Unforgettable Folds

Tri-Folds are the foundation of brochure folding. They’re the most practical and common folded brochure format there is—a simple document composed of three panels with two folds that is easy to mock up, as well as fast and efficient to fold by machine. Tri-Folds are affordable and often a great choice for print marketing. Even people who don’t design for print understand what a Tri-Fold is, which makes it easy to communicate design and folding intent with your clients, but… Sometimes you just want to elevate your design game a bit. Although there’s nothing wrong with choosing a Tri-Fold for your project, it can get old using the same three-panel rectangular canvas over and over again. So, let’s explore ideas for how to add some of variation to your brochure repertoire.

First, Can a Tri-Fold Be More Interesting?

Before you abruptly abandon a classic, sometimes it’s a good idea to rule out the Tri-Fold before you rule in anything else. After all, if you have three panels worth of content, you may find that a Tri-Fold is your best choice—but there are many things you can do to make a standard Tri-Fold a lot more interesting. Here are a few ideas.

Shorten or shape the cover

A short cover makes for a very interesting reveal of the edge of the fold-in panel. You can do interesting things with typography, crossovers, and creative crops of imagery. The beauty of a short cover is that it doesn’t involve a die cut. It’s just changing the document size and adjusting the placement of the folds. If you’d like to see some examples, I recently shared four inspiring

short-trimmed Tri-Fold designs on Episode 567 of my weekly video show, Super-Cool Fold of the Week. If you have a little bit of room in the budget for extras, adding a die cut to the cover can be a really nice upgrade on a Tri-Fold. I love a curved edge on a cover panel (Figure 1). Or, try a square or circular window cut out of the cover to add a sense of dimension and intrigue for what’s on the inside. Add a second, smaller window on the fold-in panel for a layered, telescoping effect. 

Pro Tip: If you’re already having a die made, the addition of the second die-cut shape on the fold-in panel is not going to add much, if anything, to the cost of the die. So, go for it!

Add a short panel

Another simple idea for making a Tri-Fold more interesting is to add a short, narrow panel to the fold-in panel that can carry a testimonial or pull-quote, a tear-off coupon, or a special offer (Figure 2). Again, this does not require a die. You’re really just adding the width of the narrow panel to the document, and then placing a fold. From a design perspective, the short panel almost works like a little handle to open to the interior spread of the brochure, which I also like. This element does not add complexity to the job, but it adds a lot of interest to the format. 

Pro Tip: Make sure the short panel is on the fold-in panel, rather than the cover panel. A short panel folding inward off the cover adds complexity due to a change in the direction of the fold, and the need to finish the cover with a flush edge. This is not something that can’t be done, but if you’re looking to stretch your dollar with a simple modification that doesn’t affect your budget, keep the short panel on the fold-in panel.

Add an interaction device

Next, I want you to consider adding interaction to your Tri-Fold, including little perforated peek-a-boo windows to lift and reveal an image or a message (Figure 3).

Think of it this way: A three-panel Tri-Fold can become a two-panel brochure with perforated, peek-a-boo windows if you design the perforations on the face of the fold-in panel and glue the fold-in panel to the center panel. If you like this idea, but you still need a finished Tri-Fold for three panels of content, just switch to a four-panel Roll Fold and glue the fourth panel to the third! Adding the windows will necessitate a die and the added production step of glue or tape, but the increase in engagement can be well worth it. Pro Tip: If you need a quick-and-easy, production-ready InDesign template for the Tri-Fold or the Roll Fold (among others) just hop over to the Foldfactory Template Builder. You can build unlimited custom folding templates if you make a free Fold Club account. Tear-off coupons are also a great way to get someone to look and to interact with the brochure. The great thing about coupons is that a compelling coupon gets saved and set aside for use. Figure 4 shows a great example of a simple Tri-Fold coupon mailer in a triple-coupon variation. This format can self-mail without the protection of an envelope. You can download a free dieline here if you’d like to try designing with this Coupon Mailer format. If you’re unsure of how to properly place the dieline and set up your production file in InDesign, check out my recent article for CreativePro, Working with Dielines for Creative Folded Brochures.

