Saving/printing to document edges

[judahbass]

Ok, I have another issue with saving/printing. I set my document to 8.5x11 so the artwork covers the entire paper when I print. (I'm trying to print a brochure and need the artwork to go all the way)

Unfortunately when I go to print or save, it creates a border of white as if the artwork shrunk. I don't understand how I can set the artboard to 8.5x11 and it prints smaller. What gives? It appears that the bleed is supposed to go beyond the artboard..........isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

I'm a pretty decent designer but I have found a GREAT need to learn the saving and printing world much better. Please help!

[toptomato]

It sounds as though this is a printer issue, not a layout issue. To get a bleed, your layout needs to extend beyond the edge of your paper size. When it goes to a commercial printer, that bleed is cropped off. Office printers rarely have the capability to print to the edge of the paper, so it's not a problem with your set up, but is a default setting in the printer, I suspect.

Hope this helps.

[jayluebs]

You won't find an 8.5"x11" printer that will do full bleeds on 8.5"x11" paper. Any printer that will do full bleed on 8.5"x11" prints has to print on 11"x17" paper so it can be trimmed down.