Brochure Layout: How to Proof a Tri-Fold Brochure
Designing a tri-fold brochure seems incredibly simple. You just take an 8.5×11 inch piece of paper and divide it into three perfectly equal columns, right? Absolutely not. If you divide a brochure into three equal mathematical panels, the final printed product will not fold correctly.
The Physics of the Fold
Paper has physical thickness, and folding it creates bulk that must be accounted for in the design.
- The Golden Rule: The inside flap of the brochure must be designed slightly narrower than the two outer panels.
- The Consequence: If the inside flap is the exact same width as the cover, it will crash into the center crease, causing the entire brochure to bulge awkwardly and pop open when it should lay flat.
The Raven32 Recommendation
This tiny mathematical error ruins thousands of amateur print jobs every single day. As printing and promotional experts, we take this technical burden entirely off your shoulders. Our dedicated pre-press design team automatically adjusts your digital panel sizes to ensure a perfect, flat fold every single time. Contact us today to print your professional corporate brochures.