Many organizations use brochures to promote their products, services or activities. You can create a simple brochure by folding a standard letter size (8.5" x 11") sheet of paper one or two times and placing your text and graphics accordingly. Single-folded brochures result in two pages, while bi-folded brochures result in three pages and are often erroneously called tri-fold brochures. Alternative sizes and designs can be more difficult and expensive to make, but can draw extra attention to your organization.

Decide on the size and shape for your brochure. Consider the amount of information you need to include in the brochure, and determine how you want to section the material. It may help to fold a piece of paper into the shape of a bi-panel or tri-panel brochure and mark your sections on the paper.

Create a document of the appropriate size in a program such as Microsoft Office, Microsoft Publisher or Adobe InDesign. For example, if you choose to create a tri-panel brochure from a letter-size sheet of paper, you will create a two-page document in the landscape orientation where each page is 8.5" x 11".

Set the margins for your brochure at least as wide as the minimum required by your printer. If you want the brochure's design to print to the edge of the paper, you will have to trim the brochure to size after it has printed.

Insert your organization's logo and any desired graphics into the brochure.

If you are using Microsoft Office 2010, click "Picture" on the Insert tab. Find the picture you wish to use, and double-click it. Resize the picture as needed by dragging the handles at the picture's edge.

If you are using Microsoft Publisher 2010, choose the "Picture Frame" from the "Objects" toolbar and then click "Empty Picture Frame." Click the place in your brochure where you want to place a picture and resize the frame as needed. Choose "Insert Picture" from the "Picture" toolbar and locate and insert the desired picture.

If you are using Adobe InDesign, click "Place" in the File menu. Find the picture you wish to use and double-click it to insert it. Resize the picture as needed.

Create text boxes for your titles and body text and enter your brochure's copy.

In Microsoft Word, select "Text Box" from the "Insert" menu and then choose "Draw Text Box." Draw the text box where you want it to appear. Enter the section title or body text into the text box.

In Microsoft Publisher, select "Text Box" from the "Objects" toolbar, click where you want the text box to appear and drag to create a box of the needed size. Type your section title or body text into the text box.

In Adobe InDesign, select the text tool ("T" icon) from the toolbar, click where you want to place a text box and begin typing your text. Resize the text box as needed using the arrow tools.

Change the colors, fonts and size of your text as needed to achieve the desired effect.

Print and fold the brochure.

Tip

Templates simplify the process of designing a brochure. You can download free and commercial templates from the Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher and Adobe InDesign resource libraries.