I used GIMP before moving to Xara. In GIMP, you could have a set canvas and anything outside of that canvas was hidden from view. I found that quite handy, as I was able to see exactly what my image would look like once exported.

I have my page size set as 1200 x 1200 and I can see a white background of that size. But when I import an image larger than the page, there is no indication of where my page borders actually are.

I've been using guides for the time being, but it's not the best solution. Hopefully someone here will have some insight?