What is the first thing that you notice about a brochure? Is it color, photos or size? If you are like most people, it’s probably a combination of all three. When it comes to designing your own brochure and preparing the layout for printing, it’s important to know how to prepare your information in a way that will attract readers. After all, that’s what a brochure is meant to do.



If you are familiar with the printing industry, then you probably know that brochure printing isn’t much different than any other kind. What is unique is the actual layout and style of a brochure, which is unlike other print designs. The layout sheet and size for a newspaper, flyer or other print is much easier to work with. If you are designing a tri-fold brochure, you have three columns on both the front and back of the layout to work with. This, alone, is often very intimidating to some. But, with a little planning and imagination, your brochure printing experience can be a terrific one.

In designing your brochure, the first thing that you will need to consider is size. How many folds will your brochure feature and how do you plan to distribute it? Small, tri-fold brochures are the most common and can easily be distributed locally or by mail using a standard #10 business envelope.

Your next consideration will be color. If you want to grab the attention of potential readers, color is the key. This doesn’t mean that you have to create a kaleidoscope of colors, but it does mean that you should think about upgrading to full-color brochure printing if it’s within your budget. This is especially true if you are planning to incorporate photos into your project. Think about stopping by a visitor’s center or flipping through brochures in a hotel lobby. Whether they are promoting a local amusement park, museum or other tourist attraction, they all have one thing in common. Photos. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then you can save a lot of space by simply incorporating a few quality images to compliment your brochure printing project.

Depending on your budget, you may be looking at variations in paper quality and stock. If you are using a glossy finish, a lightweight paper stock will work well. If you are using a one-column brochure with limited information, a matte finish and heavier stock similar to a postcard weight will look great and will also prevent your brochure from being too flimsy.

Once you’ve determined the specifics of your brochure, it’s time to start thinking about the actual content. While it’s important to include both text and images, it’s equally important to avoid crowding one with the other. If possible, try designing your own brochure using a software program that offers templates. This will give you a good introduction as to the layout and how much space you will have for printing.

When the time comes to place your brochure printing order, it’s a good idea to hire a professional printer to handle the job. This is especially true if you are ordering in volume. Why? Because it will likely be more economical to hire a professional printing company than to keep refilling your ink cartridges. If you decide to hire a professional for your brochure printing project, make sure that they are capable of handling the job. Ask for samples and references and, most importantly, check your layout for mistakes before confirming an order.