2015

Custom Bleeds
Bleed is the term used to describe items that are printed to the edge of a finished page.
Custom Bleeds XTensions software provides enhanced bleed functionality for
QuarkXPress, giving you more control over how items will bleed.
To create a bleed in QuarkXPress, simply create items that extend past the edge of the
page onto the pasteboard, and then specify how much of the area beyond the edge of
the page should be printed. There are three types of bleeds:
• A symmetric bleed extends the same distance from each edge of the layout page.
• An asymmetric bleed specifies different bleed amounts for each edge of the page.
• A page item bleed prints all items that extend beyond the page edge in their entirety.
The bleed rectangle is the distance the bleed extends beyond the page boundaries, and
is defined by the bleed values you enter. For example, if you create a symmetric bleed
with a value of 2 picas, the bleed rectangle encompasses everything that is within 2
picas of each edge of the page. It is important to note that the Custom Bleeds feature
automatically creates the bleed rectangle, but it does not automatically extend items
into that area. You must position items so that they extend beyond the layout page
edge to create the bleed.
Before you output a layout to film, take a moment to preview the layout to make sure
the bleed will output as you expect. Choose File > Print > Summary. The graphic page
icon on the top-right side displays the bleed area for the first page of the layout, and
indicates whether any of the layout or bleed is outside the imageable area. Remember
to add the bleed area to the layout dimensions when comparing the layout size to the
imageable area.
Using Custom Bleeds
You can use Custom Bleeds XTensions software to create bleeds when printing, saving
a page as an EPS file, exporting a layout as a PDF file, and exporting a layout in PPML
format. The procedure is similar for all of these output options, but some bleed options
are only available for certain output methods.
• Print: The Bleed Type drop-down menu is in the Bleeds pane of the Print dialog box.
• EPS: The Bleed Type drop-down menu is in the Save Page as EPS dialog box. When
you save a page as an EPS file, the Page Items and Clip at Bleed Edge options are not
available. This is because these options create a bounding box that includes any item
A GUIDE TO QUARKXPRESS 2015 | 251
CUSTOM BLEEDS