How to Fold a Leaflet

Folded Leaflets are a great way to add more promotional imaging for your business, by showing your customers what services and goods you provide in a neat, sustainable way to communicate your product. In this article, we will look through how to fold a leaflet, the different varieties of folded leaflets and how you can get the most out of your leaflets to suit both your needs and your customers.

Varieties of leaflets

There are many kinds of leaflets, and they are more intricate to design than you expect. After all, choosing what type of leaflet is the best to advertise your business is half the challenge, as they all present information in creative ways. These include:

• Half-fold
• C – fold
• Z – fold
• Cross fold
• Roll fold

We will look through these in more detail and how you can best design them to make them more appealing for your customers!

And in case you cut yourself when folding leaflets, here is how to treat paper cuts. 

Half-fold Leaflets 

Half-fold leaflets are one of the simpler forms of leaflets and are self-explanatory; a leaflet that you can fold in half down the middle, like a small book.

This design gives you four panels you can work off of for folding your leaflet, with a front cover, a back cover, and two inside pages to add most of your content.

You can mix the layout of your half-fold leaflets, such as having text on the front and images on the back, or vice versa. You could even have an image above and below the text on the inside; whichever works best for you.

 C – Fold Leaflets

 

Also known as Tri-Fold leaflets, C- Fold leaflets can be folded twice to create six panels on each side of the leaflet. You can fold these inwards or outwards, and will make the letter C, hence why it is called a C – Fold.

C- Fold leaflets are the conventional marketing leaflet and can also be used for making guides and maps and can commonly be found at tourist attractions or information spots to spark areas or interest. If this is an area of interest for your business, then using C – Fold leaflets are the best option.

C- Fold leaflets allow more variety for your layout purposes, and you can add more images and information onto the pages in any way you deem fit.

 Z – Fold Leaflets

Like C – Fold / Tri – Fold leaflets, Z – Fold leaflets fold inwards to form the letter Z, and the design panels work separately so that different information can be laid out in each section.

Z – Fold leaflets are commonly used for marketing materials, like sales leaflets and marketing promotions, to allow plenty of space to show your business’ products and services, and extra detail like a map location and contact details can be added too.

Fold one side of the leaflet over the other and then do the same with the corresponding side. Open it up slightly, and from overhead, it should form the shape of a Z.

Cross Fold Leaflets

 

 

A cross-fold leaflet can be folded in half four times to create a crease of a cross shape in the middle of the leaflet, leaving eight sections/pages that you can design, with four sections per side. The finished image should look like the ones shown above.

These leaflets can be used for bigger maps and guides and can be folded away for multiple uses.

 

Roll Fold Leaflet

 

Like a cross-fold leaflet, roll-fold leaflets instead form the shape of C when seen from above.

The roll fold leaflet is particularly effective for holding more information than other folded leaflets. It can be used for containing larger amounts of information, allowing you to advertise more of the business you have to offer your customers.

The amount of space available can allow you to be more creative with your presentation too.

 

Designing a Folded Leaflet

After choosing the layout for your selected folded leaflet, here are some ways you can make the most of your template to truly catch your reader’s attention:

1.     Using the Folds

Use the folds to effectively create sections or columns regarding each topic in your leaflet. Before you do this, draft it on a separate piece of paper first to ensure you can design the right folds that suit you.

2.     An enticing cover

The first thing that will catch the reader’s attention is the cover, so you will want it to be as eye-catching as possible.

You want your reader to investigate what your leaflet has in store for them, so only place essential info on the cover; do not overload it, as you want them to open it to see more of the contents within.

3.     Images and graphics

These should be the best quality you can access, because there is nothing worse than when you look at a book or a leaflet and the images are pixelated or blurry. The human eye is immediately drawn to an image before the text, so bear this in mind when collecting and creating your images and graphics.

4.     Choice of paper

Depending on how much information you wish to convey to your reader, you will need to carefully choose what type of paper you will use for your leaflets, even down to the feel of them.

