Trim line (cut line)

The trim line, also called the cut line, is the exact outline of the finished piece. A 3.5 x 2 inch business card has a trim line at 3.5 x 2 inches, even though the file itself is a little larger because of the bleed around it. On a proof the trim line is usually drawn as a thin colored line so everyone can see where the paper will end.

Knowing where the trim line sits stops two problems at once: background art that falls short of the edge, and text that ends up too close to it. Designers place the trim line first, then build the bleed outside it and the safe area inside it.

Picture a tutoring center called Bright Path Learning approving a rack card. On screen the logo looks fine, but on the proof the trim line runs right through the bottom of the phone number. Seeing the line before printing saves a whole reprint.

In aiKit, Customer Proofs can show the cut and safe lines on a print proof once you enter the finished size, Pro Designer draws the trim line and safe margins as guides on a new print document, and Printer's Helper proofs show the cut and safe lines for every job.

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See it in practice