4 Paper folds to give your flyer added impact « Back to list

Paper and card are two very versatile materials that can be folded and shaped into almost anything. Think back to your days as a child and the endless fun you had with folding paper. From paper aeroplanes to paper football and even paper animals. It’s hard to believe just how much fun could be got from a few sheets of paper.

Then of course there is the Japanese art of paper folding, Origami. Origami has gathered quite a cult following over the years with many creative examples of paper looking like anything but paper. It’s amazing to think about the impact that a few simple folds and creases can have on a sheet of paper.

This is also the case when it comes to your business. Designing a flyer is much more than just deciding on what colour, image or text to use. You need to consider how people will view this information. How they will take in the message you are trying to get across.

Sometimes it helps to get a wee bit creative when it comes to designing and printing your flyer. Remember that it is very important to always remember how you plan to print your flyer before you even consider the design. Adding folds to your flyer can really help get your message stand out and also make your flyer stand out against the hundreds of other flyers that people are faced with each year.

Folded leaflets can present different information on products and services and can often work well in guiding your customers on a journey through your flyer ensuring they read from front to back rather than opting for the bin or fire.

At Digital Printing we recommend four types of paper folds that are popular and effective in getting your message across.

1. Half Fold:

The half fold (or basic fold as it is also known) is simple yet effective. This allows for example an A4 sheet to be folded into an A5 leaflet with a front and back cover and two internal pages for you to provide information on products of services. This type of fold works great in all industries and is particularly useful if you have a small range of products that you wish to provide customers with information on.

2. Roll Fold:

The roll fold (or tri fold as it is also known) allows you to transform a 2 page flyer into a 6 page leaflet. The printed sheet is folded twice allowing something like an A4 sheet to be folded into a DL size 1/3 A4 page. This fold provides a front and back cover with a third page folding inside. A roll fold allows you to get creative on the inside of your leaflet by adding graphics that span across the 3 areas (A4 page). The roll fold helps to give your leaflet design a sense of order as it guides the reader through the various pages from front to back.

3. Accordion Fold:

The accordion fold (or Z fold as it is also known) is creased at least twice but can be folded more than this to give a series of parallel folds that open up like an accordion. They are great for product brochures as they fold down very small but can contain a great deal of information. They are also compact and can be folded and put easily into your pocket. This makes them ideal for exhibitions and trade shows.

4. Gate Fold:

The final fold we recommend considering with your next leaflet print is the gate fold. As the name suggests it creates a gate look for your flyer. The page is folded twice to create six pages with the left and right page that are folded, being half the size of the centre page. These pages are folded inward to meet at the middle. This provides a platform to get really creative as you can have a design on the front that opens up to 3 full pages full of further information.

The gate fold is a common technique in the world of business for companies looking to create a presentation folder or brochure with a difference. They can create an inviting feeling and a sense to find out more information as the reader opens up the two front pages (the gates).

This style of fold is also popular in restaurant menus and wedding invitations.

Have you come across any really unique folded leaflets recently that really caught your eye? Let us know by joining the conversation on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #FoldedFlyers.

Perhaps you have something really adventurous in mind for your next flyer to really get that impact you are after. Get in touch with the Digital Printing Team today to see how we can help you with your custom print needs.