Usually, thicker stock or glossy stocks are the most popular formats of small format printed leaflets, but for a better example, try placing yourself in the mind of your audience: what are you looking for in a leaflet? What will attract you the most to read more about it? Focus on these when designing and folding your leaflet, and it will end up being one of the best products to promote your business.

5.     Call to action

Either at the beginning or the end of your leaflet, you will need a call-to-action (CTA) to provoke your audience to contact your business. You can do this by asking the audience to visit your website, get a discount when you bring the leaflet in-store with your purchase, or even getting in touch by email or phone call. You want your reader to easily return to your business in the future to make them become a loyal customer.

Learn how to remove sticky residue from your leaflets and other printing products today.

Get Folding Your Leaflets Now

There are plenty of ways you can design your leaflet and by reading this article, it has introduced new ways and perspectives for you to design one without it being dull or ordinary. Even with the innovation of technology, sometimes there is nothing better for your customers than a bit of physical media to make them aware of your business, and a folded leaflet is a perfect example of this. They are small, agile, and can easily be fitted into a pocket for your audience to carry around with them.

Even with all the techniques this article has taught you about folding leaflets, you may be able to start folding origami, hassle-free! You do not have to do it by hand; you can easily use methods of creating and folding a leaflet on Microsoft Word too so that it will be less fiddly for you. Do not hesitate to start folding your business’ leaflets today!

FAQs

1. How do I fold a leaflet?

   • The most common folding styles for leaflets are:
     • Single Fold: Fold the leaflet in half vertically, aligning the edges to create two equal-sized panels.
     • Letter Fold: Fold the leaflet in thirds, like folding a letter. First, fold one side inward, then fold the other side over it, creating three equal-sized panels.
     • Z-Fold: Fold the leaflet in a zigzag pattern, resembling the letter "Z." Fold the left side inward, then fold the right side over it, creating three panels that fold on top of each other.
     • Gate Fold: Fold the leaflet by bringing both sides inward, meeting in the center, resembling gates opening. This creates a larger central panel and two smaller side panels.
     • Accordion Fold: Fold the leaflet in a series of "mountain" and "valley" folds, alternating the direction of the folds to create an accordion-like effect.

2. What folding style should I choose for my leaflet?

   • The folding style depends on the content and design of your leaflet. Single fold and letter fold are commonly used for basic informational leaflets. Z-fold and gate fold are ideal when you want to reveal information in a visually engaging manner. Accordion fold is suitable for content that needs to be presented in a sequential or step-by-step format.

3. Are there any guidelines for folding a leaflet accurately?

   • To ensure accurate folds, use a bone folder or a ruler to create sharp and precise creases along the folding lines.
   • Make sure the paper or cardstock is properly aligned before folding to avoid misaligned panels.
   • It's recommended to practice folding on a mock-up or test sheet before folding the final leaflet to ensure accuracy.

4. What should I consider when designing a leaflet for folding?

   • Take into account the folding style you intend to use and design your content accordingly. Ensure important information or visuals are appropriately placed and not hidden in folds.
   • Use clear indicators, such as arrows or numbers, to guide readers on how to unfold or navigate the leaflet if necessary.
   • Consider the dimensions and proportions of the unfolded leaflet to ensure a balanced and visually appealing design.

5. Can I print on a folded leaflet?

   • Yes, you can print on a folded leaflet. However, it's important to consider the placement of the design elements and text to ensure they are properly aligned and visible when the leaflet is folded or unfolded.

6. Are there any special considerations for folding glossy or heavy-weight paper?

   • Glossy or heavy-weight paper may require more pressure when creating the creases to ensure clean folds. A bone folder or a ruler can help achieve sharp creases on such papers.

Sources

Healthline. (n.d.). Why Paper Cuts Really, Really Hurt. [Accessed 26/05/23] Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/first-aid/why-paper-cuts-really-really-hurt