Basic Limitations of Hole Punching

Maximum document thickness after binding: No limit
Maximum print format for binding: A4 (for the A3 format, punching is only possible on the shorter edge of the document)

Trim, Safe Zone, and Bleed

The red line indicates where the document will be trimmed. The trim cut may not always be 100% precise, which is why it is crucial to respect the safe zone (see the blue line).

The blue line highlights the safe zone, which text and other critical design elements must not cross. Anything outside the safe zone risks being trimmed or hidden inside the binding.

The pink area represents the bleed. Bleed refers to the extra area added to the final dimensions of the graphic design – specifically, an additional 2.5 mm of graphics on each side. As shown in the image, the background graphics extend past the trim line (the person's head at the top and the chair wheels at the bottom go beyond the trim to create the bleed).

Binding Position on Individual Pages

In a double-sided printed and punched document, odd-numbered pages have the holes on the left side of the layout (see our image), while even-numbered pages have them on the right side. Keep in mind where the holes will interface with your artwork and adjust your design accordingly.

If your document includes page numbering, make sure it is aligned properly with respect to the binding side.

Other Recommendations

• The document can easily have a bleed larger than 2.5 mm
• Including crop marks is a plus, though they are not strictly required
• For more details, please check out Basic principles of graphics preparation for print
• We can print and bind your document even without a bleed or safe zone. In that case, the final document will have white borders (the artwork will not extend to the edge of the paper)

Our Assurance

We check every single file submitted by our customers prior to printing to guarantee a high-quality final product. You don't have to worry about making a mistake while preparing your PDF – we will catch it and contact you to help you fix it. Additionally, our graphic designer is always at your disposal to help convert your materials into a print-ready document.

Warning: Our file check only covers technical pre-press readiness; we do not check for grammatical, spelling, or content accuracy.

Order Hole Punching in Up to 5 Languages

You can now order paper hole punching in English – Paper hole punching, Slovak – Dierovanie papiera, Czech – Děrování papíru, Hungarian – Papír lyukasztás, German (DE) – Abheftlochung and German (AT) – Abheftlochung.