If you give a graphic design file from a previous graphic designer to a new one, is it the new graphic designer's fault when they don't ensure the file is setup for printing properly and sends it to print anyway?

It's interesting that this question seems to be an alignment issue coming from Illustrator, which is not really a page layout app (though it undoubtedly has that capability). As others have already noted, there is a long chain of people who could and should have noted the positioning. Then again, designers do the darnedest things, and bleeding an image half off the page, is within the realm of possible valid choices. So I can't blame the printer and prepress crew entirely. Here's a clue, the application is called Illustrator. Its primary purpose is to create illustrations to be placed in a page layout application. In that event, art board position is not relavent in the least. Now, a designer with experience or training should have a mental (and a printed) checklist before sending anything to press. The printer should have a checklist as well. There should be a proof that everyone sees and signs before any ink touches paper. No proof from your printer? Change printers. No proof from your designer, change designers. Didn't want to be bothered with reviewing the proof? Blame the guy in the mirror. My own experience tells me that any errors that hit the dryer or the binder are because someone didn't understand the importance of proofing.

I'm adding this into the answers—I apparently added it as a comment to the original question, but it's more suitable here: First: perhaps your first designer made a mistake. Second: maybe your new designer forgot to check the file. Third: suppose your printer could have had the foresight to check the bleed before making plates and/or running the job. Fourth: ostensibly your designer should have caught the error on the printer's proof before it went on press. Fifth: the pressman could have mentioned it when it was on press. My point here is that in printing, it's amazing ANYTHING gets printed correctly. There are about 99 things that could go wrong at about 12 steps in the process (paper stock/font issues/trapping/bleeds/ink mixing/shipping to the wrong address/bad trimming). I'm not apologizing for (either) of  your designers, but remember that it's a collaborative process, and the printer, the designer, and you as the client/supervisor/boss all have opportunities to make sure it's right or overlook what's wrong.

It depends on whether the 2nd designer was briefed on how the files would be used, and whether they were hired/paid to adjust the artwork OR to adjust the artwork AND setup/send the file to print. (Those tasks are often assumed to go hand in hand but they don't in every case.) If the 2nd designer was hired to do both tasks, then a bleed should have been added. If they were hired to simply adjust the artwork, then it wasn't their responsibility.

I think its the 2nd designer's fault for not being professional enough to make sure everything is OK. After all if he had to receive a file taken from another designer, obviously they previous owner had problems. That doesn't matter though. The bottom line is when blame starts rolling like that and prints go out wrong, neither designer should be worked with again in future.

It's not really fair, but it's the responsibility of the last designer who've opened the print files, to double-check that everything's in order for print. The bleeds mistake could have been made by the old designer, but it was the new designer that sent the whole thing to print - he should have caught and corrected the mistake in the file early enough. Since he didn't, both designers are at fault, more or less.

It's absolutely the 2nd designer's fault. They sent the file to the printer, therefore it was their responsibility to open the file. You hired them, and are paying money to them in the hopes that they professionally handle your graphic design needs. They didn't, and their excuse is really bad business. They should have owned up to their responsibility instead of passing blame. I would begin looking for a new graphic designer.

It's the second designer's fault and YOUR fault for not running a proof