What 8.5 × 11 in means
The finished rectangle matches US Letter dimensions, but a Big planner’s binding preparation remains a separate physical step.
The builder preserves these finished dimensions and will not silently scale the page to make an incompatible imposition fit.
Choose a source sheet and binding clearance
Use direct-size output on 8.5 × 11 inch paper, or one-up Letter; the finished page already reaches the Letter sheet edges. One-up A4 fails because its 210 mm width is narrower than the 215.9 mm page. Neither A4 nor Letter can fit two Big pages side by side at 100%.
Centered and two-up files include crop marks where there is room outside the finished page. A mark is omitted where a source-sheet edge is already the finished edge; this does not change the page dimensions.
The inner content margin moves writing areas away from the selected binding edge. It is content clearance, not a punch-hole coordinate or a promise that a particular punch will fit. Trim first, then align the finished sheet with the punch maker’s physical guide.
Run one measured test
Download a one-page test before committing to a full run. In the print dialog, choose the paper named in your plan, turn off Fit or other scaling, and measure the calibration mark. A mathematically correct PDF cannot predict a printer driver, printable area, feed path, or borderless setting.
After trimming, measure width and height before punching. If the result is off, correct print scaling or the selected source sheet; do not compensate by guessing new page dimensions.