How to Make Trifold Brochures

The most widely used of all styles of brochures, the tri-fold is easy to create yourself. If you can choose graphics, write engaging text, and format it---either using a template, or on your own---you can deliver a professional message at a much lower cost than a traditional printing service would charge.

Things You'll Need

• 8.5 x 11-inch paper Pencil Sketchpad or computer for layout design Pre-printed brochure stock Printer loaded with ink (laser is preferred, but ink jet works too)

Instructions

Getting Started

1. 

   Order your paper stock. Look for professional brochure paper, either plain or designed. PaperDirect and other companies have good collections. There is a three-panel 28-pound paper that has substantial weight (allows you to print on both sides with no show-through), folds well, and is great for general use.
   Many providers have heavier stock and four-panel supplies as well. Comparison-shop online, too, as there are several good vendors.

2. 

   Choose your graphics. Decide what type of graphics you will use. A company logo, a photograph that has been downloaded and converted into resized .jpg format, or designs from an online service such as Clipart.com all work fine. Images will need to be resized and generally will be no more than 3 inches wide in each panel.

3. 

   Plan a design scheme. Basically a tri-fold brochure is really regular 8.5-by-11-inch paper with two folds and three panels on each side. Decide first if you want a zig-zag fold or the more traditional fold: with the right side turned in first, then folded with the left side over that---small enough to be put into a No. 10 envelope or a businessman's suit pocket.

4. 

   Write a rough text draft. Either on the computer using a free template software program or just in Word, turn the paper horizontally (landscape mode). If you do the inside first, this will be text that could describe your company's mission, products, and leaders; if you are an author, it could serve to list the books you've written and a one- or two-sentence description, where you'll be signing books, and a personal note; or charities might thank contributors or tell where the funds are going.
   The message on the inside should be informative yet succinct. Make use of headings and subheadings to group your text into concrete subject areas or main points.

Layout Finalization and Printing

1. 

   Make a rough page layout. Divide the page into three columns. Remember, you will need space in the gutter where the paper will be folded. You can eyeball it and be fairly safe or you can use one of many free online templates. You can also just set the margins by using the ruler above your word-processing program (no matter what kind you have), or you can drag and drop text boxes in each section, or use the column function with a choice of three panels.
   Once laid out, duplicate the layout for the other side.

2. 

   Work on the outside. To see how the paper folds, print out a sample draft on regular paper and fold it into thirds. This will tell you where the front of the brochure is and what remains on the back, and middle.
   The front should be dynamic, using your logo or main graphic and, if used for business advertising, the company's name and contact information.

3. 

   Print a demo. So as not to waste paper, print a demo before using your purchased stock. You can print five or 50, as many as you like, and update more often since you will be controlling the design and output.
   The demo is to ensure that the words are all going in the same direction if you have a printer that needs to be hand-fed and inverts the pages as it prints.

4. 

   If your graphic is based on a photograph or digital image, use a high-quality copy to print all the copies from. You may need high-quality photo paper. If you've purchased designed brochure paper instead, that worry is virtually eliminated.

Tips & Warnings

• The heavier the weight, the more expensive to mail: the 28-pound bond should suffice.

• Don't print on your final brochure paper until you've tested it with regular copy paper first.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Digital concepts for business: Tri-fold brochure writing tips
• Microsoft Word tri-fold brochure tutorial
• Another Word brochure example