Flipsnack allows for customization by enabling users to manually add bleed marks for PDFs. Bleed marks ensure print designs extend to the page edge, preventing unprinted edges after trimming.
What Are Bleed Marks?
Bleed marks indicate where the printed content should extend beyond the trim line, ensuring that the design goes all the way to the edge after the final cut. Typically, the bleed area extends 0.125 to 0.25 inches beyond the trim size.
Conversion Tool: Pixels to Inches
Flipsnack measures sizes in pixels, but most print specifications use inches. To ensure accuracy in your designs, use the following conversion:
1 inch = 96 pixels
To convert inches to pixels, multiply the inch measurement by 96. For example, a standard bleed size of 0.125 inches converts to 12 pixels (0.125 x 96).
You can also use this online tool to easily convert from inches to pixels: Inches to Pixels Converter.
Steps to Manually Add Bleed Marks in Flipsnack
1. Set Up Your Design Space
Before you start, determine the bleed area for your document. A standard bleed size is 0.125 inches on all sides, but this can vary based on the print specifications. Here’s how to prepare your design space:
- Open Flipsnack: Log in to your Flipsnack account and start a new project or open an existing one.
- Create a New Project: If starting fresh, choose "Create a flipbook from scratch."
- Set Canvas Size: Set your canvas size to include the bleed. For an A4 page size (8.27” x 11.69”), which is 794 x 1123 pixels, set your canvas size to 820 x 1149 pixels to accommodate a 0.125” (12 pixels) bleed on each side.
2. Add Rulers and Guides
Rulers and guides help you visualize and design within the bleed area:
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Enable Rulers: In Flipsnack, enable the rulers by going to the top menu and selecting View > Show Rulers. Rulers will appear along the top and left edges of your design canvas.
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Set Guides: Instead of dragging guides from the rulers, you can set them using the View menu. Go to View > New Guide to create guides at the bleed lines. Set the guides to 0.125 inches (12 pixels) inside each edge if you have a standard bleed. For an 820 x 1149 pixels canvas, the guides would be at:
- Horizontal: 12 pixels and 1137 pixels
- Vertical: 12 pixels and 808 pixels
These guides mark the boundaries where the bleed area begins and the trim area ends, like shown here. We recommend adding the bleed to all pages:
3. Design Within the Bleed Area
When designing, make sure your background and any images that should bleed extend all the way to the outer edge of the canvas (beyond the guides). Important content like text and logos should stay within the trim area (inside the guides).
4. Export Your PDF
Once your design is complete:
- Export the PDF: Click on the Export button in Flipsnack.
- Review Bleed: Ensure that your PDF includes the bleed area by checking that the design elements extend to the edge of the page in the exported file.
Tips for Effective Bleed Management
- Consistency: Always use the same bleed size for all projects to ensure uniformity.
- Safety Margin: Keep a safe margin inside the trim area to prevent accidental cropping of important content.
- Double-Check: Before finalizing, check the design for any elements that might be too close to the trim line.
Conclusion
Although Flipsnack doesn’t currently support automatic bleed marks in the exported PDF, you can effectively manage bleeds during the design process with rulers and guides. Use the pixel-to-inch conversion tool to ensure your designs meet print specifications accurately.