21 Different Types of Brochure Designs to suit your marketing needs

Different Types Of Brochure Designs

Brochures are the most common type of marketing tools used by a business to explain their services and products. Though the world is moving towards a digital platform, brochures still play an important role in marketing. Generally, brochures portray professionalism and create trust in the company in the customer's mind. There are different types of brochure designs that companies use for different purposes. They use brochures to introduce a new product, improve the company’s visibility and attract new customers. Different types of brochure folds are available in the market to accommodate as much information as possible. Organizations come up with different types of brochures to suit their purpose and needs. Let us throw light on different types of brochure designs available in the market. This article will give you an idea of what brochure to choose for different activities to promote your business effectively.

Different Types of brochures based on folding pattern

1. Bi-Fold Brochure design
2. Tri-fold Brochure design
3. Z-Fold Brochure design
4. Gate Fold Brochure design
5. French Fold Brochure design
6. Accordion Fold Brochure design
7. Double Parallel Fold/4 panel fold Brochures
8. Parallel Map Fold Brochure design
9. Cross fold Brochure design
10. Die-cut fold Brochure design
11. Roll fold Brochure design

Types of brochure designs based on their purpose

1. Company Brochures
2. Sales Brochures
3. Event Brochures
4. Spec Sheets
5. Flyers or leaflets
6. Menus
7. Mailers
8. Folders and inserts
9. Presentation folder Brochures
10. Leave behind brochures 

Types of brochures based on folding pattern 

Bi-fold brochures

Bi-fold brochures or half-fold are the simplest forms of folding pattern available. In this pattern, a single sheet of paper is folded once. Hence, it forms 4 panels to display the content. The four panels are the front and back cover, and two internal panels. Bi-fold brochures are usually available at 8.5” x 11”. Companies usually use these types of brochures to display their company profile. A bi-fold brochure with multiple pages is known as a booklet.

Bifold brochure design Bifold Brochure design by maroo

Tri-fold Brochure design

We can form tri-fold brochures by folding a single paper into three. Company’s opt for tri-fold brochures when they have more content to display. There are six panels in a tri-fold brochure. These brochures are the ideal format for newsletters. They can be easily accommodated in an envelope and also contain more content. 8.5” x 11” is the standard size of tri-fold brochures. Content such as product sheets, city maps, real estate offerings, etc goes well in this type of brochures.

Creative Trifold brochure design Trifold brochure design

Z-fold Brochure design

Z-fold brochures are also known as 3-panel zigzag folds or fan folds or accordion folds. As the name suggests the folding pattern is in the form of the letter ‘Z’. This fold is elegant and creates a special appeal to the viewers. This fold contains three parallel folds that create six panels of the same size such that there are three panels on each side. Lists, technical specifications and user guides look good in z-fold brochures.

Zfold brochure sample Zfold brochure design in square shape

Gatefold Brochure design

Gatefold brochures are also known as window fold brochures. In this fold, the side panels are half the width of the central panel. There are eight panels in the gatefold brochure. The inward folding makes the brochure very compact. Organizations use gate fold brochures as high-end marketing material. There is plenty of space available in this brochure. Hence, gate fold brochures are ideal for menus, architectural layouts, content with images, graphics-heavy designs and large visuals.

Gatefold brochure design by precision color printing

French fold Brochure design

French fold brochures have four panels. They come in a standard size of 8.5” x 14”. These folds are also known as the right-angle fold or quarter-fold brochures. In this type of fold, we fold the paper in half (first fold) and then fold it into another half (second fold), perpendicular to the first fold. French fold brochures increase space and create an illusion that more content is present. These brochures are ideal for maps, invitations and content with graphic designs.

French fold brochure sample of a spa French fold brochure design

Accordion fold Brochure Design

These brochures use a series of parallel pleats in alternate directions. These alternating folds create multiple panels of the same size. When we open the brochure, it resembles the musical instrument accordion. As we fold each panel in the opposite direction, we can open the brochure with minimal resistance. The multiple panels can accommodate a large volume of information.

Accordion fold brochure design by duygu lougee Accordion fold brochure with five panels by good mockups

Double parallel fold brochures

In double parallel fold brochures, we fold the sheet into half and then into another half in the same direction. 8.5” x 14” is the standard size for these brochures. The outer fold is larger than the inner fold. The smaller size of the inner folds makes it easy to fold them. We can also accommodate large graphics such as maps, graphs or charts on one side of the fold. These brochures are of great use as promotional handouts and reference materials displaying products and services of the business.

Double parallel fold brochures design sample Double parallel fold brochure mockup design

Parallel map fold brochures

In parallel map fold brochures, we fold the sheet in half and then we fold each panel in half again in opposite directions. The standard size for parallel map fold brochures is 8.5” x 14”. This folding pattern can accommodate a large volume of content. Hence, it is ideal for organizations that have a diverse range of products to display.

Parallel map fold brochure of a realestate company Parallel map fold brochure design of fashion

Cross fold Brochure design

We fold a single sheet of paper multiple times to form cross fold brochures. These brochures are compact in size and easy to carry. Hence, tourism guides and maps usually come in the form of cross fold brochures. The front cover of the brochure indicates the content inside it. The large surface area of the brochure gives enormous space to include creative graphics, diagrams, images and maps. A consumer may even use a colourful cross fold brochure as a custom poster. This, in turn, will give a long-lasting impression of the brand in the customer’s mind.

Cross fold brochure design of real estate business Cross fold brochure design with heavy graphics

Die-cut fold Brochure design

The die-cut fold is similar to z-fold. In this type of folding pattern, the top part of the sheet is cut diagonally. Hence, the front panel becomes smaller than the other two panels. As a result, the viewer can see the other two panels even when the brochure is folded. Organizations use this cut wisely to give the illusion of extra dimension to the front panel, through the visibility of the other two panels. This fold is unique and stands out among other brochures. Organizations use these brochures in events such as trade fairs and conferences to attract more attention to their brand.

Die cut brochure design Die cut brochure design health and wellness royal carribean

Roll Fold Brochure design

Roll folds are also known as an over-and-over fold or barrel fold. Roll fold comprises a series of parallel folds to form multiple panels of almost the same size. Roll folds usually result in documents with more than eight panels. They can accommodate a large volume of information. Hence, companies use them to prepare tutorials and instruction booklets.

Roll fold brochure design by burst creative Roll fold brochure design sample of a school

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