Folded Brochures: Types, Design Tips & Printing Guide

Last Updated on March 13, 2025 by Packoi Team

In the digital marketing era, many business owners assume that printed brochures have lost their relevance. As a result, numerous marketing agencies and designers overlook the essential techniques and foundational requirements for creating effective folded brochures.

However, despite the rise of digital promotions, folded brochures remain a powerful marketing tool for businesses across industries. In this article, we will learn about the folded brochures. Let’s start!

Understanding Folded Brochures and Their Design Essentials

Folded brochures are a printed marketing tool with creases that create multiple panels for organizing information. They provide prospective clients with tangible information they can read on the go and refer to when needed.

Whether used at seminars, conferences, or trade shows, a well-designed folded brochure serves as a compelling way to engage potential customers and communicate key business messages effectively.

Folded brochures come in a variety of styles, each designed to present business information in an organized and visually appealing way. Popular options include tri-fold, angle fold, z-fold, French fold, gate-fold, and double parallel fold brochures.

The choice of fold influences the layout and readability of the content, making it crucial to align the design with the selected fold type.

When designing a folded brochure, it’s essential to ensure that the format supports your messaging and maintains a professional appearance. Content should be strategically arranged across panels to create a seamless reading experience.

Additionally, working with a designer who understands different folding techniques is key to achieving the best results. Clearly communicating your expectations before the design process begins helps ensure that the final product meets your marketing objectives.

10 Types of Brochure Folds You Can Have

Folding printed brochures can be achieved in several ways. In this article, we provide a comprehensive guide and information that helps you understand what each brochure type is.

1. Half-Fold or Single-Fold Brochure

As suggested by the name, the half-fold brochure is designed by simply folding pages in half. The brochure is also known as a gatefold and is popularly used by music artists to design covers for compact disks.

Usually, the right panel of the brochure acts as the front cover while the left panel acts as the back cover. In this type of folding brochure, the size of the panels is equal.

2. Tri-Fold Brochure

Another popular type of brochure is the simple tri-fold brochure, which is popular for promotion and marketing programs. The most outstanding feature of this brochure type is that panels fold onto each other to produce a symmetrical look.

One key component of this folding paper brochure is that panels are never equal. The reason is that the thickness of the paper is compensated for during the folding process.

A tri-fold brochure or pamphlet has an approximate size of 8.5″ by 11″. The designer must thoroughly consider these dimensions and produce a perfect fit from all panels. When you hire a professional designer, they will help you to align the paper horizontally and make the sizes recommended.

Every printing company has unique requirements regarding the dimensions of the panels. Therefore, always consult and find out how you can design your brochure appropriately.

When you are looking for a professional designer, ensure that they are able to use applications like InDesign, Canva, and Illustrator.

3. Z Fold Brochure

The z-fold brochures are made up of 6-panel fold paper. Each of the folds opens in opposite directions, giving a z shape of the brochure. In this type of folding brochure, the panels have equal sizes.

4. Gate Fold or Window Fold

The gatefold brochure is also popular for marketing services, products, and events. As the name suggests, the brochure has a gatefold structure or opens like a window. The panels are usually folded in half towards the center.

5. Double Gate Fold

The brochure is usually folded like the previous one. However, it is usually folded in two. It is good to always consult with your printer to know how to arrange images and outline specific components of your messaging on the brochure.

6. Double Parallel

This type of brochure requires folding the paper in half and then folding it in half again. In this brochure design, the external panels are larger compared to the internal ones.

7. French Fold, Right Angle Fold, or Quarter Fold

The French fold brochure is another popular brochure style used by many companies. It is made by making a half-fold two times. In order to give the perfect outlook, the paper is folded in half twice, vertically and horizontally. They applied to design catalogs on cards and pamphlets that are printed on one side.

8. Roll-fold or barrel-fold

This is a unique type of brochure where the paper is folded in rolls, forming a spiral. Only the first two panels have equal sizes, while the other panels are fairly smaller and are placed within each other.

9. Accordion Fold, Zig Zag Fold or Fan Fold

In this type of brochure, the paper opens in the opposite direction from its neighbors. They provide a pleated and concertina effect. There are different approaches to designing panel sizes. Some printers make panel sizes equal, while others make the front panel larger than others.

10. Other Brochure Types

There are many other types of brochures that can be designed depending on your preference. You might need a customized brochure with a unique front panel. Always communicate with your printer to ensure that you have the right brochure to suit your needs. You need someone who can conceptualize your concept and give you mockups or samples of your work.

You should always be able to organize all information and messages into a flat surface. Choose whether you need two panels, three panels, four panels, or six panels for your brochure. Another aspect is to consider whether you need all panels to open in one direction or not. In some instances, you might need to have a brochure simply folded in half, while others will have more than two folds.

How to Make High-quality Brochures?

If you want to make high-quality brochures as marketing materials, it is always good to look for a professional designer. Before starting the project, consult widely about the possible techniques you can use when making brochures. You should ask for samples from your chosen printer before making customized orders for your products.

During the designing of the brochure, it is ideal to make adjustments on aspects like the number of folds, panels, and size of the sheet. This is important to create an outstanding brochure that captures all relevant information.

Make sure that your chosen design folds flatly and evenly, and adheres to a standard format. Ensure that all margins are followed to avoid errors during printing. The goal is to have a printout that captures all important information and keeps the crease lines.

For example, an accordion fold requires a proper understanding of the panels and fold lines to avoid cutting off important information.

If you order samples, it will give you a clear picture of the actual brochure design outlook. You will decide from an informed perspective whether the template is appropriate for your business needs. Always have something planned, and ensure that you get a professional designer to handle the work.

With applications like InDesign, Canva, and Adobe Illustrator, you will be able to know the actual outlook of the brochure. Another advantage is that you can produce mockups of your work to get an overview of how the information will look in the final design.

If you want to learn more about how to make brochures, always research from different sources available online. There are many design tips you can access on blogs and video streaming sites like YouTube. These tutorials can give you an overview of what designing brochures looks like.

Conclusion

Folded brochures remain a powerful marketing tool for businesses, providing a professional and structured way to present information. With various folding styles available, choosing the right design ensures your message is clear and engaging.

Whether for trade shows, promotions, or client handouts, a well-designed folded brochure can leave a lasting impression and effectively communicate your brand’s value.

Choose with Packoi to Print Your Perfect Brochure!

When you choose a printer, ask for printed samples before making a massive order. Printed samples will give a clear view of the print. At Packoi Printing, our goal is to give customers comprehensive guidelines on marketing and promotion.

We make your brand shine by giving you a one-stop solution for marketing pamphlets, customized packages, and other printing services you need.

We have a team of designers who can also help you structure and conceptualize your pamphlet design. Do you need help designing brochures or marketing materials? Get in touch with us now to get the best services.