If you are designing a brochure then consider using a print template. A template is a pre-designed layout that allows you to more easily upload the photos and text into a standardized layout that a printer will use to turn it into the finished product. Unless you are an experienced graphics designer that wants to create an unusual piece, a pre-
formatted template can save you time, money and frustration. In fact, even experienced designers often work from templates for common layouts.
An on-line print company, such as Conquest Graphics, will usually maintain a collection of several different templates for various sized brochures with several types of folds. The key is to choose the right layout for your project before you get started on the details.
So how do you pick the best template for your project? Here are 5 questions to help you decide on the layout:
1. Do you own a restaurant or need to list many products and prices? A take-out menu layout is pretty standard and lists the information in columns like this:
Kung Pao Chicken $7.95
Hunan Beef $9.95
Seafood Delight $8.59
If you need to give your customers two key pieces of info (Item and Price), then this template would be best for you. The usual size is 8.5 x 14” which folds down to 4 to 8 panels for easy distribution. If you have lots of items that you need to list, then this is a good template to use.
2. Do you plan to mail your brochure and want it to fit into a standard (#10) envelope? If so, the tri-fold is good for that purpose. A tri-fold brochure is the most common format used by a wide variety of companies. This is usually a 8.5 x 11” piece of paper that is then folded twice to form 6 panels. This design fits easily into a standard envelope. There are other options to this piece which involve a gatefold layout (a gatefold is as it sounds – two panels open up to reveal the center spread of the brochure). A gatefold uses a larger piece of paper (8.5 x 14”) and gives you more room to communicate your message. There are many different layouts available for this size brochure so you want to look for one that best fits your needs (i.e. more pictures, less text or room for charts and graphs, etc)
3. Are you marketing new homes, a large product or need room to show charts and graphs? If that’s the case, consider a vertical tri-fold template from Conquest Graphics. These sorts of wide-angle designs and configurations work best with a brochure that allows the reader to see panoramic views or to see data spread out over months or years – in either case with captions underneath – all in a highly readable layout.
4. Do you want your brochure to be more elegant, impactful or unusual? A gatefold design can offer a more elegant look than a traditional tri-fold. A Z-fold is a bit different than found on most brochures so it can help you make a bigger impact because it is less common. For any of these type of designs, you can contact your printer (or Conquest Graphics) to learn more about these types of layouts and how you can use them in your next print piece.
5. Do you have your design file in a standard program such as AdobeInDesign, Quark Xpress, Photoshop or Microsoft Publisher? You’re in luck. Conquest Graphic templates are standardized to work with the major software programs. You upload your file into our secure website, and we can take it from there.
It’s easy to see that with decades of experience and with millions of brochures ‘under our belt’, we at Conquest can put together a design that meets any design, size and budget need. Call or contact us today and let’s get started putting a brochure together that will help you.
To view some print templates, go to http://www.conquestgraphics.com/Help-Center/Brochure-Templates to get an idea of the wide variety available.