# Export PDF with bleed and crop marks, ready for print

[Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/export-print-pdf)

A printer needs more than a pretty file: extra picture past the edge, marks that show where to cut, and enough pixels to look sharp in the hand. The Print PDF puts all three in one download.

## The short version

- Gradiently's Print PDF adds 3 mm of bleed on every side, crop marks, and trim and bleed boxes, at up to 300 dpi.
- Design at a print size from the Studio's list, such as an A4 poster at 2480×3508 px or a business card at 1050×600 px, so the file has enough detail.
- Keep words and logos well inside the trim line, because printers cut with a small tolerance.
- The Standard PDF is for screens: words stay selectable and searchable and links stay clickable.
- PDF export is part of Pro, and a design with several pages exports as one PDF with every page at its own size.

To **export PDF with bleed** and crop marks from Gradiently, design at a print size, open **Export**, choose **PDF** and set the quality to **Print**. The file comes with 3 mm of bleed past every edge, crop marks to show where to cut, and trim and bleed boxes that a printer's software reads automatically, at up to 300 dpi. Your Mark simply carries on into the bleed, so there is nothing to extend by hand. PDF export is part of Pro.

## Bleed, crop marks and trim: what a printer needs

Printers don't print to the edge of the sheet. They print on larger paper and cut it down, and the blade can land a fraction of a millimetre off. **Bleed** is extra picture past the finished edge, so a slightly wide cut shows more background instead of a white sliver. **Crop marks** are the thin lines in the corners that show where the cut goes. **Trim and bleed boxes** carry the same information inside the PDF for the printer's software. [Print bleed and margins](https://gradiently.design/guide/bleed-and-margins) explains the theory in full.

| Term | In a Gradiently Print PDF | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Trim size | The size you designed, such as A4 | The finished size after cutting |
| Bleed | 3 mm on every side | Hides small cutting errors |
| Crop marks | Drawn in the corners, outside the bleed | Show the cutter where to trim |
| Trim and bleed boxes | Set inside the file | Let print software place and check the page |
| Resolution | Up to 300 dpi | Sharp at reading distance |

3 mm is the common bleed for printers in the UK and Europe. If your printer asks for something different, ask them before sending.

## How to export a print PDF

1. **Start at a print size** Choose the format from the Studio's size list, under print, or set a custom size of up to 8,000 px a side. Print sizes are listed at 300 dpi, so the pixels already match the paper.
2. **Turn on the print guides** Show **margins, columns and bleed** in the Studio. Elements snap to the guides, so it's easy to keep words inside the safe area and photos out to the bleed.
3. **Check the edges** Anything meant to run off the edge, such as a photo, should reach the bleed guide. Anything meant to be read should sit well inside the trim.
4. **Export, PDF, Print** In **Export**, choose **PDF**, then **Print**. The preview shows the trim size with 3 mm of bleed past a dashed line.
5. **Download print PDF** Choose **Download print PDF** and send that file to the printer, unchanged.

## Print sizes that export at 300 dpi

| Format | Design size (px) | Finished size |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A4 poster | 2480×3508 | 210×297 mm |
| A5 flyer | 1748×2480 | 148×210 mm |
| A3 poster | 3508×4961 | 297×420 mm |
| US Letter | 2550×3300 | 8.5×11 in |
| 18×24 in poster | 5400×7200 | 18×24 in |
| Postcard | 1800×1200 | 6×4 in |
| 5×7 in invitation | 1500×2100 | 5×7 in |
| Business card | 1050×600 | 3.5×2 in |

Pixels divided by 300 gives inches. These are the print sizes in the Studio's list; the bleed is added for you on export.

- A4 poster: 2480 × 3508
- US Letter: 2550 × 3300
- Postcard: 1800 × 1200
- Business card: 1050 × 600

A4 is taller and narrower than US Letter. A design made for one needs to be resized, not stretched, for the other.

Very large pages, such as an 18×24 inch poster, may export at a slightly lower density to stay within the browser's canvas limit; at poster viewing distance that is not visible. If you need a size that isn't listed, [poster sizes](https://gradiently.design/guide/poster-size-guide) has the common ones, and [image resolution for print](https://gradiently.design/guide/image-resolution-for-print) explains how many pixels are enough.

## Standard or Print: which PDF to choose

### Standard PDF

- Sharp on screen, small file
- Words stay selectable and searchable
- Links you added stay clickable
- No bleed or crop marks
- For decks, menus sent by email, LinkedIn documents

### Print PDF

- Up to 300 dpi
- 3 mm bleed on every side
- Crop marks in the corners
- Trim and bleed boxes set in the file
- For posters, flyers, cards and anything going to a printer

A menu is a good example of needing both: a Print PDF for the copies on the tables, and a Standard PDF for the version on your website, where people want to search for the dish they are after. A multi-page design, such as a folded menu or a booklet, exports every page into one PDF in either quality. [Print ready PDFs](https://gradiently.design/guide/pdf-for-print) goes further into what printers check.

## Keeping words safe from the blade

An A4 poster for an open studio weekend with the text set comfortably inside the edges and the gradient filling the page

An A4 poster with every word well inside the trim, and the Mark running out into the bleed.

A landscape business card with a name and contact line centred on a gradient

A business card, where a few millimetres are a large share of the card. Keep its margins generous.

- **Keep text at least 5 mm inside the trim** on flyers and posters, about 60 px at 300 dpi. On a business card, the same 5 mm still applies, which is why cards look best with few words.
- **Don't frame the page with a thin border.** A border close to the edge shows every cutting error. If you want one, keep it well inside.
- **Check small type at real size.** Print the PDF at home at 100 percent and read it at arm's length before ordering hundreds.
- **Open the PDF before you send it.** Zoom into the smallest type and each corner, and check the crop marks and the bleed are there.

## Colour on paper

Screens mix light; printers mix ink. The PDF is made from the colours on your screen, and the printer converts them for their press, so the most luminous blues, violets and greens of a gradient usually print a little calmer. That is normal. If colour is critical, ask the printer for a proof. [RGB vs CMYK](https://gradiently.design/guide/rgb-vs-cmyk) and [printing gradients](https://gradiently.design/guide/print-gradients) explain what shifts and how to plan for it. A Mark's grain helps too: it breaks up the smooth steps that can show as banding on paper.

## FAQ

### How do I export a PDF with bleed in Gradiently?

Choose Export, then PDF, then the Print quality. The file adds 3 mm of bleed on every side, crop marks, and trim and bleed boxes.

### How much bleed does the print PDF add?

3 mm past every edge, the common requirement for printers in the UK and Europe. Check with your printer if they ask for a different amount.

### What resolution is a Gradiently print PDF?

Up to 300 dpi. Very large pages may use a slightly lower density to stay within the browser's canvas limit.

### Can I export several pages into one print PDF?

Yes. A design with several pages exports as one PDF, with every page at its own size.

### Do I need to extend my background into the bleed?

Not for the Mark: it carries on into the bleed by itself. Photos or shapes meant to run off the edge should reach the bleed guide in the Studio.