Brochures are great promotional tools for businesses, organizations and initiatives that require complex explanations and community involvement. They are used above all when your goal is to inform the public or a slice of the population. Organize, structure and create your own tri-fold brochure using these instructions.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Deciding What to Put in a Booklet
Step 1. Decide what your message is
The most effective brochures are built around 1 idea, goal or issue. Too many goals will confuse your readers, who won't get the message across.
Step 2. Add a brief description of your organization
Step 3. Choose a “Call to Action
“Decide what the brochure should push you to do, and make it simple: people need to be able to act in one step.
- For example, a call to action could be asking to make a donation, like us on Facebook, or emailing a senator. Keep the request short and compelling.
- Put the call to action on a page or inside facade.
Step 4. Take the jargon out of the text
Unless you're dealing with a highly specialized audience, you need to create this brochure for ordinary people. Remove stereotypes and typical advertising phrases.
Step 5. Enter contact information
The front facade is a good place for the site, while on the back you put the address and a map.
You can save the map image online and place it on the back for you to find. Make sure the main streets and some important landmarks appear on the map
Step 6. Toggle between text and images
Separate the additional information into small text boxes to distribute across the six sides of the foldout booklet.
Part 2 of 3: Structuring the Information in the Booklet
Step 1. Get an A4 sheet of copy paper
Fold it in three parts and start testing placements for information. Ask everyone who works on the booklet to make their own test model, so they can share ideas of what should be in front, inside and behind.
Step 2. Put your logo on the front and back of the booklet
You can also consider placing it inside as well. Make sure it is clearly visible when you take the brochure.
Step 3. Make a title for the front and interior
Where you place the larger text will lead the reader to continue reading.
Step 4. Choose the font and type of formatting for each piece of text
Here are some guidelines for brochure design:
- Do not make a text less than one character in 12. It would otherwise be too difficult to read.
- Use bold and italics to highlight information.
- Do not use more than 2 fonts. Make sure those fonts are legible by doing proofs of font 12.
Step 5. Use bulleted lists to organize information lists
You can also use numbered lists.
Step 6. Choose a background color that works well for printing
If you are going to have the brochure printed in the printers, you can use brighter colors; however, keep in mind that the background may distract the reader from the text, especially if the layout is too confusing.
Part 3 of 3: Designing the Booklet
Step 1. Get all the images
The images must be in digital format if you want to use them in the brochure. If you don't have images of your own, you can find eye-catching images in multiple ways:
- Hire a professional photographer to take pictures of your workplace (or association etc.), employees or your cause in general. Ask around photographers' prices and choose one that is not too expensive (or at least you can afford). Keep in mind that professional photos increase the effectiveness of a brochure.
- Find or buy clip art images. Search for images on Google or Bing. Click on the image to see if you can use it for free or if it needs to be purchased. You can find beautiful paid images for ridiculously low prices.
- Buy copyrights on Flickr or from local photographers, if you need to use great photos for just 1 project. Buying stock photography is a great investment. Compare some prices and negotiate in case there are restrictive rights on a photo, if you want to use it on a single printed project.
Step 2. Choose a brochure making program
There are several options.
- Word from Microsoft allows you to make brochures. Use the latest version of Word, click on "File" and "New from Template". Choose the "Brochure" option on the Publish Layouts panel.
- The Pages program for Mac is used by many graphic designers thanks to the high quality of the templates and the ease of use. Click on the "Brochure" option on the Pages layout tab. Pages for Mac costs 17.99 € for the desktop version and 8.99 € for the iPad.
- A graphic designer can make a difference by turning your brochure into a premium product. A professional uses programs like Adobe's InDesign or Illustrator. You can hire one of your employees or look for a local graphic designer. Most graphic designers have a portfolio, in which you will be able to see all of a graphic designer's previous work.
Step 3. Insert the images into the booklet
With Pages, you can drag and drop images into the template. Word asks you to insert or change the image using the right click on the image, or using the Insert menu at the top of the program.
Don't forget to insert your logo in several places
Step 4. Paste the text into the template
You can also type text from your test booklet, if it's not on your computer yet.
- Be careful when copying-pasting text from Word to Pages. Better to save the text in a program like Notepad or TextEdit to remove the formatting.
- Don't forget to include your contact information.
- Structure your information with Word or Pages formatting tools. The two programs are similar, there are menus at the top for formatting and pop-up panels with the same commands as the menu. Try different formatting options.
Step 5. Go to the second page, using Word or Pages, and enter information inside the booklet
The first page includes the cover, the back and the outer central side, while the second page contains the 3 inner sides.
Step 6. Ask several people to proofread the brochure
Automatic spelling correction is not enough for a job that will go to print. Ask your collaborators to look for spelling and meaning errors.
Print a few copies of the booklet on your printer, and send it electronically to the proofreader. Mistakes are best seen in a printed version, and even your brochure may contain several
Step 7. Print the booklet
You can print it at home with a duplex printer. You can also take the file to the print shop or order copies online.
- It is best to print with a professional printer if you are making a brochure for a business or professional organization. Thanks to the semi-gloss paper and the high resolution you will get a product that is less likely to be thrown away right away.
- You will need to consider the type of paper, the size, the time available to distribute it and the correction possibilities when printing a brochure professionally.
Step 8. Distribute the brochure
The value of the brochure is determined by how well you choose your target audience and the distribution of information. Hire someone to distribute it and ask local stores to display it in plain sight.
