Print Bleed

Print bleed is an extra print area of about 3 mm set outside the finished size, to absorb the error that occurs when a printed piece is trimmed. It is a measure to keep white margins from appearing at the edge of the paper even if the trimming position shifts slightly.

When placing a QR code on a printed piece, care is needed regarding its relationship with the bleed area. If the QR code extends into the bleed area, part of the QR code may be cut off during trimming. In particular, if the quiet zone (the margin around the QR code) is lost in trimming, it causes read errors.

The principle of safe placement is to keep the whole QR code (including the quiet zone) at least 5 mm inside the finished size. Even when you want to move the QR code toward the edge in the design of a business card or flyer, you should secure this safety margin. Before submitting the print data, be sure to check that the QR code does not extend into the bleed area or over the trim line.