Open almost any print-ready PDF and you'll see small lines floating at the corners, just outside the design. Those are crop marks. They're tiny, but they tell the person cutting your job exactly where the finished edge is. Here's what they do, when you need them, and how to add them without causing problems.
What crop marks are
Crop marks, also called trim marks or cut marks, are thin lines that show where the paper will be cut. There are two at each corner: one horizontal, one vertical. If you extend them with a ruler, they meet exactly at the corner of your finished piece.
They work hand in hand with bleed. Bleed is the extra 0.125 in of artwork past the cut line (we explain it in What is bleed). Crop marks show where inside that bleed the cut actually goes.
Where they sit
Crop marks line up with the trim edge, but they're drawn outside the artwork with a small gap, called the offset. The offset keeps the marks clear of the bleed, so they don't overlap your background or get printed into the piece.
A good rule: set the offset to at least the size of your bleed, 0.125 in. If the offset is smaller than the bleed, the marks sit on top of your artwork and can show up on the edge of the finished card.
When to include them
Crop marks help most when:
- Your file has bleed, so the page edge isn't the cut edge.
- Your piece is an unusual size and the trim isn't obvious.
- You're printing a proof at home or in the office and want to trim it by hand to check it.
If your design is white to the edges with no bleed, marks matter less, because the page edge already is the trim. If you're not sure, send a PDF with bleed and crop marks. Since the marks sit outside the art, they never hurt, and if a job needs something different we'll tell you.
How to export a PDF with crop marks and bleed
InDesign
File › Export › Adobe PDF (Print). In Marks and Bleeds, tick Crop Marks, set Offset to 0.125 in, and tick Use Document Bleed Settings. Leave the other marks (registration, color bars, page information) off unless you've been asked for them.
Illustrator
File › Save As › Adobe PDF. In Marks and Bleeds, tick Trim Marks, set the offset to 0.125 in, and tick Use Document Bleed Settings. Don't use Object › Create Trim Marks on top of your artwork for a print file. Let the PDF export add them outside the art.
Canva
Share › Download › PDF Print, then tick Crop marks and bleed. Make sure Show print bleed was on while you designed, so your background really does reach the bleed edge.
Word and other office apps
Word can't add crop marks. That's fine: build the bleed into the page size (see the bleed post), save as PDF, and tell us the finished size. We'll handle the marks when we set up the job.
Common mistakes
Drawing marks by hand inside the page. Lines drawn into the design are part of the art and can end up printed on the finished piece. Use the export setting instead.
Marks with no bleed. Crop marks on a file whose color stops at the trim still leave a white sliver if the cut moves a hair. Marks and bleed go together.
Offset too small. Marks that touch the bleed can print onto the edge. Keep the offset at 0.125 in or more.
Laying out a sheet of cards yourself. Please send one card per page (front and back as two pages), not twelve cards on one sheet with marks between them. We arrange the sheet for the press and cutter.
Every mark turned on. Colour bars and page information make the file busy and add nothing for most jobs. Crop marks plus bleed is all you need.
Skip the setup
Our free print templates for business cards, postcards, flyers, letterhead, envelopes and presentation folders already show the trim, bleed and safe area. Design on top, delete the guide layer, export with marks and bleed, and you're ready for our shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn or Monsey, NY.
Not sure your file is ready? Send it to us at Printout Williamsburg or Printout Monsey and we'll check it before it prints.