1. Create the design at A5 size
When creating the design, select:
A5 (148mm × 210mm)
Do not create the design at the bleed size (154mm × 216mm).
2. Extend artwork to the edges
Any background colours, images, or graphics that should print to the edge of the finished page must extend fully to the edge of the Canva page.
Canva will generate the bleed area automatically when exporting.
3. Download as a print PDF
- Click Share
- Click Download
- Select PDF Print
4. Enable bleed and crop marks
Under the PDF options:
✅ Crop marks and bleed
This adds:
- 3 mm bleed around the document
- Crop marks to indicate the finished trim size
5. Download the PDF
Click Download.
What the exported PDF contains
For an A5 document:
| Box | Size |
|---|---|
| Finished Trim Size | 148 × 210 mm |
| PDF Size with Bleed | 154 × 216 mm |
The crop marks indicate where the document will be trimmed back to the finished A5 size.
How customers can check the PDF
If they have Adobe Acrobat Pro:
- Open the PDF.
- Go to Print Production → Set Page Boxes.
- Confirm:
- Trim Box = 148 × 210 mm
- Bleed Box = 154 × 216 mm
Common Mistakes
❌ Creating the document at 154 × 216 mm and exporting without bleed.
❌ Leaving white borders because images do not reach the edge of the page.
❌ Exporting as PDF Standard instead of PDF Print.
✅ Create the document at A5 (148 × 210 mm).
✅ Export as PDF Print.
✅ Tick Crop marks and bleed.
This will produce a print-ready PDF with an A5 Trim Box and 3 mm bleed suitable for commercial printing.