Print basics · Updated 7 October 2026

Bleed, cut line and safe area: a beginner’s guide

The label edge, the artwork edge and the edge of important content are not the same thing. Give each one a clear job.

An enlarged fictional John Doe address from an actual Stickerloom L7160 export, with white space around the text — A real exported address label with fictional details. Its white background needs no decorative bleed; the text still needs room away from the edge.

Start with three boundaries

The cut line describes the intended finished edge. The safe area sits inside it: this is where you keep important words, faces and logos away from cutting variation. When the product supports printing to the edge, bleed extends background artwork beyond the cut line.

The diagram shows that relationship only. It is not a screenshot of Stickerloom, a printer calibration or a recommended measurement. Your stock supplier or print partner supplies the actual tolerances.

Schematic, not to scale. From outside to inside: bleed, cut boundary, safe content. Keep important text and faces inside the safe area. Dimensions and whether bleed is appropriate depend on the job.

Let the stock decide the edge treatment

A coloured background that should reach a suitable label’s edge needs different preparation from an address on white paper. Do not add bleed just because a setting exists. Avery also gives stock-specific exceptions, including keeping artwork within the edge for laser film labels.

Match an AVERY® preset to the exact AVERY® product code and page size. Stickerloom’s supplied catalogue does not describe every Avery product worldwide. For other stock, use a custom layout based on that product’s dimensions, rather than treating an Avery preset as interchangeable.

Review content, then review the exported file

Keep the complete address, logo or face comfortably inside the intended finished shape.
Check the selected page size, shape dimensions and spacing before exporting.
Where professional marks or bleed are required, use the available Pro controls to match the print partner’s specification.
Open the finished PDF or image and inspect its edges and text. A cut-line guide is not a promise that a cutter will interpret the file automatically.

Use a plain-paper proof before label stock. The printing checklist covers scaling, media selection and physical proofing; the mixed and partial Avery examples show the complete page behind this address detail.

References and example file

The address detail is an unchanged crop of a genuine Stickerloom export using fictional names and addresses. The diagram is an explanatory drawing, not product output.

The boundary relationship follows Avery’s bleed and safety-area guidance. Check Avery’s stock-specific printing advice and your supplier’s job specification before selecting bleed or printer settings.