders around the edges of the artwork, which can make the final product look unprofessional.

2. It compensates for any inconsistencies in the printing process. As mentioned earlier, it is common for the paper or material to shift slightly during the printing process. Artwork bleed allows for these inconsistencies and ensures that the final product looks polished and consistent.

3. It allows for a full-color design. Full-color designs often require artwork bleed to ensure that the colors are printed to the edge of the product, resulting in a more vibrant and eye-catching final product.

4. It provides flexibility in the design process. Artwork bleed allows designers to create designs without worrying about the final cut line, giving them more freedom to create complex and intricate designs.

 

In the example below of the custom printed mousepad, you can see the background of the artwork extends all the way to the Blue Artwork Bleed line on the left image. All the important elements, including the Arcade Zone logo and tagline fit within the Green Safe Area line. So once the final product is printed and cut, you can see on the right image there are no unwanted white borders.

 

The Final Custom Product

Artwork bleed can have a significant impact on the final product. If there is not enough artwork bleed, the final product may have unwanted white space or borders around the edges of the artwork, which can make it look unprofessional. On the other hand, if there is too much artwork bleed, it may result in the artwork being cut off or distorted during the final trimming process. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the artwork bleed is set to the correct size to ensure that the final product looks polished and professional.

 

Help Us, Help You!

Our art team members are experts when it comes to artwork bleed and promotional products! We are here to keep the integrity of your brand intact and oversee that your full color promotional item prints as it is intended. Here are a few guidelines you can follow that will in turn help us, help you:

  • Ask for a template. Almost every promotional product on our website has a template to accompany it. Simply reach out to our customer service team over chat or phone (800-338-7996) and ask to have the art template sent to you for the specific item you are interested in ordering.
  • Separate the background from your artwork. When you send us the background of your artwork file separate from the main logo, our artists can manipulate the size of each layer, so that you don't end up with any important information cut off and your final product does not include unwanted white space or borders.
  • Send vector artwork. Vector artwork can be easily scaled, and often manipulated for the perfect fit within the desired imprint area.
  • When in doubt, reach out! Our art and customer service team reps are just a chat or phone call away for any questions or assistance with your artwork or order.

 

Common Promotional Products with Full Color Decoration Methods

Here are some promotional products that are commonly offered with the option to decorate in full color:

Souvenir 3x3x3 Adhesive Sticky Note Cube

Overall, artwork bleed is an essential concept to consider when printing full-color artwork on promotional products. It ensures that the artwork is printed to the edge of the product, compensates for any inconsistencies in the printing process, allows for a full-color design, and provides flexibility in the design process. However, it is important to ensure that the artwork bleed is set to the correct size to ensure that the final product looks polished and professional. By considering artwork bleed in the design process, promotional products can be produced with high-quality, vibrant designs that are sure to catch the eye of potential customers.

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