trim marks

Trim marks, aka crop marks, are used to show where to physically crop the image after printing it. This is used when the size of the final product doesn't quite match a standard paper size.

Additionally, the extra margin allows the artist to "bleed" color beyond it and ensure that mistakes in trimming do not ruin the final product.

See also

• Color guide
• Tag group:Image composition

• About.com on Preparing Your Document Layout for Printing
• Adobe Illustrator help for Printer's marks and bleeds