Glossary A–ZLetter S
Safe area
The safe area is the inner part of the image area in which important content such as text, logo and prices should be placed so that it is fully visible on every device.
The margin outside it may be cropped, covered or distorted.
There are several reasons for this. Some displays crop the edge of the picture in TV mode, a setting known as overscan. On video walls, the bezels between screens fall on parts of the image; on displays built into furniture or behind glass, the surround covers the edge; and outdoor enclosures may have an overlapping frame. Overlaid elements such as a ticker or a clock bar also reduce the free area.
Operators should provide a margin to the edge in templates and extend backgrounds to the edge while keeping text and logo inside. On the display itself, the setting for pixel-accurate display without overscan should be selected so that the image is not cropped or enlarged. In signage practice there is no single figure for the safe area; it depends on device and installation and should be checked at the actual location.