comics question

[dwilliams]

I have a few questions about comics/grahpic novels. What exactly is a "bleed" size and a "trim" size?

And how is a lot of the lettering done in comics. Do they type that in digitally or does someone write it in themselves? I've recently developed an interest in trying my hand at a comic/graphic novel but I'm pretty new at it in general. Thanks!

[Jason Ross]

Bleed size is the safe area to place art that you want to extend all the way to the end of the pages. Trim size is the actual cut size of the board and is smaller in size than the bleed. If the bleed size is 8x10 and your bleed art is 8x10 then any offset in the trimming will result is white space on the edge of the final print.

Most lettering is done digitally these days...hell the entire process is done digitally these days.

[rpace]

Bleed and trim are related. If you open a comic book and you see drawing on the page that goes right to the edge you're seeing the result of bleed. Printing technology isn't that precise, so if artwork is to go to the edge, it actually has to be drawn larger than the finished printed page will be, the excess is cut off after the book is printed. The cut is intended to occur along the trim or crop line.

Hope this clears it up.

~R

[arttorney]

If that didn't clear it up, another detailed discussion with visual aids can be found in this thread: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=115867



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[dwilliams]

Thanks guys!