Printed Leaflets – what they’re called and how they fold…

When a client contacts me here at DC-Graphics and tells me that they want a folded leaflet, a conversation often ensues with me trying to fathom the type of folded leaflet they have in mind.

A good example would be a document requirement of 6 pages or more. Documents such as these are normally designed to either be finished with a Concertina Fold (also called a ‘Z’ Fold) or a Roll Fold. Both names are quite close to what the finished outcome would look like. What follows is normally a series of questions from me to try and find out exactly what the client has in mind, what they have seen and if they have a sample leaflet for style in their possession. This can slow down the start of the design and print process, as they may have to mail the sample leaflet to me, or I have to travel to them to pick it up. One client tried to speed things up by actually photographing their sample leaflet with their Smartphone and then emailed the image to me! But if they had have had access to my handy guide below, a lot of time could have been saved. So below is a list and description of the most common types of folded leaflet used:

The Z Fold Leaflet

The Z Fold Leaflet is folded in equal parallel parts much like an accordion and will look like a ‘Z’ when viewed from above and opened out. This zig-zag style of leaflet is much easier to set up as it requires the flat page to be divided exactly into the required number of panels and will back up perfectly on the reverse. Example: A typical DL sized Z fold with 6 pages will fold into three equal sections measuring 99mm x 210mm. This leaflet size is very common as it originates from an A4 page which is in effect just folded twice. See the diagram. Because of this, the guides and back up will be exactly the same on the reverse.

The Roll Fold Leaflet

The Roll Fold Leaflet is a little more involved. The largest two panels being the same size at one end with the rest of the panels being slightly smaller so that they can fold into each other and line up correctly. This means each panel is slightly different in size and the designer has to consider the back up very carefully. Example: A typical DL sized Roll Fold will have three sections, two of which will make up the front and back cover and are the largest at 100mm each. The third panel needs to fold inside neatly without buckling the leaflet and therefore needs to be slightly smaller. As this leaflet will usually originate from an A4 sheet, so the last measurement must be 97mm. The first diagram shows the outside spread of the leaflet which includes the front and back cover on the right. The second diagram shows the inside spread which is the exact inverse and reverse of the measurements on the front. This is where most people slip up. The outside spread must start with the lowest measurement on the left and the inside spread, the lowest measurement on the right – remember, they have to back up correctly and so they are not the same on both sides!

The best and most simple way of checking that everything works is obvious. Print one out, cut it out and fold it up! If the margins and text line up correctly and the folding is flat without buckling, you have successfully created a correctly folded leaflet. Now call me on 0208 440 1155 or email me and I can start on a design and print your folding leaflet.