Spot Colours, Bleeds, and Grids: A Quick Guide to Print Terms Every Business Should Know

If you’ve ever worked with a designer or sent something off to print, chances are you’ve heard terms like “spot colour,” “bleed,” or “grid” tossed around. And if they sounded a bit mysterious—or just plain technical—you’re definitely not alone.

The world of print design has its own language, but understanding a few key terms can go a long way in helping you feel more confident when working on your next brochure, flyer, or magazine. So here’s a quick, jargon-free breakdown of some of the most common print terms I use with clients—and why they matter.

Spot Colours

Let’s start with colour. Most printed materials use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) to mix colours, but sometimes you want something ultra-specific—like a particular shade of orange in your logo that just has to be exact. That’s where spot colours come in.

A spot colour is a pre-mixed ink, usually chosen from a system like Pantone, that ensures colour consistency across all your printed pieces. It's ideal for logos, brand colours, or special finishes (like metallics or fluorescents) that CMYK can’t quite match.

Why it matters: If colour accuracy is essential to your brand, using spot colours helps keep things consistent and professional.

Bleed

“Does this have bleed?” is a question printers love to ask. In short, bleed is the extra margin of space added around your artwork that gets trimmed off during printing. It ensures your design goes all the way to the edge of the paper without any weird white borders.

Designers usually add about 3mm of bleed on each side. Without it, even a tiny shift during trimming can leave your brochure looking like it was cut wonky.

Why it matters: If your background colour or image goes right to the edge of the page, bleed prevents awkward printing errors.

Grids

A grid is the invisible framework that helps bring structure and balance to a design. Think of it like scaffolding—everything you see (text, images, headings) is placed in relation to the grid to create a consistent, easy-to-follow layout.

Grids are especially useful in multi-page documents like magazines, where consistency from page to page is key. They help keep things tidy, aligned, and visually pleasing.

Why it matters: A good grid makes your content easier to read, more professional-looking, and better structured—without you even realising it’s there.

A Few Bonus Terms

• Trim size: The final size of your printed piece after it’s cut down.

• Resolution: For print, you want images to be 300 DPI (dots per inch) to keep them sharp.

• CMYK vs. RGB: Use CMYK for print and RGB for digital—mixing them up can lead to unexpected colour shifts.

• Safe zone: The area within the trim where it’s “safe” to keep all your important text and logos—so nothing accidentally gets chopped off.

  
  

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be a print expert to create great materials—but knowing a few key terms can make the process smoother and help you communicate more clearly with your designer or printer. And when you understand the “why” behind the details, you’re better equipped to make confident decisions about your brand materials.

Print might seem old-school to some, but when it’s done well, it’s one of the most powerful tools for creating a lasting impression.