The idea of producing a brochure can be a daunting task. Finding images, writing copy and laying out a large corporate product is an enormous amount of work. Fortunately, creating and producing a bi-fold brochure is much easier, quicker and can be as effective as its larger cousin.
Analyze Audience
Before beginning the design of any communication product, the audience who will view the product is the most important consideration. Knowing the level of writing needed, the type of images necessary and the mood of the design targets the product for a successful message.
Gathering Content
Begin writing. Type everything you can think of about the product, service or business. Do not worry about having too much data. This exercise will gather all the information in one place, making it much easier to edit it later.
Gather the images. For bi-fold brochure design, you do not need an overwhelming number of graphics. Assuming the product will be a printed on a standard 8 ½ by 11 inch piece of paper and folded in half, the general guideline would be to use no more than 2 pictures on each panel. If downloading from the internet makes sure the files are high resolution. They will be large, several megabytes. The smaller images will not reproduce well and will look pixilated and blurry. If the image is too big for the page, don’t fret. They can be downsized without losing quality.
Produce your own illustrations by creating graphs or charts to highlight the important elements of the product or service. The text in the bi-fold brochure will back up or repeat the data, but the graphs give the reader a quick and easily digestible picture of the message.
Organize
Now that all the elements are ready, start to organize and edit the content. Begin with the reason you want someone to read the brochure. Introduce the subject in the first few paragraphs using some of the unique features of the service to get the reader’s attention.
Next, add any supporting information. Highlight customer comments and add additional contact information and details.
Layout
Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. This helps to show where your messages and information will be placed on the bi-fold brochure’s four panels.
Create the cover with a striking photograph or illustration and a bold title introducing the subject. Put some time into this part of the process because it is what is going to catch someone’s attention.
The two inside pages are where the bulk of the text and images will go. There is not a lot of room to work with so resist the urge to write the great American novel. Use only the most important information and break up the gray blocks of text with charts and images.
The back page in a bi-fold brochure design is reserved for the contact information—names, phone numbers, email address, company address and Website URL.
Templates are also available that have the basic elements already positioned. All you need to do is personalize it with your own text and pictures. The draw back here is there are only a finite number of templates and the most common ones will be used over and over. For a truly unique design, make the brochure from scratch.
Printing
Once the product is finished, copy it to a CD as a PDF, Portable Document Format and also save it in the native program file. Send the bi-fold brochure design to a printer for a professional output. Providing more than one file type to choose from will save time in the end, allowing the printer more than one option to work with if corrections are needed.
Once the brochure is delivered, give some thought to the distribution process. Are you going to mail it to current customers, or a list of new, potential customers? If attending a trade show, the size of the product is easy to display and hand out. It can be placed in magazine racks, or on tables of local businesses, with their permission.
This simple publication has many possible uses. It is easy to make, portable and can be re-printed quickly and inexpensively. With the proper forethought and organization, the bi-fold brochure can lead to a successful product introduction or business promotion.