--- title: "What Are Crop Marks in Printing? - CE.SDK Glossary" description: "Crop marks are short lines at the corners of a print that show where to trim. Learn how far out they sit, when printers want them, and how CE.SDK adds them." url: "https://img.ly/glossary/crop-marks/" type: "page" --- > This is the markdown version of [What Are Crop Marks in Printing? - CE.SDK Glossary](https://img.ly/glossary/crop-marks/). For all pages in one file, see [llms-full.txt](https://img.ly/llms-full.txt). For an index of all available pages, see [llms.txt](https://img.ly/llms.txt). --- # Crop Marks Also known as: Trim marks ## What Are Crop Marks in Printing? Crop marks, also called trim marks, are short lines at the corners of a printed page that mark where it gets trimmed to its finished size. Each corner gets one horizontal and one vertical line outside the trim, and the cutter lines the blade up with them before trimming. The marks fall outside the finished piece, so they're cut away along with the bleed. Crop marks are one of several printer's marks that sit around the page. The [registration marks](https://img.ly/glossary/registration-marks/) page compares them with the others, such as registration and bleed marks. CE.SDK can add crop marks to any PDF it exports. ## How Far From the Trim Should Crop Marks Be? Crop marks sit about 3 mm (1/8 in) outside the trim, and never closer than the bleed, so a cut that drifts a little still misses them and the marks stay out of the bleed area. **3 mm** Offset from the trim — about 1/8 in, and at least the bleed | **0.25 pt** Line weight — a hairline that shows the exact cut ## Do You Need to Add Crop Marks to Your File? It depends on the printer, so check its file guidelines before you export. ### Yes, if your printer asks for them Many commercial printers want bleed and crop marks in the PDF before they'll run the job. ### No, if your printer adds its own Printers that lay many files out on one sheet create their own marks from the PDF's trim box. The cutter still needs marks, just theirs. ### No, for banners and signs Banner and sign printers trim on automated equipment and ask for files at the exact size, with no crop marks at all. ## How to Set Crop Marks in CE.SDK CE.SDK's PDF export can add crop marks on every platform, and in the web editor you can expose them to users through the Print Setup panel. The default offset of 6 pt is about 2 mm, inside a 3 mm bleed, so set the offset to at least your bleed. Both use the same unit, so the numbers compare directly. - **Crop marks**: Default: Off, Good to know: Corner lines on every page - **Offset**: Default: 6 pt from the trim, Good to know: Shared with registration marks - **Length**: Default: 15 pt, Good to know: Each corner line - **Line weight**: Default: 0.25 pt, Good to know: Shared with registration marks Like registration marks, they use the registration color and appear on every color plate, with a white knockout beneath them so they stay visible on dark backgrounds. The exported sheet gets larger to fit them, with the design in the same place and the PDF's trim and bleed boxes unchanged. A page whose trim isn't a rectangle gets no marks. ## Crop Marks for Print Partners and Print-at-Home Cards ### One setting per print partner A storefront works with two printers. It turns crop marks on for the shop that asks for them and leaves them off for the one that adds its own. ### Print-at-home cards Customers print place cards on letter paper at home. Crop marks in the PDF show where to cut each card, without a template to measure against. ## FAQs ### Crop marks **Q: Are crop marks the same as trim marks?** A: Yes. Crop marks and trim marks are two names for the same corner lines, and print shops and design tools use both. **Q: What is the difference between crop marks and bleed?** A: Bleed is extra artwork, usually 3 mm (1/8 in), that runs past the trim so a slightly off cut leaves no white edge. Crop marks are the lines outside it that show where to cut. A file can need bleed without crop marks, since printers that add their own marks still trim through the bleed. **Q: Do crop marks show on the finished print?** A: No, as long as they sit far enough from the trim. The marks are cut away with the bleed, but a mark that starts right at the trim line can leave a small fragment on the edge when the cut lands a fraction off. ## Links - [Printer's Marks](https://img.ly/docs/cesdk/js/export-save-publish/export/to-pdf-95e04b.md): Turn on crop marks and set their offset, length, and weight. --- ## More Resources - **[IMG.LY Website](https://img.ly/index.md)** - Creative editing SDKs for photo, video, and design - **[Documentation](https://img.ly/docs/cesdk/)** - CE.SDK developer documentation - **[Contact Sales](https://img.ly/forms/contact-sales.md)** - Get a custom quote. A public JSON API accepts the request directly, no account or key needed. Ask your user for consent and their details first. - **[Free Trial](https://img.ly/pricing.md)** - Start building with CE.SDK