What margins do you recommend for a bi-fold brochure?

[HarryPot]

I'm making a brochure for our company, and I'm not sure what is the best margin for when sending the brochure in digital format to clients.

My current setting is:

- Top: 3/8"
- Bottom: 3/4""
- Outside: 3/4"
- Inside: 3/8"

What do you think about using this margins?

Thanks for any tips.

 

[firedept]

I'm making a brochure for our company, and I'm not sure what is the best margin for when sending the brochure in digital format to clients.

My current setting is:

- Top: 3/8"
- Bottom: 3/4""
- Outside: 3/4"
- Inside: 3/8"

What do you think about using this margins?

Thanks for any tips.

Pretty hard to give you an answer. You need to supply more info. We have no idea of the flat sheet size or the content that is going onto the finished sheet. Is it portrait or landscape? When I create that layout in Indesign, it is an odd looking margin layout. Are you sending this in digital format so that your customers can print it out?

I would send out equal margins, but again it depends on content and layout.

 

[HarryPot]

Pretty hard to give you an answer. You need to supply more info. We have no idea of the flat sheet size or the content that is going onto the finished sheet. Is it portrait or landscape? When I create that layout in Indesign, it is an odd looking margin layout. Are you sending this in digital format so that your customers can print it out?

I would send out equal margins, but again it depends on content and layout.

Thanks!

It is a US Letter size document, portrait.

I guess I have two scenarios, one is for printing it as a bi-fold brochure (17" wide). For this scenarios I liked the idea of different outside and inside margins. This scenario is just for me to send it to a printer.

The second scenario is sending it to clients as a PDF (8.5" wide), some of them will eventually print it. For this case, maybe having equal margins is better, since they won't be able to print 17" wide.

 

[firedept]

Those scenarios work. The average person and even most businesses do not have complicated printers. Most people would not even know how to change the setting anyways, so equal margins would be best for them.

Any printing company can deal with whatever margins you prefer to do. Good luck with the project!

 

[citizenzen]

Margins separate the experienced designer from the rookies. Rookies rarely leave enough. If your margin is less than a half-inch, then (IMO) you're doing it wrong.

OP, your margins sound adequate ... generous, even.

I am curious about how you described your project as being "bi-fold". in our print shop we refer to these as "double-parallel folds" where you end up with the typical three panel brochures that we're all so familiar with.

Is this what you're creating?

 

[firedept]

Margins separate the experienced designer from the rookies. Rookies rarely leave enough. If your margin is less than a half-inch, then (IMO) you're doing it wrong.

OP, your margins sound adequate ... generous, even.

I am curious about how you described your project as being "bi-fold". in our print shop we refer to these as "double-parallel folds" where you end up with the typical three panel brochures that we're all so familiar with.

Is this what you're creating?

Sorry citizenzen have to disagree with you on this one, been in the printing industry 39 years and a double parallel is certainly not a bi-fold, nor does a double parallel fold create 3 panels but it creates 4 panels when unfolded.

 

[citizenzen]

Sorry citizenzen have to disagree with you on this one, been in the printing industry 39 years and a double parallel is certainly not a bi-fold, nor does a double parallel fold create 3 panels but it creates 4 panels when unfolded.

I'm always up for learning something new.

So his bi-fold brochure is a letter-sized piece of paper folded in half ... I'm assuming to create a 5.5" wide x 8.5" high brochure.

Can the OP confirm this?

 

[firedept]

I'm always up for learning something new.

So his bi-fold brochure is a letter-sized piece of paper folded in half ... I'm assuming to create a 5.5" wide x 8.5" high brochure.

Can the OP confirm this?

It is actually an 11x17 folded to 8.5x11 portrait.

 

[citizenzen]

It is actually an 11x17 folded to 8.5x11 portrait.

Cool.

The only thing I'd add then is I think his top margin of 3/8" might be a bit tight, though it depends on what's bumping up against that margin. If it's blocks of type, then I'd increase that margin in order to give the eye la little room to enter the page.

 

[firedept]

Cool.

The only thing I'd add then is I think his top margin of 3/8" might be a bit tight, though it depends on what's bumping up against that margin. If it's blocks of type, then I'd increase that margin in order to give the eye la little room to enter the page.

I agree with you on that. Possibly move it to 1/2 or 5/8. I see this mistake a lot on things I print. Sometimes what looks good on screen does not always translate well to paper.