OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Crop Mark Generator
Make a PDF With Crop Marks and Bleed for Print
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How the Crop Mark Generator works
This crop mark generator makes a print-ready PDF template with crop marks around any trim size. Enter the finished width and height in millimetres or inches, the bleed and how far the marks sit from the trim, and download a PDF with the marks, optional trim and bleed guides, and the TrimBox and BleedBox set for the printer. Nothing is uploaded.
Crop marks, also called trim marks, are the short lines in the corners of a printed sheet that show the guillotine operator where to cut. Printers usually print several items on a larger sheet and trim them down, so the marks have to sit outside the finished page and outside the bleed, where they will be cut away. Getting the size and spacing right by hand in a design app is fiddly; a template gets it right first time.
How the crop mark generator works
The PDF is built by pdf-lib, an open-source library, in your browser. The sheet is the trim size plus the mark offset and the mark length on every side, so an A4 page with a 3 mm offset and 5 mm marks makes a sheet 226 × 313 mm. Each corner gets two 0.25 pt marks in registration black, lined up with the trim edges and starting at the offset. If you turn guides on, a dashed blue rectangle shows the trim and a dashed red one the bleed.
The tool also writes the PDF page boxes. The TrimBox records the finished size and the BleedBox the area with bleed, which is what prepress software, imposition tools and Acrobat's preflight read to place and check the page. Mark offset must be at least the bleed, so the marks never print inside the area that carries your artwork.
When to use crop marks
- Home and office trimming. Print a flyer, card or invitation on A4 or Letter and cut it to size on a paper trimmer, lining the blade up with the marks.
- Checking a print supplier's template. Many printers ask for 3 mm bleed with marks; the template shows exactly where the cut falls.
- Placing artwork. Open the PDF in Inkscape, Affinity, Illustrator or Scribus as a background layer and design within the trim, extending backgrounds to the bleed line.
- Odd sizes. Bookmarks, labels, tickets and packaging inserts that no stock template covers.
Common bleed and mark settings
| Job | Bleed | Mark offset | Mark length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most commercial print (EU, UK) | 3 mm | 3 mm | 5 mm |
| US commercial print | 0.125 in | 0.125 in (3.2 mm) | 6 mm |
| Large format and posters | 5 mm | 5 mm | 10 mm |
| Home printing, no bleed | 0 | 2 mm | 5 mm |
Tips and pitfalls
Keep text away from the edge. Leave a safe margin of at least 3 to 5 mm inside the trim, because trimming can drift by a millimetre or two.
Check the sheet fits your printer. The stats show the full sheet size with marks. An A4 trim with marks is bigger than A4, so print it on A3 or scale the trim down; most home printers also cannot print to the very edge.
Use registration black only for marks. The marks use all four inks so they appear on every printing plate. Do not use that colour for text or artwork.
Many printers add their own marks. If a supplier asks for a PDF without marks, send the artwork with bleed only and let them impose it.
How to read the result
The stats show the trim size, the size with bleed, the full sheet size with marks in millimetres and confirm the PDF boxes are set. Press Download to save crop-marks-WxHmm.pdf.
FAQ
What are crop marks?
Crop marks are thin lines printed in the corners of a sheet, outside the finished page, that show where to cut. They line up with the trim edges so a guillotine or paper trimmer can cut the page to its exact size.
What is the difference between crop marks and bleed?
Bleed is extra artwork that runs past the trim edge, usually 3 mm, so no white edge shows if the cut is slightly off. Crop marks show where the cut goes. The marks sit outside the bleed so they are trimmed away.
How far should crop marks be from the trim?
Most printers use an offset of 3 mm, the same as the bleed, so the marks start just outside the bleed area. The offset must never be less than the bleed, or the marks would print into the artwork.
Can I add crop marks to an existing PDF?
This tool makes a crop mark template rather than editing your file. Place your design on the template in a design app, or export the artwork with bleed and let your printer add the marks during imposition.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The PDF is created by your browser on your own device and nothing is sent to a server, so the sizes and settings you enter stay private, and the tool keeps working offline once loaded.
See also: all PDF tools, Images, Audio, Video & Screen, SVG, Simulations & Screensavers, Generative Art, Chart Makers, 3D Model Viewers, Drawing Pads, Mockups & 3D Making, Diagram Makers, 3D Science, Tracker Music.
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