5 simple tricks for better trifold brochure design

Trifold leaflets are a cornerstone in the marketing world.
They fit in envelopes, display racks, and can be handed out at events or on the street. They’re also super cheap to print, making them a key print product for almost any business.

As a business founded on printing and delivering leaflets take it from us, trifold leaflets are huge! In an age where digital advertising is becoming king, trifolds still take up the bulk of our press space. Businesses across the UK use brochures to highlight their offering – and get through thousands each year.

If you’re not using them, you’re missing out.

Why are trifold brochures important?

Digital marketing has taken over in many sectors. Delivering fast, measurable and affordable result. But print is far from dead – like many industries, it’s just shifting.

• Trifold leaflets are small, simple to design and cheap to print.
• Customers (especially in B2C markets) like printed promos. Something to hold, read, touch and refer to. 
• Many businesses aren’t suited to an online digital environment. If your business has an offline sales process, printed publications like brochures will be key to the conversion process – moving a potential client along the conversation path.

5 tips to improve your trifold leaflet design…

1. Set up your bleed and margins properly! Trifold leaflet have bleed on the outer edges, but not at the fold lines. Always remember to set up your bleed and fold positions with the right quiet zone – the left and right hand panels will appear to be wider if you don’t mark them properly in your design software.
2. Think about the order of your information! Remember when flat your panels will be laid out as 5 – 6 – 1 for the outside, and 2 – 3 – 4 on the inside. Don’t make the mistake of laying your information out incorrectly!
3. Be smart with your inside panels! The main downside to 6pp DL trifold leaflets is that each panel is narrow. When your inside is fully opened, you have 3 panels alongside one another – use the space wisely and make the most of the space.
4. Avoid silly mistakes – print it off! By printing your trifold design and making a mockup you can avoid simple (but costly) mistakes. You’ll be able to check the positioning of everything once folded, and see how the design works far easier when it’s printed compared to when it’s on screen.
5. Think about the individual panels and the bigger picture… With each panel around 100mm you have limited space for images. Don’t forget to think about the bigger picture though… By spreading images across more than one panel you can create far more impact and help the brochure panels gel together.