How to Use Our Graphic Templates

When setting up artwork for print, it’s key to understand bleed, trim, and safe zones—these ensure your final display looks clean, professional, and accurate.

In most of our templates:

• The safe zone is indicated in yellow (unless specified otherwise).
  

• The trim line and bleed area are represented in blue.
  

These zones are crucial during production. They allow for slight shifts that may occur due to ink shrinkage and trimming, helping your artwork align properly on the final display.

Industry-Standard Print Zones (In Order):

1. Safe Zone – This is the most important area of your layout. It’s where all essential content (like logos, text, and key visuals) should be placed to ensure maximum visibility and readability.
   

2. Trim Zone – This is the area where the artwork will be cut to its final size.
   

3. Bleed Zone – This is the area beyond the trim where background graphics or colors should extend. It prevents white edges from appearing after trimming.
   

Best Practices for Using Our Templates

To get the best print results:

• Keep all important elements—such as type, logos, and critical visuals—within the yellow safe zone.
  

• Allow enough space between your content and the blue trim/bleed lines.
  

• Extend background images or colors fully into the bleed area to ensure a seamless edge after trimming.
  

Visual Example

Below is an example (featuring a dog graphic) showing how artwork placement in the template translates to the final printed display. You’ll see how staying within the designated zones helps preserve the integrity of the design.

What if my graphics are continuous? Here's a good article on how design for that.

Creative Exceptions

In some cases, you may choose to extend parts of your artwork into the trim or bleed zones for stylistic effect. That’s completely fine—as long as those elements are not essential to the message or content of your design.

Thank you for reading—and happy printing! 🎨🖨️