How to Fold a Brochure: Half Fold, Tri-Fold and Z Fold
To fold a brochure, pick the fold that matches your content: a half fold gives four large panels, a tri-fold (roll fold) wraps three panels inward for step-by-step reading, and a Z fold opens flat like an accordion. This guide shows the panel widths for each fold on letter-size paper, how to set up your print file so nothing lands in a crease, and when a folded brochure beats a flat flyer.
What is a brochure?
A brochure is a single printed sheet folded into panels, used to present a business, menu, product line or service in a fixed reading order. The fold is what separates a brochure from a flyer, which stays flat and carries one message. At CDM Print we print brochures in three sheet sizes, 8.5 x 11, 8.5 x 14 and 11 x 17 inches, on 100 lb gloss or silk text stock, and fold them in-line by machine.
What are the main brochure fold types?
The three folds we run every day are the half fold, the roll fold (the classic tri-fold) and the Z fold. Panel counts and widths below are for a letter-size 8.5 x 11 sheet folded to a vertical finished piece.
| Fold | Panels | Finished size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half fold (bi-fold) | 4 panels of 5.5" | 5.5 x 8.5" | Menus, event programs, price lists that need large panels |
| Roll fold (tri-fold) | 3 panels: 3.6875", 3.6875", 3.625" | 3.6875 x 8.5" | Service brochures, rack cards, mailers; reads panel by panel |
| Z fold | 3 equal panels of 3.667" | 3.667 x 8.5" | Letters, inserts, maps; opens flat in one pull |
How do you fold a brochure with 3 panels?
For a tri-fold, fold the right panel in first, then fold the left panel over it, so the sheet rolls closed. The panel that folds inside must be narrower than the outer two, 3.625 inches instead of 3.6875 on a letter sheet, or it buckles against the spine of the fold. A Z fold avoids that problem entirely: its three panels are equal because they alternate direction and never nest, which is why Z-fold panels are all 3.667 inches.
How do you set up a print file for a folded brochure?
Build the file at the flat sheet size with each panel as its own column, and keep text and logos at least a quarter inch away from every fold line. Export a print-ready PDF at 300 dpi with 1/8 inch bleed on all four edges. Remember that on a tri-fold the inside flap panel is narrower, so use a template with the correct panel widths rather than three equal columns. Our prepress team checks every brochure file against the chosen fold before anything prints.
Where can you get brochures printed and folded in Montreal?
CDM Print prints and machine-folds brochures at 4119 boul. Saint-Laurent in Montreal, with free pickup or FedEx Ground shipping across Canada. Brochure printing starts at $115 for 50 letter-size tri-fold brochures, folding included, with proof approval before every run. If your content outgrows three panels, a stitched booklet is usually the better format than adding more folds.
Ready to print? Upload your file and pick your fold at checkout.
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