Looking for an effective way to promote your business? Learn how to make a trifold brochure that informs customers about your products and services in a cost-effective format.
Mockup trifold brochure image by Shablon
Trifold brochures have been around forever, but they continue to be a popular and effective way for businesses to communicate with customers. With a clean format and plenty of room for copy and images, brochures are an effective way to share information about your business and the products or services that you offer. This InDesign template has a simple, modern style that would work well for start-ups and corporate businesses, and it’s super easy to adapt with your own colors, fonts, and images.
The template is set to US Letter size, so you can even print and fold the flyer from a home or office computer to save time and money.
What You’ll Need to Create Your Trifold Brochure
You’ll need access to Adobe InDesign, as well as fonts and graphics to use on your design. This brochure design uses:
You can use Shutterstock to broswe millions of image options, and check out these free classic fonts or list of free modern fonts to find one that works for your business.
1. How To Set Up Your Flyer Document in InDesign
Step 1
Open InDesign and go to File > New > Document.
Choose Letter from the Print options at the top of the window (which is equivalent to 8.5 by 11 in), and set the orientation to Landscape. Uncheck Facing Pages.
Add Margins of 0.375 in, and a Bleed of 0.25 in, before clicking Create.
Step 2
Expand the Layers panel (Window > Layers), and double-click on Layer 1 to rename it Color.
Create a new layer above this and name this Type.
Then lock the Type layer, and activate the Color layer.
Step 3
You need to divide the page into three equal parts to mark the folds of the brochure.
To do this, drag out a guide from the left-hand ruler (View > Show Rulers) to 3.6661 in.
Drag out a second to 7.3333 in.
Step 4
You also need to mark out the margins on either side of the folds, or your copy and images might end up being obscured. Make a note of the margin width around the outside of the page (0.375 in) and subtract this from the value of the left-hand fold.
So, 3.6661 – 0.375 = 3.2911. Drag out a guide to this X position.
Drag out another guide to 4.0394 in (3.6661 + 0.375).
Then select these two guides on either side of the fold line, and Edit > Copy them.
Edit > Paste them and drag them over to sit on either side of the right-hand fold.
Step 5
Expand the Swatches panel (Window > Color > Swatches) and choose New Color Swatch from the panel’s drop-down menu.
With the Type set to Process and Mode to CMYK, set the levels to C=0 M=84 Y=92 K=0. Click Add and then Done.
Repeat to create two more CMYK swatches:
- C=0 M=8 Y=5 K=0
- C=55 M=4 Y=54 K=0
2. How to Add Color Block Graphics to Your Trifold Brochure
Color blocking is a really simple design method with big impact. Using just three or four colors, you can create a striking and modern background pattern that grounds your design.
Step 1
Select the Pen Tool (P) and zoom in to the top-right section of the page.
Using the margins and guide lines as a guide, click to create a rectangular shape in the corner with a slanting triangular base.
From the Swatches panel set the Fill Color of the shape to [Black].
Step 2
Use the Pen Tool again to create a shape below this, meeting the two in the middle.
Set the Fill of this second shape to the green swatch, C=55 M=4 Y=54 K=0.
Step 3
Select both shapes and Edit > Copy, Edit > Paste.
On the copy, Right-Click > Transform > Flip Horizontal.
Move this flipped copy onto the central panel, and switch the color of the top section to C=0 M=84 Y=92 K=0.
Change the Fill of the lower shape to [None]. We will drop an image into this shape a little later.
Step 4
Edit > Paste to drop another copy of the pair of shapes onto the page, and move this over to fill the left section. Change the Fill of the lower shape to C=0 M=8 Y=5 K=0.
Change the Fill of the top shape to [None].
Step 5
Select the lower shape in the central section and go to File > Place.
You can place whatever you want here, like an image or pattern. I’m choosing a map image to locate the business. Open the file and drag it it to fill up the shape.
Select the top shape in the left-hand section and File > Place. Choose an image like this one and Open it.
Step 6
To create the reverse side of your brochure, expand the Pages panel (Window > Pages) and on Page 1, Right-Click > Duplicate Spread.
Click on Page 2 to bring it up on screen.
Double-click inside the top shape on the left-hand section to select the image inside, and then delete it. Add a [Black] Fill to the shape.
Step 7
Swap the map image for an image like this picture of people working, by going to File > Place as before.
Remove the Fill Color from the top shape on the right side of the brochure, and File > Place a different image, like this picture of young people.
3. How to Add Text to Your Brochure
Step 1
Scroll back up to Page 1 and lock the Color layer. Unlock the Type layer.
Select the Type Tool (T) and drag to create a text frame across the top-right corner of Page 1.
Type in the title of the brochure, and from either the top Controls panel or the Character and Paragraph panels (Window > Type & Tables > Character / Paragraph), set the Font to Orkney Bold, Size 43 pt, Tracking 30 and Align Left.
From the Swatches panel set the Font Color to [Paper].
Step 2
Create another text frame below this for a subtitle, setting the Font to Orkney Medium, Size 20 pt.
You can also add a logo to this front page, by going to File > Place and choosing a PNG or EPS version. Alternatively create your own logo using the shape tools in InDesign.
Step 3
Create a title text frame at the top of the central section, setting the Font to Orkney Medium, Size 35 pt.
You can add optional contact details to this page, which will be at the back of the brochure when folded. Set the Font to Orkney Regular, Size 14 pt.
Step 4
Add a simple line under the title using the Line Tool (\), using the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke) to set the Weight of the line to 2 pt, and adding a Round Cap to soften the ends.
From the Swatches panel set the Stroke Color to [Paper].
Step 5
Copy and Paste the title text frame and line from the central section, moving it onto the the top of the left-hand section. Change the Font Color to your yellow swatch.
Add a text frame for body text beneath this, set in Orkney Medium, Size 13 pt.
Step 6
Select the title text frame, line and body text frame from the left-hand section on Page 1 and Edit > Copy this.
Scroll down to Page 2 and Edit > Paste in Place. Adjust the text alignment to make it a little different, and adjust the Font Color of the title text frame to your green swatch.
Step 7
Copy and Paste more text frames to populate the two other sections of Page 2.
Increase the Font Size of any pull-out quotes, reviews etc to 16 pt.
4. How to Export Your Brochure for Print
Your brochure artwork is finished, great job! All that’s left for you to do is to check for any spelling errors (Edit > Spelling > Check Spelling), and export your brochure so that you can print it. Read on to find out how.
Step 1
Go to File > Export and name your brochure something like ‘Trifold brochure for print’. From the Save as type menu choose Adobe PDF (Print), and click Save.
In the Export window that opens choose [Press Quality] from the Adobe PDF Preset menu at the top.
Step 2
If you’re printing from a home or office computer you can go ahead and click Export. If you’re sending off your brochure to be printed professionally, you need to add a bleed to your PDF. 
Click on Marks and Bleeds in the window’s left-hand menu, and check Use Document Bleed Settings. Some printers won’t require all or any printer’s marks, so check with them in advance if these are required.
When you’re ready, click Export to create your ready-to-print brochure file.
And you’re done! Awesome work!
Looking for more brochure templates? These vector brochure templates are easy to edit and would suit a range of marketing purposes.
Want more tutorials and resources to help you design materials for your business? Check these out.
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