How to Make Brochures in CS5

Make brochures in Photoshop CS5 by using the program's "Text," "Paintbrush," guideline and layer tools to insert and arrange text and graphics appropriate to the message you want the brochure to communicate. Photoshop has many features for getting the brochure to look the way you want. The "Text" tool, for example, has a "Font" dropdown list above the canvas from which you can choose a font appropriate for your brochure. Before you tackle this project, study other brochures advertising an idea, product or organization similar to yours.

Instructions

1. Click the "File" menu's "New" command, then type "8.5" for the "Height" text box and "11" for the "Width" text box. Click "inches" from the dropdown control to the right of both "Height" and "Width" text boxes. Click "OK" to make a canvas for creating a brochure with a total of three panels, each of which has two sides.

2. Click the vertical ruler at the left of the canvas, then drag onto the canvas until the horizontal ruler above the canvas indicates 3 5/8 inches. Use the instruction just given to drag another vertical ruler to 7 3/8 inches. These guidelines indicate the fold lines separating your panels.

3. Click the paintbrush icon from the tool palette to enter painting mode, then drag on the canvas to label your panels left to right as "2, 4 and 5." These crude page numbers aren't for presentation, but to help you remember which panel is which.

4. Click the page icon at the bottom of the tool palette to create a new drawing layer, which will hold pages three, six and one. Use the instructions from step three to label the panels with the page numbers just given.

5. Click the "T" icon from the tool palette to run the tool for typing text, then click on the panel you labeled one. Type the text you want for this panel. This is the panel the reader sees first, so keep your prose short and powerful. Consider using headline or bulleted text to introduce a problem the reader feels compelled to solve by reading the remainder of the brochure.

6. Write the text for the other five panels using the instructions just given. Make the text on the remaining panels suggest your idea, product or team as the solution for the problem you introduced in panel one.

7. Open Windows Explorer, then navigate to a folder containing images that illustrate panel one's text. For example, if you're making a brochure to advertise an illustration service, open a folder with a photo of a paintbrush or other item that an illustrator uses.

8. Drag an image from Windows Explorer onto Photoshop's application window. Release the mouse when the mouse cursor is over the panel one location where you want to place the image. Photoshop will insert the image on panel one.

References

• "Photoshop CS5 for Dummies"; Peter Bauer; 2010
• "Design Basics"; David Lauer; 2007