Fold a sheet of paper in half? As easy as drinking a glass of water. Fold it in quarters? It is not a big deal. Divide it into perfect and precise thirds? It can be quite difficult. As any person who has folded an important letter can tell you, this is a surprisingly delicate task. Whether you're sending a letter to a loved one, doing a math project, or just splitting a piece of paper into three equal parts for scribbling, a perfectly folded piece of paper demonstrates professionalism and attention to detail.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Using the "Intuitive" Method
Step 1. Start with the sheet flat in the work area
You may not believe it, but there is more than one method of folding a piece of paper into three equal parts, and some of them offer more accurate results than others. Try this if Not you have to get exact thirds - it's quick and works well, but the results will rarely be perfect.
- The positive side of this method is that it does not require tools of any kind.
- Note that a traditional A4 sheet does not have to be folded into exact thirds to fit into an envelope, so this method is suitable for letters.
Step 2. Roll the sheet into a cylinder
Your goal is to get a wide, not very tight roll - about the size of a rolled-up newspaper. Don't make any turns for now.
Step 3. Align the edges of the paper, then gently flatten the center
Look at the cylinder from the side - one edge of the page should be on the left and the other directly in front of it on the right. Start squeezing the cylinder, adjusting it to keep the sides of the paper aligned.
The three layers of the sheet should be roughly the same size. For this method, one edge of the paper should be pressed against the inside fold of the cylinder and the other should be below it, aligned with the other curvature. When you have the page in front, this description will be much clearer
Step 4. Flatten the cylinder completely when the third division is almost perfect
When you see that the paper is split reasonably exactly into three parts, press the edges of the paper to create neat, smooth creases. Congratulations! Your page should be split into (almost) perfect thirds.
You can make last-minute changes at this point, but avoid making more than one fold if the thirds aren't really very different - the sheet would look unprofessional if not
Method 2 of 5: Using the "Reference Sheet" Method
Step 1. Fold a "test" sheet into thirds
This method sacrifices one piece of paper to help you fold the second one better. You will therefore need two sheets - one that you will fold "well" and one that you don't mind ruining. They should be the same size.
Fold the pilot sheet into thirds following the method you prefer - you can use the "intuitive" method described above or one of the others mentioned in the article. You can also use a system of trial and error to get the folds right
Step 2. Fold the first sheet into very precise thirds
Make all the necessary creases and adjustments.
Don't worry about how many times you have to fix the creases or how much you ruin the paper - this piece of paper doesn't count
Step 3. Use the pilot sheet as a guide for the "good" one
When you are satisfied with the folds of the first piece of paper, align it with the second and follow the grooves present to obtain perfect thirds on the latter.
You can do this by marking the position of the folds on the "good" sheet or by using your eyes to visually compare the two pieces of paper
Step 4. If desired, use a ruler as an aid
You can use any straight line, such as the edge of an envelope, and hold it on the two sheets of paper to mark the folds to be made. If you are going to use a stiff ruler you could even fold the page over it to make the grooves sharper and more precise.
When you're done, keep the pilot sheet and use it to take notes. Do not throw away perfectly usable paper
Method 3 of 5: Using the Eye Method
Step 1. Fold the top edge of the paper towards you
This folding method uses only the measuring power of the human eye to find where the paper can be folded into thirds. Despite the premises, this is a surprisingly effective method. In fact, after trying it a couple of times, you'll probably be able to use it for the most important letters too.
To begin, take one side of the paper and fold it back on itself. Don't make any creases yet - just round the paper
Step 2. Align the top edge of the page to cover half of the space left on the sheet
The human eye is much better at identifying halves of thirds, so it will be easier to align the card correctly than if you were trying to get perfect thirds right away.
When you've best aligned the first fold, pin it down and make sure you don't move the free edge
Step 3. Slip the second edge of the page into the curve and fold the sheet in half
The hardest part of the method is already behind us. Now, all you have to do is practice the last fold. Take the "free" edge of the page and tuck it under the top, so that it reaches the inside of the fold. Make a second fold.
If you've made neat folds, all edges of the paper should be aligned at this point. If not, feel free to make some small changes
Method 4 of 5: Using the "Origami" Method
Step 1. Fold the page in half
This method uses techniques derived from origami, the Japanese art of folding paper, to obtain perfect thirds. Although origami is often made with square pieces of paper, this method also works with traditional A4 paper that you can find in any office. Start by folding the paper in half in the same direction you would like to get the thirds.
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Note:
if you don't want to make any more folds on your paper, you can find the center point of the paper and accurately draw a line that splits the page in two. In this case, the line must be perfectly straight, to match the accuracy of a half fold.
Step 2. Draw a line from the lower left corner of the page to the upper right corner of the fold
Position the paper so that the half you folded goes from right to left. Use a ruler to accurately draw a line from the bottom left corner to the point where the crease in the center meets the right side of the paper.
You can also perform this method by drawing a line starting from the bottom right corner, if you reverse all the directions indicated in the article, but to streamline the text we have decided to provide only a series of suggestions
Step 3. Draw a line from the top left corner of the card to the bottom right corner
Use a ruler to precisely trace this line, which should intersect in the center with the fold you made and with the first line on the right side of the paper.
Step 4. Fold the paper where the two lines intersect
That dot represents one of the thirds of the page. Use a ruler to draw a line that goes through that point and meets both sides of the paper at 90 degrees.
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Carefully fold the paper and fix the fold.
The folded edge should split the rest of the page in half - if not, make minor corrections.
Step 5. Make a second fold by tucking the other side of the page into the first
As a final step, take the unfolded side of the paper and tuck it under the flipped edge. Make a second fold when the "free" end of the paper comes into contact with the first. The piece of paper should now be divided into thirds.
Method 5 of 5: Fold the Paper With the Power of Mathematics
Step 1. Measure the length of one side
Do the previous methods not guarantee the accuracy you want? Try following the steps in this section, which will allow you to get perfect thirds down to the millimeter. You will need a ruler, a calculator, paper and pen. Start by measuring the length of the side you want to crease on.
Step 2. Divide the length into three
This way you will get the size of your thirds.
For example, if you are using a traditional A4 sheet of 210 × 297 mm, to get the size of the thirds simply divide the height of the paper (297) by 3. 297/3 = 99. The folds, therefore, must be 99 mm apart.
Step 3. Mark this distance on the paper, starting to measure from the edges
Using your ruler, mark the distance obtained with your calculations. Again, you should measure along the side of the paper you want to fold.
In our example, we will have to mark the distance of 99 mm from the edges of the sheet
Step 4. Make a crease at the marked place, then fold the remaining piece of paper inward
Make sure the fold is perpendicular to both sides of the paper. The second fold is easier - just tuck the other side of the page under the folded one, until it touches the fold.
Advice
- Try folding without thinking too much, to relax your mind. The creases will almost never have to be perfect. If you focused too much on third party accuracy, it would be easier to get it wrong. Relax and let yourself go.
- If you have trouble folding the sheet in equal thirds, first fix the simulal folds without going over them.
- When trying the intuitive method, try to make a fairly even cylinder, so as not to get very disproportionate folds.
