Have you been planning to use trifold brochures or z-fold brochures to advertise business promotions and events, or just to further establish your brand presence to the public? If so, then there are several factors you must consider to maximize the efficiency of your brochure.
One such factor is deciding the type of brochure you want to use. These days, most businesses use two types of brochure formats, trifold brochures and z-fold brochures. What are the differences between the two and which would be more suitable for you? Read on to find out.
Differentiating Between Trifold Brochures and Z-Fold Brochures
The easiest and quickest way to differentiate between the two would be to look at the way the panels on the brochure are folded. While both tri-fold and z-fold brochures can have the same number of panels, the way they are folded will give readers a different reading experience.
As such, you would need to be clear about how the panels will unfold, so that you can plan your design accordingly. The last thing you would want to do is print many brochures only to find out that the order had been arranged incorrectly or the message convoluted.
Trifold Brochures
Trifold brochures are most often used when the information can be split or classified into different sections. This means that each panel may slightly differ in design although they still adopt the same layout.
Trifold brochures have 6 panels of space to display content to readers. The design of the first panel (1) is extremely important and needs to catch the reader’s attention, encouraging engagement. Only then, readers will open the brochure to find out more information.
When unfolded, panels 2-4 will display the main content and important information about your brochure. The general rule of thumb is to design for reading from top to the bottom of the leftmost panel (2), followed by the middle panel (3), and finally the rightmost panel (4). Panels 5 to 6 should be used for subtle details like contact information, FAQ, calls-to-action, or just additional information about the topic.
Z-Fold Brochures
Z-fold brochures, on the other hand, are more suitable for designs that spread across every panel on the same side. While you may choose to fold and cut off graphic illustrations across the different panels, the readability of essential information and words must not be affected by the folds, lest it softens the impact of your message.
While most Z-fold brochures come with 6 panels, you may choose to add two more panels on each side should there be a lot of details involved. This makes such brochures more flexible than tri-fold ones. However, do note that printing and design hiccups are more likely to occur in Z-fold brochures than tri-fold brochures. As such, make sure you or your company are clear on the order of the panels displayed before you begin the design process.
