Watch those borders!

Beware of borders! With them, your results may not be visually ideal.

Careful how close to the trim line you place your borders when designing your project.

In the example below, the three-point yellow rule is placed just a few points from the trim line. The first image is a screenshot of the PDF with crop marks, the second without.

While the design looks fine on screen, just a one-point shift (1/72") in the trim would result in Tom's business card looking off-center.

When borders are used, it’s nearly impossible to print the back up and trim them perfectly. Therefore, the smaller the printed piece, the more off-center the finished product might look. It's not just a matter of putting borders close to trim edge. It’s using borders altogether. This issue is not just limited to business cards.

If you must include a border, we recommend you place your borders no closer than 1/4" to 1/2" away from the trim. That way, a tiny shift won't stand out visually. Better yet, design your piece without a border whenever you can.

This can be an issue with other design elements, not just borders. Similarly, when images and graphics are placed close to the trim line, the smaller the gap the more the gap stands out.

Have a concern? Contact your salesperson and we can let you know if the trim will be difficult to achieve.