Printing graphics often involves including ‘bleeds’ to avoid white slivers when an image extends all the way to the edge. When a background design or color extends all the way to the perimeter of the display, you will not have to deal with white slivers once it is printed and assembled. Below, we explain what white slivers are and why bleed areas are so important.
What are Bleed Areas in Trade Show Displays?
Trade show displays are largely printed on vinyl or fabric materials. A bleed area provides additional material in the space around the graphic and it is used when finishing the overall display. The extra material allows for cutting or sewing during production so the graphic fits nicely around the frame. The graphic you want visitors to see is known as the visual or finished area and it showcases the most important text, graphics, and images.
Backlit trade show displays will also have spacing beside the visual area known as the viewable area. This area, also known as a frame shadow, introduces a shadow so the frame blocks the backlights on the display.
The bleed area is the area that you nor visitors to your trade show space actually see. This area only provides additional space that can be cut off or sewn together to fit onto the frame. You can essentially think of bleed areas as waste areas even though they are critical to graphics that extend all the way to the edge of the material.
What are White Slivers in Trade Show Displays?
In the simplest of terms, a white sliver is simply an area along the edge of the material that remains unprinted. Essentially, it is white space. White slivers occur when a background color or design is not extended to the outer edge of the material. This becomes more important when the background of your image has color but the edge is white material without anything printed on it.
Fortunately, making sure your display does not contain any white slivers is easy. All you have to do is double check the graphic you receive from your supplier to make sure that it contains sufficient space for the bleed area. Do not ask for more bleed than what a template specifies, and do not add any crop marks to the area. Simply extend your graphic all the way to the edge and keep important information such as text and logos in the center of the material and away from the edge.
We Print Beautiful Graphics for Our Trade Show Displays
There is a lot more that goes into a dynamic trade show display than simply printing a graphic onto certain material. At ExpoMarketing, we know what those are and can create superior graphics on the highest quality materials so your display gets noticed and draws in the crowds. Call us now at (949) 250-3976 or fill out our online form to learn more about our printing process and to see our beautiful displays.