When preparing artwork for printing, crop marks and bleed are necessary to ensure that the final printed piece looks as intended and has a professional finish.

Crop marks are lines added to the artwork that indicate where it should be trimmed down to its final size. They help the printer understand where to cut the paper, ensuring that the finished product is the desired size and that the artwork is centred correctly.

Bleed is an area of the artwork that extends beyond the final trim size. It allows for small variations in the printing and trimming process, ensuring that there are no white borders or unprinted edges around the final product. Without bleed, the artwork could end up with white borders or uneven edges that could make it look unprofessional.

When printing a document with bleed, the printer will print the artwork slightly larger than the final size, and then trim it down to its final size using the crop marks as a guide. The bleed area ensures that any variations in printing or trimming will not leave white borders or unprinted areas on the final product.

Overall, crop marks and bleed are essential elements to include when preparing artwork for printing. They ensure that the final product looks professional, and that the artwork is printed and trimmed to the desired size and specifications.