Brochures are a common advertising tool, and for a good reason. They offer a sufficient amount of advertising space while also providing an eye-catching layout, which is also easy to peruse, giving its reader an easier time studying its content.
Because of this, as well as the fact that they are very cost-effective, many companies, businesses, and organizations turn to brochures for marketing and advertising help. If you are one of them, keep reading to gather valuable tips and ideas on how to maximize you brochure designs.
Elements of a Good Brochure
The ultimate goal of a brochure is to lead to an action such as a sale. Before this can be accomplished, the customer or client has to pick it up and open it. There are several elements of a brochure examples that can increase the likelihood of it being picked up by someone.
1. Command attention with the cover: Create a cover that catches the eye of a potential customer or client. Such a cover has an uncluttered design and typically consists of three elements: an image that stands out, the company’s logo, and a phrase that captivates the reader to learn more.
2. Attract attention with compelling text: The cover design might cause people to pause, but the phrase of the cover is the invitation to pick up the brochure and read it. There are a couple of ways to arouse the reader’s curiosity to look further. One technique is to ask a question on the front and answer it within. The other technique is to start a phrase on the cover and continue it inside the brochure.
3. Set the tones with color: Color is a great way to set the mood of your message. If your business or service is fun and whimsical, bright colors will help to enhance this perception. Neutral hues are better suited for a more serious business message.
4. Choose the right font and font size: Selecting the right font is another way to set the mood of your message. Comic Sans, for example, is not an appropriate font for a brochure about a surgical center. Also, make sure the font is easy to read. You don’t want your message lost in an ornate font that is difficult to read.
5. Use white space strategically: White space is as important as images and text. Strategic use of white space keeps your brochure from looking cluttered and overdone. It can be used to draw attention to key images and information.
10+ Brochure Templates
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10+ Brochure Examples
Uniqlo Spring and Summer Brochure
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adidas-team.com
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Columbia University Stacked Brochure
print.columbia.edu
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Henkels and McCoy Group Wireless Technology Brochure
henkelsgroup.com
Simple Tips for an Excellent Brochure Layout
A highly effective brochure distinctly and succinctly details what your business is about and what you can do for your customers. To achieve a properly designed brochure, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Know your objective like the back of your hand: To make your design effective, it’s important that you understand what it’s for. The purpose of the brochure will point you to the right direction. Is it for a benefit concert? A contest? An advertising tool? An event?
- Know your customers: Since a brochure is a communication tool, it is important that you know your target market. This way, you will be able to capture their interests. The more you pinpoint the needs and wants of your target market on the brochure, the more effective it will be.
- Be creative, be unique: Creativity is important to set you apart from your competition. In this time and age when the level of creativity of designers is staggering, uniqueness is paramount.
- Go straight to the point: It’s a brochure, not a book. You don’t have 300 pages of space to be eloquent. Steer clear from the temptation of listing down all the achievements and successes of your company. Avoid putting in all the information about your product or service. Too much information will just confuse the readers and dilute the main point of the brochure.
- Avoid big words: The more complex the words you use, the lesser credibility you will receive. You don’t have to impress your audience with fuzzy words. In fact, the more you use them, the harder it is for you to convey your main point. For brochures, simple English is the best route to take.
How to Create a Brochure that Stands Out
- Add compelling photos and graphics: All good brochures will include visual elements. The images you select should complement your text. A compelling cover photo can be the key to getting your audience to pick up your brochure and act on your message. High-quality photos and illustrations show a commitment to quality that you want your brand to reflect.
- Use full bleed: Most printers are not able to print right up to the edge of the paper. This can result in a white border around your content. In order to achieve a design that extends all the way to the edge, use a printing technique called full bleed.
- Add your text: Decide what you want to say in the front cover, back cover, and body of the brochure. Make sure that your message is consistent and easy to understand. Front covers sell your product or service, back covers provide contact information, and the inside page usually tells a story or provides pricing options.
- Incorporate color: Using color well in your brochure enhances your message visually and emphasizes specific points Color is closely tied to emotion. Using a color scheme that is consistent and pleasing provides a better experience for your reader than one which is too loud, busy, or difficult to read.
Types of Brochures
Brochures are one of the most versatile and prolific marketing media in print today, but oftentimes when we go about creating a brochure for our products, our thinking can be a bit limited. Many of us tend to jump immediately to what’s popular and common, forgetting that there are many other choices that can prove to be better than what most people know. So what are the other types of brochure we can use?
