How to Make Brochures at Home

Making a brochure once required more running around than creating art. You met with designers and got the brochure typeset and film separated--and then raced to the printer. Now you can perform each task in your living room. If you know your way around Microsoft Word or an equivalent, you're ready. Use this guide to boost your desktop publishing skills.

Things You'll Need

• Computer (Mac or PC) Printer Paper stock

Instructions

1. Articulate the objective of your brochure. Do you want to persuade people to support a political candidate? Are you raising funds for a charity? Will your brochure inform readers about a referendum, a school event or dance recital--or will it be used to sell something at the church yard sale?

2. Determine the brochure's layout. Most people choose the three-column format because it's been around so long. As a bonus, this format fits into a standard #10 envelope or can be tabbed and mailed as is. To help you figure out what goes where, grab a piece of paper and fold it in thirds. Number each of the six panels and mark the front and back cover panels. Open the sheet and use it as your layout guide.

3. Launch Microsoft Word. Open a new 11" x 8.5" document in landscape orientation. Select Columns from the Format pull-down menu and request three. Set .5" gutter and margin parameters.

4. Match the panel on your folded sample to the layout on your monitor. Place a vertical text box into the panel you have chosen for the front of the brochure. Compose a headline. Add a photo or a logo to the front panel by accessing the Insert pull-down menu and selecting Picture. Adjust the text and photo so the cover of the brochure looks perfect.

5. Replicate Step Four on each of the other five panels. For example, if the brochure is being made for a dance recital, two panels could list acts and music selections--the other two might list the performers' names. Use the last panel to create a self-mailer or drop in an ad, photo or other information you want recital attendees to read.

6. When the brochure copy is complete and the photos positioned, print out a copy. If your computer doesn't offer a "print both sides" command, print page 1, then reinsert that page to output side 2.

7. Fold the brochure down to size. Use a red pen to mark everything that needs fixing. In particular, decide if panels of information are in the right order--if not, swap them. Read all of the copy aloud. Sometimes, text that reads well sounds strange when spoken, so make this the final test when you finish this draft of the brochure.

8. When satisfied, make several copies of the draft brochure, fold them and hand them out to several people to get feedback. In the case of the dance recital brochure, ideal "proofreaders" would be moms and dads of kids in the recital who work as English teachers, writers, editors or marketers.

9. Respect the feedback you receive. Folks in the jobs listed above are in the business of making good work look and sound better. Their critique should not be taken as criticism.

10. Weigh the wear and tear on your printer, plus the ink expenditure, against the cost of sending the brochure to an instant printer. Many have sites that allow you to upload the file directly to them.