How to Use Print-to-Edge (Mimeo Print)

Mimeo Vocab

Full bleed printing means that the printer trims your paper so that your design takes up the entire space of the page with no white margins around the border. In Mimeo, we call that “Print-To-Edge.”

Set Up Your File before Uploading

In order to use Mimeo’s Print-to-Edge feature, you need to set up all the files that will make up the document for full bleed. (Here’s why you should consider uploading your document as multiple files.)

Using a design program, set up your file with bleeds and crop marks for your desired final trim size. (Note: right now, Mimeo Print-to-Edge is designed for bound 8.5″x11″, A4, or half-size documents.)
Using any program like Microsoft Word, use a custom page layout to oversize your file. For example, set up a document to be 9.5” x 12” instead of the standard letter size. See our how-to video for more details on this.
Using any program like Microsoft Word, set up your cover in a standard size. This will be scaled to 103% to create the edge-to-edge cover, so make sure there is no critical content along the outer 3/16” of your file.

If your document is set up without crop marks, our Print-To-Edge feature will automatically resize and crop off the margin, so make sure there is no critical content along the outer 3/16” of your file.

Remember, all the files in one document need to be set up the same way.

Set Up Print-to-Edge on Your Mimeo Document

Upload

The first step is to upload your cover and document contents to your account, either via drag and drop or browse. This article explains how to upload files to your library.

Add Files to Your Document

In the first screen of the document builder, select the files you want to include in your bound document. Here’s where you set each section to be single or double-sided and black and white or color. Make sure you select “color” for your cover file.

Real-Time Proof

Next, you’re in the real-time proof. This is where you see exactly what your printed document will look like.

The first step is to select your cover type. Choose either a card stock or synthetic paper to make your first page the cover of the book.

Add Print-to-Edge

Next, select the Print-to-Edge option. You can choose to use the full bleed either on the front cover only or, if you’ve selected a cover on the back of your document, on both the front and the back. If all files are set up the same, you can also select print-to-edge for the entire document.

After that, your full bleed cover is reflected in the proof. By zooming in, you can see that Mimeo has cropped off the white margins we saw earlier.

Now you’re done! Make any further document selections such as binding, inserting tabs, or adding lamination, and add it to your cart to check out.

Watch this video to see this article in action!

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