A brochure is one of the few printed pieces people deliberately keep, so it is worth getting the practical details right before it is printed rather than after. This is the checklist we work through with customers.
1. Decide the fold first, then the layout
The fold determines how the panels are laid out and in what order they are read. Choosing the fold after designing the pages almost always means the reading order ends up wrong.
| Fold | Panels | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Bi-fold | 4 | Simple menu, service summary, price list |
| Tri-fold | 6 | Classic leaflet — the standard for takeaway and services |
| Roll fold | 6+ | Sequential reveal, step-by-step presentation |
| Gate fold | 6+ | Opening centre spread, more deliberate and more expensive |
2. Check the page count is possible
For a saddle-stitched booklet, the page count must be a multiple of four. This is not a printer's preference — it is how the process works: sheets are printed, folded in half and stapled through the spine, and each folded sheet produces four pages.
If you design a 10-page booklet, it cannot be saddle stitched as it stands. It will need to become 8 or 12 pages, or use a different binding method. Catch this before design, not after.
3. Choose paper for the fold, not just the feel
Paper choice interacts with folding. A very heavy uncoated stock can crack along the fold unless it is scored first. A very light sheet folds easily but may feel insubstantial in the hand and can show print from the reverse side.
A mid weight coated stock is the usual answer for a folded brochure: substantial enough to handle, light enough to fold cleanly.
4. Leave a margin away from the fold
Anything sitting exactly on the fold is at risk of being partly hidden or creased. Text, logos and photographs should keep a clear margin from the fold line, and from the trim edge too.
This also applies to content that spans two pages — a photograph running across a spread needs the subject positioned so the fold does not cut through the middle of a face or a product.
5. Get the file settings right
- Resolution — images at print resolution, not screen resolution. A photograph pulled from a website is usually too low.
- Colour mode — CMYK, which is what the press prints. RGB files shift when converted.
- Bleed — background colour or images must extend past the trim edge, or you will get thin white slivers after cutting.
- Fonts — either embedded or converted to outlines, so the layout does not reflow.
- Safe margin — keep important content well inside the trim.
Send the file and we will check these before printing. Finding an issue at this stage costs nothing; finding it after the run means reprinting.
6. Be clear about the quantity and the purpose
Quantity affects the price per piece significantly because the setup is fixed. It also helps to say what the brochure is for — handed out at an event, left on a counter, posted to customers — because that changes the sensible paper weight and whether it needs to survive being folded into a pocket.
The short version
- Pick the fold, then design the panels.
- Confirm the page count works for the binding.
- Choose paper that folds cleanly.
- Keep content clear of folds and trim edges.
- Set resolution, CMYK, bleed and fonts correctly.
- Send the file for a check before printing.
For file preparation in detail, see Prepress File Checklist. To see options and prices, visit marketing materials.