The final size of a printed page after excess edges are trimmed is the trim size. Commercial printers often print multiple copies of a single document on the same large sheet of paper. This procedure reduces press time and saves on paper costs. The company then trims the large sheet to the final size of the printed piece, the trim size.

In commercial printing, crop marks indicate where the paper is to be cut. They are printed on the edges of the large sheet of paper as guidelines. These marks are trimmed off the final printed piece. For example, two 8.5 by 11 inch brochures are printed on one 17.5 by 22.5 inch press sheet with room for the press gripper, color bars, and crop marks.

In page layout software, the trim size is the same as the document size in the software, unless you have assembled multiple pieces into one digital file. Any bleeds, color bars, or crop marks are outside of the trim size. They are printed on the large sheet of paper, but are trimmed before the product is delivered. Typically, the commercial printer will apply the color bars and crop marks. When you design a document with bleed, place the bleed so that it extends one-eighth inch from the edge of the document. When you assemble multiple items into one digital file, each item will need its own crop marks to indicate where it should be trimmed. Your software may be able to insert these marks, or you can apply the marks manually.

When designing small pieces, such as business cards, the cards will need to be printed on larger sheets of paper because the printing press cannot print small sheets of paper. Whether you supply the digital file once and the printer prints it 10 times (for business cards) on an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet of cardstock, or you supply the file already printed 10 times, the final print size of a standard business card is 3.5 by 2 inches.