Tri-fold brochures fill a marketing collateral material void. They easily fit in envelopes, take up little space on displays, and are excellent for sharing information at trade shows and events. They also complement traditional advertising, and web and social media marketing. Don’t buy into the, “print is dead” myth. It’s not, and #10 brochures are a perfect example of why print isn’t dead. Why brochures are still a valid marketing tool.

Designing an Effective Tri-Fold Brochure

Prioritize your message

List your priorities and then take a blank tri-fold (or fold a piece of paper) and look at how it opens, and the order in which it will be viewed. Next, note what you want to place on each page.

Top Priority – Front cover flap

2nd – Back center

3rd – Inside center

4th Flap behind cover

5th Inside flaps (behind the cover and opposite page)

Fit the design to the page

Because of the long and narrow layout of a tri-fold, they’re often designed with columns of content which can quickly become tedious.  Break it up with subheads and images.  The inside folds can be used to present larger images and text across the fold. This space can be used to capture attention.

When using the folds as separate pages be sure to double the margins between the folds. It may look odd on a flat piece of paper, but will form equal margins when folded.

Test it

Before printing hundreds of brochures, or paying a print shop to print them, do a test run. Print a few and fold them. Share the brochures with members of your team and ask the following:

  • What’s the predominant message this brochure shares?
  • What grabbed your attention first?
  • Is it easy to digest?
  • How does the typography fit the message—colors, fonts, images, and layout?
  • Will this appeal to our target audience?
  • Does the CTA inspire action?
  • What’s missing?
  • What would you change?

Are you Ready to Try a Tri-fold?

Tri-fold brochures can be a valuable part of any marketing campaign. By supplementing other media, they add to the message. When a car buyer is brought to a dealership via a radio or TV ad, the brochure goes home with them as a reminder. When B2B businesses attend a trade show they vetted on social media; brochures are in their bag to take back to the office. Don’t underestimate the feel of a brochure in people’s hands as well as the allure of copy and images. If you’d like to learn more about Tri-fold brochures, contact us. We’ll be happy to welcome you into the “fold”.