Tips for Designing Double Parallel Fold Brochures

People are used to seeing tri-fold brochures, so if you use an unusual fold such as the parallel fold you are taking a big step toward creating a memorable brochure. The parallel fold is usually a little more expensive to create, so reserve it for special occasions. As far as practical concerns go, the parallel fold brochure printing is ideal for mailing and fits in most brochure stands. The parallel fold has some design aspects that could trip you up if you are not aware of them, so use these tips to design an effective parallel fold brochure.

Double parallel fold brochures are made by folding a piece of paper in half and then in half again. The resulting brochure has four front-and-back panels. Each side of a panel is one page so the parallel fold brochure has eight pages.

Since the document is folded in on itself, the outer two panels have to be slightly wider than the inner two panels. Keep this in mind when designing the pages to avoid having parts of your design cut off in production.

It is best to put the cover on the end of the outer-most panel. This placement just makes sense because otherwise the cover would be inside the brochure, which means it would not be the cover at all.

Put the contact information on the page next to the cover so that when you close the brochure, the contact information is on the back. If you plan to mail the brochures, leave room for addresses as well. 

Double parallel fold brochures are unusual, so use them for extra interest and impact. Since they have eight pages, they work well for brochures that need to contain a lot of information. They are well suited to hold information for financial institutions or used as instruction manuals. If you have six products you need to showcase, this fold would be a good choice because you could have one product per page, plus the cover and back. Another way to use the eight pages would be to have a cover, back, order form, and five featured items.

Since a double parallel fold brochure is rather complicated to design, you may want to consider hiring a professional designer. And make sure to cut your costs by using a printer that offers the same price no matter the folding technique as well as competitive prices.