In this article, you will learn
- which requirements that must be met for this Fixup, and
- how to apply the Fixup.
1. Introduction
The Workflow provides the Fixup Add Bleed. The purpose of this Fixup is to generate a Bleed for the document based on the ImageBox or ImageBox + Bleed.
2. General
The Fixup Add Bleed can be used to create a Bleed for the print file by Repeating pixels, Mirroring or Stretching the document content.
You can find this Fixup in the footer of the sections Document Information and User-defined Fields within the tab Print Data of an Article, Order or Production Job or in the tab Data Preparation.
3. Description of the Fixup
This Fixup can be used to create a Bleed or enlarge an existing Bleed. Based on the ImageBox or ImageBox + Bleed, the desired Bleed can be generated by Repeating pixels, Mirroring or Stretching the print file. The BleedBox, CropBox, and MediaBox are automatically adjusted to match the newly created Bleed.
3.1. Requirements and Functionality
For this Fixup to work as intended, the following criteria must be met:
- A TrimBox must be defined in the Print Item. The MediaBox exists by default in every PDF file.
- A BleedBox may already be present.
- A Bleed for the Print Item may already exist.
To create a Bleed, you can use the following options:
- Templates [1] – the settings selected in the dialog can be saved as a Template and applied to other Articles/Print Items. These Templates can also be used in the Operations Apply Fixups and Check Print Item and Apply Fixups.
3.1.1. Tab "Basic Settings"
In the tab Basic Settings, the following options are available to the user:
- Add Bleed on [2] – select from the dropdown menu where the Bleed should be generated from. The following options are available:
- ImageBox – the Bleed is generated based on the ImageBox, which usually corresponds to the TrimBox.
- ImageBox + Bleed – the Bleed is generated based on the ImageBox + Bleed, which usually corresponds to the BleedBox.
- Method [3] – select from the dropdown menu which method should be used to generate the Bleed. The following options are available:
- Automatic – the method – Repeat last pixel as Image, Mirror page objects, or Stretch border area as Image – is selected automatically based on the detected context.
- Repeat last pixel as Image – the page edges are extended by repeating pixels to create the Bleed. The last pixel at the edge of the Print Item is repeated until the defined Bleed area is filled. The resulting Bleed is a 300 dpi image.
- Mirror page objects – the Bleed is created by mirroring the entire Print Item along the respective page edges and corners. The entire Print Item is then cropped according to the selected area. To prevent the file size from increasing up to eightfold, the mirrored area are created as XObjects in the PDF, which typically results in an about a twofold file size increase. Vectors, text, and images are thus preserved within the Bleed area.
- Stretch border area as Image – the Bleed is created by stretching a border area of the Print Item. The resulting Bleed is a 300 dpi image.
- Variable Content [7] – select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the method should be retrieved. The following values must be present in the selected field for the Bleed to be generated:
AutoLastPixelCornersPageContCornersImgStretchCorners
- Bleed [4] – enter the size of the Bleed to be generated. By clicking the lock icon, you can enter individual values for each side. For Variable Content [8], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the respective Bleed should be retrieved.
- Add Bleed behind existing page content [5] – when this option is activated, the Bleed is added behind any existing Bleed area.
- Honor existing Bleed [6] – when activated, the entered Bleed is automatically generated. If a Bleed already exists for the Print Item, it will either be extended to match the specified values or no additional Bleed will be generated if the existing Bleed already meets the defined size.
Resolution Used
Since the methods Repeat last pixel as Image and Stretch border area as Image generate the Bleed as an image, an internal resolution must be defined for rendering the Bleed. The resolution is automatically set to 300 dpi for both methods.
Importance for Automation
Using the option Automatic Detection and Bleed Generation is not particularly relevant when calling the Fixup manually, since you would not invoke the Fixup if a Bleed already exists in the Print Item.
In the context of Automation, however, this option – also available in other Bleed-generating Fixups – is highly important. It ensures that a Bleed is not automatically generated if one already exists in the Print File.
Figure 1: Left: The tab Basic Settings of the Fixup Add Bleed; Right: The values present in the selected field for the option Method
Pay Attention to the Figure in the Fixup
Note the changing schematic figure in the Fixup dialog when you select a different method. This allows you to immediately see the potential advantages and disadvantages of each Bleed generation method for a Print Item.
3.1.2. Tab "Advanced"
The following options are available in the tab Advanced:
- Stretch factor [9] – enter the desired stretch factor when using the method Stretch border area as Image. The smaller the Bleed, the less the stretching. The increase of the "stretch curve" is controlled by the stretch factor. The entered factor defines the exponential increase of the stretch. For Variable Content [11], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the stretch factor should be retrieved.
- Start Point for "Stretch border area as Image" [10] – enter the starting value from which the image stretching should begin. By clicking the lock icon, you can enter separate values for each side. For Variable Content [12], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the starting point should be retrieved.
Figure 2: The tab Advanced of the Fixup Add Bleed
3.2. Before / After
To experiment with this feature, you can use the sample file "Sample_Bleed by Mirroring.pdf". The sample file has a size of 500 x 500 mm and does not include a Bleed.
Applying the Fixup using the method Repeat last pixel as Image generates the file "Sample_Bleed by Mirroring_Repeat last pixel.pdf", which includes a a Bleed of 25 mm.
Figure 3: Left: Original File; Right: Edited File using the method Repeat last pixel as Image with a Bleed of 25 mm
Applying the Fixup using the method Mirror page objects generates the file "Sample_Bleed by Mirroring_Mirror.pdf", which includes a Bleed of 25 mm.
Figure 4: Left: Original File; Right: Edited File using the method Mirror page objects with a Bleed of 25 mm
Applying the Fixup using the method Stretch border area as Image generates the file "Sample_Bleed by Mirroring_Stretch border.pdf", which includes a Bleed of 25 mm.
Figure 5: Left: Original File, Right: Edited File using the method Stretch border area as Image with a Bleed of 25 mm
Article update: Workflow 1.21.1 – 10/2025