To export facing pages with inside bleed in Affinity on Mac, set the document’s Inner bleed, export as All Pages, and enable Include bleed. Inner bleed applies to individual-page output; exporting a complete spread does not create separate bleed edges at its center. Setting bleed

This workflow uses the current Affinity desktop Help Center’s menu names. It is for a page-based layout whose facing pages must become individual PDF pages for printing. Start with your print provider’s required trim size, bleed measurements, PDF compatibility, and choice of pages or spreads.

When does inside bleed apply?

Affinity calls the spine-facing edge Inner and the opposite edge Outer in facing-page documents. Its documentation explicitly limits the relevance of Inner bleed to first and last single pages, or output exported or printed as individual pages. Setting bleed

The practical consequence is that your editing arrangement and your output arrangement can differ. You can work with facing pages and export the left and right pages separately. All Pages produces individual PDF pages; All Spreads produces one PDF page for each spread. Changing the export area is the documented way to choose between those outcomes. Export Settings

If you need two individual pages, each with an inside bleed allowance, choose All Pages. If you need one combined spread, choose All Spreads and assess its external edges. The documented Inner bleed setting does not provide an additional independently trimmed band down the middle of a combined spread.

Also distinguish bleed from an inside margin. Margins guide the placement of main content within the page and do not export. Increasing an inside margin can move text away from the gutter, but it does not supply artwork beyond the trim edge. Margins

Set the document’s bleed before exporting

For an existing layout, open Document > Setup > Document Setup. Select Whole Document when the changes should apply throughout the document. Affinity also supports setup changes for selected pages, spreads, or master pages, so check the scope before editing. Document setup (Desktop only)

  1. Select the Bleed tab.
  2. Disable the Link symbol if the required values differ by edge.
  3. Enter the requested Inner, Outer, Top, and Bottom values.
  4. Confirm the dialog.
  5. Choose View > Show > Bleed to display the bleed guides. Setting bleed

Use the values specified for this particular output. For example, a requirement for zero inside bleed and positive outside bleed needs unlinked values. A requirement for equal bleed on every edge can use linked values. Neither configuration should be assumed from the fact that the document has facing pages.

Extend edge-to-edge backgrounds and graphics into the required bleed area. Setting a distance creates the allowance and guides; the artwork still needs to occupy it. Affinity’s bleed instructions specifically recommend extending elements beyond the TrimBox, which corresponds to the page dimensions in Document Setup. Setting bleed

Before exporting, inspect an ordinary left page, an ordinary right page, and any single pages at the document’s ends. Affinity documents that a facing-page layout starting on the right has single-page first and last spreads, making those useful checks alongside an interior pair. About pages and spreads

Export individual PDF pages with the bleed included

Open File > Export > Export. Select the PDF preset required for the job. Affinity’s current PDF publishing instructions allow you to choose the output area, restrict the page range, and include bleed within the same export dialog. Publishing PDF files

  1. Set Area to All Pages for separate left and right PDF pages.
  2. Check the Pages box. Leave it unrestricted for the complete document, or enter the intended page numbers or ranges for a test.
  3. Enable Include bleed.
  4. Match the remaining PDF settings to the supplied output specification.
  5. Click Export, name the file, choose its location, and click Save. Publishing PDF files

Check the bleed checkbox after selecting your preset. Affinity’s comparison table lists Include bleed: No for PDF (for print) and for the PDF/X-1a:2003, PDF/X-3:2003, and PDF/X-4 presets. PDF (press ready) lists it as enabled. A preset’s name therefore does not establish whether your bleed will be included. Compare PDF export presets

For a small test export, the Pages field accepts individual numbers, ranges, and combinations, such as 2-3, 8. Check that field again before making the final export so a test range does not unintentionally become the delivered file. Export dialog

Which export limitations matter?

PDF is the documented route for a multipage publication intended for professional printing. The available compatibility choices include PDF/X-1a:2003, PDF/X-3:2003, and PDF/X-4. Use the required compatibility rather than changing it solely to address an inside-bleed problem. Publishing PDF files

The current export reference also documents Include bleed for PNG, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, SVG, EPS, TGA, WEBP, and JPEG-XL. It does not list PSD or EPUB for that setting. Include printers marks is documented for PDF. These controls therefore cannot be assumed to exist for every export format. Export Settings

Keep three decisions separate: the document’s bleed measurements, the choice of pages or spreads, and the inclusion of bleed in the exported file. A correct value in Document Setup does not replace the export checkbox. Likewise, enabling bleed does not change a spread export into individual pages.

The official documentation describes the applicability of Inner bleed, but it does not establish a universal rule for how every artwork arrangement supplies the spine-side strip. Do not assume that exporting will mirror an image, invent missing background, or create an independently editable extension for each page. Inspect the actual output before relying on its contents.

Check the result with a simple dimension test

The following calculation is an illustrative diagnostic, not a measured Affinity export. Assume a 210 × 297 mm trim page and 3 mm bleed at the top, bottom, and outer edge. Compare two possible inside-bleed requirements, with printer marks excluded from the calculation.

Illustrative requirement Expected trim-plus-bleed extent
Individual page, Inner 3 mm 216 × 303 mm
Individual page, Inner 0 mm 213 × 303 mm
Two-page horizontal spread, 3 mm on external edges 426 × 303 mm

For an individual page, calculate width as trim width plus Inner plus Outer; calculate height as trim height plus Top plus Bottom. For the combined spread, use twice the trim width plus the two external bleed allowances. This helps distinguish an unwanted spread from a page with an unexpected bleed amount.

These figures describe the intended trim-plus-bleed extent, not necessarily the overall size reported by a viewer when printer marks are present. Use them alongside a visual inspection of the spine-side artwork, rather than treating a single displayed dimension as proof that the file is correct.

To inspect bleed within Affinity, place the exported PDF in a separate checking document and select it with the Move Tool. The documented PageBox choices include TrimBox, which displays the page to its edge, and BleedBox, which displays bleed or printer marks. Compare those views for the relevant page. Move Tool

Inspect both pages of an interior pair. Look for complete background coverage, unintended artwork near the inside trim edge, and the expected relationship between the two trimmed pages. If the allowance is empty, return to the source artwork; repeatedly changing PDF presets will not supply missing content.

Resolve the symptom before changing the layout

What you see What to check first
One wide PDF page where you expected two Confirm Area is All Pages.
Bleed guides in the document but no allowance in output Confirm Include bleed after selecting the preset.
Correct allowance but an empty strip Check whether the source artwork extends into that area.
An unexpected strip at the spine edge Compare Inner bleed with the requested specification and inspect the exported artwork.
Fewer pages than expected Check Area and any remaining Pages restriction.

These checks follow the documented separation between export area, page selection, and bleed inclusion. Affinity specifically directs users with unexpectedly missing pages to check the Area setting. Export dialog

Finish by checking the saved PDF’s page count, individual-page arrangement, inside-edge artwork, and required bleed values. For separate-page delivery, the supported path is to retain the facing-page layout, set its bleed deliberately, export All Pages with Include bleed enabled, and verify the resulting file before handing it off.

Sources