- Half-Fold: This fold generally takes the long end of the sheet and folds it in half. This type of fold words well for basic presentations or infosheets, and has a very basic sort of booklet appearance.
- Letter Fold: In this fold, one slightly shorter panel tucks inside the fold of the other two panels. This brochure is generally considered one of the most commonly used and versatile folds, especially for business or product marketing.
- Z-Fold: The Z-fold is similar to the letter fold brochure, but instead of one panel tucking inside, the three panels are folded evenly in opposite directions. This is a great choice for a mailed piece or designs that span panels.
- Open Gate Fold: Often used for graphically rich designs that rely on a big reveal, the open gate fold has one larger panel obscured by two shorter panels that act as sort of a double-door opening.
- Four-Panel Parallel Fold: This type of brochure is sort of a half-fold tucked inside another half-fold. This is a great choice for promotional leaflets or event programs.
- Closed Gate Fold: The closed gate gold features two panels that tuck inside a half-fold. Because of this, it initially opens like a half-fold, then opens like an open gate fold. This is a good choice for larger presentations.
- Accordion Fold: The accordion fold is similar to a Z-fold but has four panels instead of three. This is a good choice for designs with lots of information or text on them.
- Roll Fold: The roll fold is a half-fold tucked into a half-fold in sort of a rolling motion. This is a great choice for instruction booklets or tutorials.
- Quarter Fold: With this fold, you fold the long end in half, then fold the new long end in half again. The inside is sometimes left blank in this configuration and used as a half-fold. This is often used for invitations and menus.
Brochure Sizes
Knowing the standard brochure sizes is important when you plan to make a brochure for print or for the web. Determining the size is the very first step you need to take, even before you decide on the number of pages and before you start working on the design.
International Standard Printing Sizes
- A4 (297 mm × 210 mm) or (8.27 × 11.69 inches): This is one of the most used paper sizes everywhere. It is the equivalent of the letter size, perfect for newsletters and trifold brochures.
- A5 (148 mm × 210 mm) or (5.83 × 8.27 inches): If you split and A5 in half, you will get a standard A5 paper size. It can be used as it is, or it can be folded in half to get a small bifold brochure.
- A3 (297 mm × 420 mm) or (11.69 × 16.54 inches): The A3 is double the size of an A4. It’s commonly used for printing double layouts for catalogs and magazines because you get two A4 pages out of one A3 sheet of paper. This size makes the perfect canvas for posters as well.
- DL (110 mm × 220 mm) or (8.66 × 4.33 inches): DL stands for dimension lengthwise. This size is a third of an A4. It’s very often used for promotional flyers or brochures.
US & Canada Standard Brochure Printing Sizes
- Letter (8.5 × 11 inches): The letter is widely used for business and academic needs all over the North American continent. The page is slightly wider than the standard A4 and shorter, lengthwise.
- Legal (8.5 × 14 inches): The legal format is used for legal documents. Has the same width as the letter size, but it’s bigger in height.
- Half Letter (8.5 × 5.5 inches)
- Tabloid (11 × 17 inches): The tabloid is similar in size to the A3, so it’s mainly used for posters, small-sized newspapers, and magazines.
Rack Cards or Envelope Size Flyers
- Paper Size #10 Envelope (8.5 × 3.67 inches): If you want to print out a DL flyer in America, you won’t have much luck. But if you make an inquiry at your print shop for envelope size flyers, they will know what you need. Ask for a flyer size that would fit a #10 envelope.
- Square: The square shape works well for all various brochures and booklets. Because there isn’t an international size standard for square brochures, the size often varies. Many printing houses all over the world offer the option to print a square flyer, so it’s best to contact the printing house to inquire about the best size for your design. The unusual shape makes the design stand out.
Brochure FAQs
Where can I find brochure templates in Word?
- Start Word.
- Click the Office button and select New to open a New Document window.
- Select Brochure in the list of templates in the left panel.
- Click each brochure to view samples in the right panel.
- Select the template you want and click Download.
- Select Save As to save the brochure and give it a name.
What is the use of a brochure?
A brochure is a single foldable sheet used by marketers to highlight a product, company, or service. They are one of the most common and effective tools used by businesses and organizations for relaying information or announcements to a wide audience.
Is Canva for free?
While many Canva elements are completely free to use, most images you’ll see on search results are Premium and will cost you $1 per image once you download your design.
Create your own brochure using the tips we have discussed in this article, and use the examples to give you insight and inspiration in what you need to do.
