Print bleed function in Silhouette Studio

In this tutorial we are going to show you how to use the Silhouette Studio Print Bleed Function. The feature is available in the Free Edition, Designer Edition and higher. Print Bleed helps to eliminate that irritating white space you may get around your print and cut. So let us show you how this works.

We are using a summer vibes sublimation image but we have tons of Summer Sublimation Designs to choose from.

Step 1 - Edit the Page Setup

After you have opened Silhouette Studio, click on the Page Setup icon on the right side. Here, you can make changes to your page so it’s easier to arrange images. Next to Media Size, click on the drop down menu and select Printer.

The setup will adjust to accommodate a print size. Make sure that the boxes for Show Print Border and Show Cut Border are both ticked. This will allow you to see where you can place your images.

Step 2 - Drag and Drop your Images

Locate where your designs are stored then drag and drop your image into Silhouette Studio. You can resize the designs using the Move Tool left toolbar. Click + drag a corner node to resize.

You want to make certain that your designs don’t have any white space around them. This is why we choose PNG images.

It’s important to note that you need to have cut lines around your designs. If you are using V4.4, you can activate Auto Trace so lines are automatically added to PNG images. If you are using an older version, you will need to trace your design.

Click on the Send icon top right and make sure the Cut option is selected. You will be able to see if your designs have cut lines.

Step 3 - Use Registration Marks and Print Bleed

In order to do a print and cut, we need to add Registration Marks first. Your cutting machine will use these marks to read the layout and know where to cut.

Click on the third icon under the Page Setup panel that says Registration Marks. Now, click the circle for On. You will see lines and hatch marks on the corners. Your designs need to be within these marks as well as the Print and Cut borders.

At the bottom of the Registration Marks menu, you will find the Print Bleed Function. This function was initially under the Page Setup menu in earlier versions. Tick the box for Print Bleed.

You won’t be able to see anything but this will add a small amount of print around the images. You will only see the Print Bleed once printed.

The width can also be adjusted just in case you need some extra assurance.

Step 4 - Send to Print in Silhouette Studio

With everything set up, we now need to print the page. You can either click on the Printer icon top toolbar or go to File > Print. In the window that shows, you will get a preview of the print page. Click on Print and choose your settings.

Once printed, place it on your cutting mat. Next, feed the mat into your cutting machine and select your cut settings. Then, click Send at the bottom of the screen to cut. The Print Bleed amount will show according to the width.

The Print Bleed function in Silhouette Studio can be very useful in solving some print and cut issues. It’s a small adjustment but can go a long way to improving your results. If you enjoyed this tutorial, be sure to check out our other Silhouette Studio tutorials.