When artwork goes all the way to the edge of a document, it is called a full-bleed piece. Full-bleed product in the world of the offset printing industry is very common, because the tools and machinery are made to accommodate this task.

The method by which this is accomplished is by making the artwork slighty bigger than the actual size. This slightly oversized artwork is then printed on oversized paper, and then the piece is cut down to actual size, leaving no border.

Unlike offset printing, copiers are not necessarily made to handle full-bleed projects. Yes, it can be done by printing on an oversized piece of paper and cutting it down, but a problem still exists. Copiers have what is known as a registration, which is a calculation as to where the artwork is placed on the page. Unfortunately, this registration changes all the time, because of the way a copier is made. The combination of rollers, drums, page thickness, paper stock and temparature all contribute to where the artwork lands on the page, which can slightly change with each and every page. So, when one goes to print on the other side of a double-sided project, they will find that the two pieces of artwork are not exactly lined up front to back.

When this issue happens, a client needs to accept the shortcomings of a copy job, or move the project to the offset printing option. There really are no other alternatives.

 Contact us at questions@makepapereasy.com