How to Fold Your Brochure Printing Materials

It is said that brochure printing materials are the most versatile materials that you can use in your marketing strategies and advertising campaigns. They are versatile in the sense that you can use different materials in your brochure designs like paper stock and the like.
Also, you can vary the folds that you can incorporate in your brochure printing material's design. Different folds are very important since a different fold means a different approach and a different target audience.

Types of folds and their descriptions:

Here are the different brochure printing materials that you can use and incorporate in your design. Bear in mind that every fold has a specific purpose and that it is best to plan your brochure carefully before starting with the design.

1. No-fold
Single page brochure that is also known as a flyer. This is used when you want to print on both sides and when you want to utilize the whole page.

2. Single-fold

A single-fold brochure is a brochure that has two sections with a total of four pages or panels. It is usually divided exactly in the middle forming a very symmetrical design.
The fold can be lengthwise or crosswise depending on how you want your brochures done. Lengthwise folds create a longer brochure while a crosswise fold creates a wider brochure.

A common mistake is calling this type of fold bi-fold because of the tow sections that it creates. This is wrong however, because the brochure is only folded once.

3. Letter fold

Letter fold is sometimes called the No. 10 fold because it fits perfectly into a No. 10 envelope. The letter fold is folded twice creating three sections with six panels. This fold is for the more formal direct marketing strategies that you will be doing.

And as with bi-folds, letter folds are mistakenly referred to as tri-folds. This is also incorrect since letter folds are folded only twice.

4. Roll fold

It is also known as barrel fold. It is the same to the letter fold in that it has three sections and six pages. However, the difference is that the innermost panel is smaller than the other panels.

5. Accordion fold

Accordion folds are known to others as z-fold because when you open this type of brochure, it will resemble the letter Z. However, the accordion fold also allows you to fold your brochures more times and the resulting look will resemble that of an accordion.

6. French fold

A French fold is also called the rectangle fold and the right angle fold. This can be done by folding the paper crosswise equally and then folding it again equally in the same manner. What results is a four panel brochure that looks like a greeting card.

7. Gate fold

The gate fold is a brochure fold that has eight resulting panels, four in front and four at the back. The panels at each opposite end are folded inward, towards the center of the page. When you open this brochure, it resembles that of a gate. It is more commonly used for invitations to weddings and formal occasions.