Print File Setup Guide

One of the easiest ways to set up your files is by using a Mixam template. They’re available on all products and tailored to your print specifications with built-in guides for bleed, trim lines, quiet area, gutter area and spine width. 

Templates help you:

• Avoid manual setup 
• Avoid alignment issues
• Speed up the design process
• Ensure your files meet production requirements
• Reduce print errors

You can download a template from the Instant Quote Calculator after selecting your product specifications, or from the Artwork tab once you have started your order.

Pro tip: Templates are for setup only, so ensure you remove the template before exporting your final file.

How To Use Design Online

1. Choose your product and specifications, then click the Design Online option on the Instant Quote Calculator or by opening it in your pending order’s Artwork tab.
2. Select which part you want to design: Cover & Body, Cover Only or Body Only.
3. Add photos, text and graphics and click Save as you go. Mixam account holders can view and edit saved designs in their My Designs tab.
4. Check your files to ensure they appear correctly.
5. Click Finish & Upload to transfer your finished design to your Artwork tab.

Pro tip: If your design includes text and images, select the Advanced Editor option for maximum editing control.

Full Bleed Printing

Full bleed refers to the extra space where your design extends beyond the final trim size of your page. 

Artwork that includes background colors or images must extend across the full bleed area so that even with small shifts during the trimming process, it prevents thin white edges from appearing on your final prints.

For most products, add 0.125" bleed. Hardcover Book covers require 0.8" bleed so your artwork can be wrapped around the cover boards. If your design does not reach the edge of the page, you may not need bleed. However, all files should still include bleed to prevent print issues.

Pro tip: Watch How To Set Up Bleed in InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop for step-by-step guidance below.

Trim lines mark the edge of your page after it is printed and cut to its final size. Your trim box must match your intended page dimensions. Do not include bleed inside the trim box. Any background colors or images that reach the edge of your page must extend beyond the trim line to the edge of the bleed area to prevent unprinted edges.

As a general guide:

• Position content 0.25" away from the trim line to avoid cropping issues.
• Position content 0.5" away from the binding area to ensure legibility.

Pro Tip: Watch our video guide below on setting trim boxes to ensure your pages are properly sized and aligned before exporting.

To prepare single pages:

1. Set your page size to the final trim size
2. Add 0.125" bleed (or 0.8" for Hardcover covers)
3. Keep all important content away from the quiet area
4. Export as a print-ready PDF with bleed enabled

Double-page spreads allow content to run across two pages. They’re easy to organize and fast to upload.

To prepare spreads:

1. Set your document width to double the width of a single page
2. Add 0.125" bleed (or 0.8" for Hardcover covers)
3. Keep content away from trim lines, quiet areas and the binding area.
4. Offset images slightly on each page to account for the binding.

Cover files are set up differently from interior pages. They include a front cover, a back cover, and a spine (if applicable). The front cover is positioned on the right, the back cover on the left, and the spine in the center. You can upload individual files for each component, but we recommend uploading a single cover spread for accuracy and design continuity.

When designing your cover:

• Place the spine in the center of the spread
• Leave a 0.125" gap on both sides (glue area)
• Keep important content away from trim lines

Items like staple-bound products do not require a spine design. If you print an item that includes a spine but you do not supply a spine artwork file, no printing will appear on the physical print, and it will be blank.

Adobe InDesign

1. Select the Type Tool (T) and highlight all text.
2. Go to Type > Create Outlines.
3. Check that all characters appear correctly.
4. Save your file with a new name to avoid overwriting the editable version: File > Save As.

Adobe Illustrator

1. Select all text (Command/Control + A).
2. Press Command/Control + Shift + O (or go to Type > Create Outlines).
3. Check that all characters appear correctly.
4. Save a new copy: File > Save As.

To add a blank page, click the three-dotted button under a thumbnail and click Insert Blank Page. A blank page will appear, and your quote will update.

To remove artwork files, click the three-dotted button underneath a thumbnail in your order’s Artwork tab and click Delete. You can then reupload a new artwork file.

To reposition a file, all artwork thumbnails must be filled first. Once they’re filled, you can either:

• Drag the file into a new position
• Click the three-dotted icon under the specific page, then under Move page to, enter the page number in the field and click Move. Your page will automatically appear in its new position. Ensure to double-check your page order so that your files are in the correct order before confirming.