The "safe zone" is the margin between the text or images on a printed sheet and the edges of the paper. It is generally at least 1/8" on all sides, though it will often look best to leave a larger margin.



Because printed sheets are often trimmed to final size after printing, text and images should not be placed by the designer within the safe zone. Not only is it visually unappealing, but the occasional inaccuracies inherent in the trimming process might result in an important item getting cut off if it is positioned too close to the edge.



The exception would be a design element such as a background image that the designer wishes to "bleed" off the sheet after trimming (see the article "What Is a Bleed" for more information). In that case it is understood that the background will be cut off and the design will not look awkward due to minor trimming variations.



The bottom line is this: don't place anything important too close to the edge of the sheet. You can find templates showing safe zones for various types of documents by visiting our Templates page. Please call with questions!