When it comes to professional printing, size does matter—especially if you’re expecting your file to come out looking exactly like your screen. Whether you’re designing a business card, poster, or brochure, getting your page size and bleed right from the start can save you rework, stress, and money.

What is Bleed?

Bleed is the extra space around your document that ensures your design or background extends right to the edge after trimming. In New Zealand, standard bleed is 3mm on each side. So if you’re designing an A4 flyer, your actual file size should be 216mm x 303mm (instead of the trimmed size of 210mm x 297mm).

Why bother? Printers trim stacks of paper at once—and a millimetre shift can leave ugly white edges. Bleed is your insurance policy against that.

💡 Quick Tip for Canva Users:

In Canva, enable “File > View settings > Show print bleed” to check your bleed. Canva applies 3mm bleed when you select “Crop marks and bleed” during PDF download.

Common Page Sizes in NZ

Here’s a cheat sheet of standard NZ sizes (based on the international ISO 216 standard):

Add 3mm bleed on each side. So for A4, your canvas should be set to 216 x 303mm.

NZ Business Card and DLE Sizes

Designing for standard marketing materials? These are your go-to sizes:

Make sure key text and logos sit at least 5mm inside the trim edge—this is your safe zone.

Recap: How to Set Up Bleed Like a Pro

1. Set your canvas size to include 3mm bleed on all sides.

2. Keep important content at least 5mm inside the final trim size.

3. Export as PDF with bleed and crop marks enabled (especially in Canva).

4. Double-check with your print provider’s specs—they may vary.

Whether you’re designing in Canva or Illustrator, setting up your file properly ensures your print jobs come out crisp, clean, and client-ready.

Need help getting your file print-ready? Drop us a line—we’re always keen to help your designs shine in ink.

Let me know if you want this tailored for a specific print business, agency voice, or SEO terms.