Illustrator Script: Trim Marks with a Custom Bleed

Illustrator script that creates trim marks with a custom bleed amount

👤 Who this is for:
Anyone who sometimes needs to create trim marks for selected objects

When you want trim marks as actual objects on the artboard, Illustrator’s built-in feature locks the bleed at 3 mm, right?
Setting it to anything else means tweaking everything by hand, which is a pain.

So I made a
script that creates trim marks with any bleed amount you specify.
And I threw in a few handy extras while I was at it.

✅ Features

Set any bleed amount and generate trim marks
Generate guides at the same time (toggle on/off)
- Bleed
- Trim line
- Safe area (with a configurable offset)

Settings dialog of the Illustrator script for creating trim marks and guides. Options include the bleed amount, plus toggles for bleed, trim line, and safe-area guides with a configurable offset. — Settings

Preview in Illustrator. Trim marks and guides (bleed, trim line, and safe area) are placed around a 3D dog illustration. — Result

✅ Smaller details

Clipping mask support

When you select an object with a clipping mask, the script uses the bounds of the mask as the basis for the trim marks.

Layer management

If layers named “Trim Marks” or “Guides” already exist, the script reuses them so layers don’t pile up. If they’re locked, it creates a new layer automatically.