Design in Inches

This tutorial details the process of generating a precise US Letter document (8.5 × 11 inches) for professional printing, including setup for margins and bleed.

1. Access the Plugin and Preset

To begin, open the Print for Figma plugin from your Figma Actions menu (Cmd+K or Ctrl+K).

1. Navigate to the Create tab.
2. In the preset sidebar, expand the ANSI (US) category.
3. Select Letter.
4. The layout dimensions will populate as 8.5 Width by 11 Height, and the measurement unit will automatically switch to inches.

2. Establish Safe Margins

Margins create a boundary inside the document edge to protect critical text and logos.

1. Enable the Margins toggle.
2. Enter 0.5 or 1 into the fields. A 1-inch margin is standard for professional business documents.
3. Use the chain link icon to apply the same value to the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right fields simultaneously.

3. Add Bleed (If Necessary)

If your design features background colors, textures, or images that run to the physical edge of the paper, you must include a bleed area to prevent white slivers after cutting.

1. Enable the Bleed & Crop Marks toggle.
2. Enter the standard US commercial bleed size: 0.125 inches on all sides.
3. Keep the Bleed Mode set to Expand to ensure the document size grows to accommodate the extra artwork rather than shrinking your usable canvas.

4. Generate the Canvas

Click the Create button. Print for Figma creates a new frame scaled exactly to 612 × 792 pixels (plus 18 pixels for the 0.125-inch bleed). Visual guides will be drawn on the frame representing the safe margins (blue) and the final trim line (red).

5. Export Preparation

When you finish your layout:

1. Ensure your background elements span completely across the red trim line to the edge of the expanded frame.
2. Open the Export tab in Print for Figma.
3. Choose to export as a Single PDF.
4. If your production requires CMYK, enable Color Conversion and select a US-standard ICC profile such as GRACoL 2013 or SWOP.