What size bleed does a 4 x 6 postcard need?
A standard 4 x 6 postcard is printed with a 4 × 6 in trim size and needs a 0.125 in bleed on every edge, which makes the artwork board 4.25 × 6.25 in and keeps important text and logos inside a 3.75 × 5.75 in safe area.
The numbers
- Trim
- 4 × 6 in
- Bleed box
- 4.25 × 6.25 in
- Safe area
- 3.75 × 5.75 in
- Page
- 4.5 × 6.5 in
- The bleed box adds the 0.125 in bleed to every edge of the trim, so 4 + 0.125 + 0.125 = 4.25 in wide and 6 + 0.125 + 0.125 = 6.25 in tall, giving a 4.25 × 6.25 in bleed box.
- The safe area pulls the same 0.125 in in from every edge of the trim, so 4 − 0.125 − 0.125 = 3.75 in wide and 6 − 0.125 − 0.125 = 5.75 in tall, giving a 3.75 × 5.75 in safe area.
- The page adds room for crop marks on top of the bleed, so 4 + 0.25 + 0.25 = 4.5 in wide and 6 + 0.25 + 0.25 = 6.5 in tall, giving a 4.5 × 6.5 in page.
- Bleed is only added once per edge, so the 0.125 in bleed setting adds 0.25 in to the total width and 0.25 in to the total height, not 0.125 in.
The most common mistake is building the artwork at exactly 4 × 6 in with no bleed at all, so any background colour or image stops right at the trim line and a sliver of white paper shows up along one or two edges after the card is cut.
Postcards are usually printed two sides, and the bleed applies to both: the back needs the same 0.125 in past the trim as the front.
Crop marks sit outside the bleed box, which is why the full page ends up at 4.5 × 6.5 in even though the finished card is only 4 × 6 in.
Guides are placed in a PDF optional-content layer flagged not to print, so they stay visible on screen but are omitted when the file is printed.
- Bleed4.25 × 6.25 in
- Trim4 × 6 in
- Safe area3.75 × 5.75 in
| Box | in | pt |
|---|---|---|
| Bleed box (make artwork this big) | 4.25 × 6.25 in | 306 × 450 pt |
| Trim (final cut size) | 4 × 6 in | 288 × 432 pt |
| Safe area (keep text inside) | 3.75 × 5.75 in | 270 × 414 pt |
| PDF page (MediaBox) | 4.5 × 6.5 in | 324 × 468 pt |
- Trim
4 × 6 in- Bleed box
4 + 2 × 0.125 = 4.25 in wide, 6 + 2 × 0.125 = 6.25 in tallBleed is added here, and only here. Setting your document page size to the bleed box (4.25 × 6.25 in) and then adding bleed again in your design software double-counts it, leaving a white gap at the crop marks.
- Safe area
4 - 2 × 0.125 = 3.75 in wide, 6 - 2 × 0.125 = 5.75 in tall- Marks
0.125 in long, offset 0.125 in from the trim edge- Page
4 + 2 × 0.25 = 4.5 in wide, 6 + 2 × 0.25 = 6.5 in tallThe page (4.5 × 6.5 in) is larger than the bleed box (4.25 × 6.25 in) so it has room for the crop and registration marks; the artwork itself does not need to fill the page.
PDF metadata
Pro $5These fields are written into the PDF's /Info dictionary. Empty fields are left out, and /Producer always stays bleedgen.
Batch ZIP download
Pro $5Each PDF in the ZIP uses its preset’s own size and always includes guide outlines. Title, author, subject and keywords apply to Download blank PDF only.
Share link
Pro $5Saved specs live in this browser only. They are not backed up, not synced, and clearing site data destroys them.
Anyone you send this to can open it without paying.
bleedgen Pro
Unlock a batch ZIP of presets, PDF metadata, and preset links for $5.
Download blank PDF stays free for everyone and unlimited.
Saved specs live in this browser only — not backed up, not synced, and destroyed by clearing site data.
Buy for $5Checkout opens in a new tab so this tab keeps the spec on screen. Paying unlocks Pro here automatically — there is nothing to copy or paste.
The generated PDF is a correctly sized blank canvas: a page with MediaBox, TrimBox, and BleedBox set to the dimensions you specify, plus crop marks showing where to cut. It does not contain any artwork.
Colour in the PDF is plain RGB or grayscale and is not colour-managed.
Confirm the bleed value with your printer before sending final artwork.