Designing Brochures

Writing Copy

 Promote your company Include a brief company history Include testimonials or a client list

Promote your products Promote service and warranty, guarantee Tell reader in detail what the next step is (i.e. contact

us for free sample) Avoid listing product prices and / or pictures of your

staff because they may change

 Include company’s contact information

Writing Copy

Use third person but write conversationallyWrite about benefits to the customer. Keep the customer in mind: use “you” and

“your,” avoid “we,” “us,” “I,” “our.”Avoid using such words as “if” and “maybe”Use key words

You Money Save New Easy Love

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Choosing Your Brochure Fold

Parallel Folds

Setting Up Letter Fold Brochure

It is also called business letter, letter fold, brochure fold, spiral fold

8.5” x 11” (letter size)

\Second Front:

Panel 5

(3.625”)

Side One

Back: Panel 6

(3.6875”)

Front: Panel 1

(3.6875”)

Side Two

Panel 2

(3.625”)

Panel 3

(3.6875”)

Panel 4

(3.6875”)

Setting Up Letter Fold Brochure

It is also called business letter, letter fold, brochure fold, spiral fold

8.5” x 14” (legal size)

\Second Front:

Panel 5

(4.625”)

Side One

Back: Panel 6

(4.6875”)

Front: Panel 1

(4.6875”)

Side Two

Panel 2

(4.625”)

Panel 3

(4.6875”)

Panel 4

(4.6875”)

Layout for Letter Fold Brochure

Front: Panel 1 Simple design and well-chosen fonts Include logo and company name Select 1 dominant element!

Back: Panel 6 Can include a mailer, contact info, some graphics,

a map, signature, personal closing, etc.Second Front: Panel 5

Should relate to, but be different from front cover and inside panels

Inside: Panels 2, 3, & 4 Three panels should be visually consistent and

have a close relationship to each other

Choosing Your Brochure Fold

French Fold

New Design Principle: Appropriateness

Purpose of Brochures: To market/advertise services or products To provide information about something

Why should the audience choose your business, product or service over the competition? Write text before designing the layout After the copy is written, review and condense it Ask employees & good customers to contribute copy

Brochure Design Tips

SET UP A GRID! Using the “aligning text the baseline” feature is VERY

helpfulUSE PARAGRAPH STYLES!Use consistent feel throughout brochureSequencingColor selection options:

1 or 2 background colors 1 highlighting color

Font selection options: One serif font for body copy Sans serif for title & headings

Brochure Design Tips

Subheads may be helpful.Headline may cross multiple panels.Use Upper and lower case text

ALL CAPS get lower response.Increased leading and character spacing

improve readability Increased white space.

Use 10 or 9 point font for body copy (avoid 12-point type)

Break up body text by sectionsDon’t trap white space.

Brochure Design Tips

Fold a piece of paper & make notes on each flapAlign text on left margin with ragged right edge

Don’t set some items centered and others flush left on coverUse blocks of text with no more than two or three sentences (roughly

10 lines) of text in each paragraphDon’t indent first line of copy in each paragraphPlace 1 space after a periodPlay with images (make them bigger, overlap them, wrap text around

them, tilt them, etc.)Have images cross the gutter

Let’s Discuss…

Let’s Discuss…

Let’s Discuss…

Let’s Discuss…