Play with perimeter shape

If you’d really like to have some fun with the Tri-Fold, try playing with the perimeter shape. The Octagonal Tri-Fold in Figure 5 was designed as an invitation for a 25^th Anniversary Gala. All three panels were octagonal in shape and designed to connect along one segment of the shape. This piece was printed on shimmery specialty paper with gold metallic inks and tucked into a carrier piece, then into an envelope. If an octagon is too far out for you, even simple rounded or angled corners can be refreshing to work with. It’s also fun to play with perimeter shape on Accordion folds.

Three Creative Brochure Formats for Smaller Budgets

My favorite formats are the ones that offer a lot of bang for the buck, and these three are at the top of my list. Another qualifier for this list is that none these formats require die cutting. If you want to try any of these on for size, you can download a free reference template, place it into InDesign, and design your own.

Wrapped Stepped Accordion

One of the most exciting lower budget format solutions that doesn’t involve a die is a Wrapped Stepped Accordion (Figure 6). This design features stepped, zig-zag accordion panels and a protective wrap cover that seals the edge so that you can mail it with or without an envelope. You can do great things with the stepped panels, organizing information or creatively cropping imagery.

Broadside Reveal Brochure

The Broadside Reveal Brochure is a unique format that actually finishes into a Tri-Fold but holds a surprise (Figure 7). The magic is in the unexpected slice of imagery that is revealed when it’s folded and the broadside panels that open up and down into a larger poster spread. 

6-Panel Mega Brochure

The 6-Panel Mega Brochure is an oversize format that offers a lot of real estate for graphics and a compact format for mail. Think of an oversize three-panel Tri-Fold that is folded in half one more time on the long dimension. The net result is six panels and an almost newspaper-like size and proportion. These are great for real estate, retail products, and art exhibits (Figure 8).

Three Creative Brochure Formats for Bigger Budgets

When your budget has some extra room for… well… extras, here’s what generally drives the budget up in the format category:

• Hand folding, which can be driven by low quantity or complexity of the fold
• Added processes, like die cutting, gluing, taping, tipping on of elements
• Oversize proportion, which could mean length, height, or both 
• Specialty coatings, paper, and print effects (this is unrelated to formats specifically, but it counts)

Now, where it gets interesting is that having any one of the above does not necessarily mean you’ll bust your budget, so always check with your printer before you rule out an idea. (Remember the exercise in modifying a Tri-Fold?) So, for example, a larger, folded brochure that is folded entirely by machine (efficient production) is not going to lead to a huge jump in budget. Paper will be your biggest cost in that case.  Start to layer these options together, however, and it adds up. An oversize brochure (plus higher paper cost) with a custom die cut that also must be glued (plus two extra processes) and hand folded (plus human effort instead of machine) is in a different pricing category entirely. But there’s nothing wrong with spending extra money in exchange for impact on a targeted, high-value customer. That’s where your marketing strategy comes in: So as long as your decisions are calculated and you know what’s involved cost-wise, you’re golden. A quick discussion with your print service provider can go a long way. After all, nobody wants the embarrassment of accidentally selling a client an idea they can’t afford. So, if you’ve got a bit of padding in the budget, here are three of my favorite formats. If you like any of these, you can download a free reference template, place it into InDesign, and design your own.

Folded Cross Catalog Wrap

A wonderful, oversize format, the Folded Cross Catalog Wrap works well on its own or with a nested catalog or marketing brochure on the inside (Figure 9). Among many things, I’ve seen this used as an impressive acceptance packet for universities, as a promotional brochure for high-end vehicles, and as a fun holiday-gift-themed wrap for a toy catalog.

Large T-Cross Mailer

The Large T-Cross Mailer is unexpected in shape, has great presence, and offers a really nice roll down or out, depending upon the orientation you choose for the layout (Figure 10). These make a big impression in the mail.

9-Panel Reveal

There is something very exciting about the 9-Panel Reveal format. It really is a journey to open, and you can treat every panel as its own unique step in the journey. The panels can build on a message, or you can have the panels work together to form an image, much like Figure 11’s example from Jennifer Williams.

Making the Most Out of What You Have

The nice thing about print formats is that you always have options—no matter what budget you’re working within. We talked about shortening and adding panels, adding interaction, and changing shape and proportion, as well as the layering of production processes and the effect it has on pricing. That’s a lot of ideas to breathe new life into your projects and give you the confidence to think beyond the basic Tri-Fold at your next opportunity. Give one—or more—a try!

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