Mastering Brochure Size: All You Need to Know

Brochures are still a great marketing tool – and any company can achieve success if it shows its goods and services using a paper or an online brochure. These inconspicuous papers can work wonders if they are designed properly.

You don’t have to be a master designer – Publuu comes to your rescue. We offer you not only online brochure publishing software but also some tips. In this guide, you’ll learn what brochure sizes are and how to properly adjust them to fit your needs.

Understanding the basics of brochure sizes and formats

The size of a brochure is simply its dimensions, expressed in units of length, such as centimeters, millimeters, inches, and fractions of an inch. As a rule, the dimension lengthwise – the dimensions “at the bottom” – is given first.

The format, on the other hand, defines the proportions of the brochure, i.e. the width-to-height ratio. Formats tend to be standardized. The most popular formats are the ISO format based on the A (for paper sheets) and B (for books) standards, and the C format used for envelopes. Letter and legal formats – commonly used in the US – and their derivatives, such as half-letter, are also popular.

The role of content and design in brochure selection

When you design your brochures, you need to decide on the brochure size. It’s an important element – as important as choosing images and deciding on the overall design.

Above all, brochures need to tell your brand’s story. Suppose you have a lot of details to tell about your services, products, or general company history. In that case, you’ll probably need a larger brochure (e.g., folded into a booklet) to share all the information comfortably. Conversely, a simple message with a few key points may work better with a smaller tri-fold brochure folded into two parts. Publuu’s online brochure layout lets you create online brochures that can be expanded beyond the documents – thanks to online galleries and other features. Our innovative hotspots let you connect your brochure with other information online.

Another crucial idea is the balance of text and graphics. Brochures containing a lot of text descriptions need more space to ensure readability. Brochures relying on large, striking images can afford to be smaller. Check out the brochure template examples we share in our Knowledge Base – our previous articles showcase how to choose a brochure size and design and how to determine paper sizes.

Finally, think about the purpose of your brochure. A large, striking brochure with high-quality paper and graphics may be ideal for a luxury brand, even if the content itself isn’t crucial. But if you want to advertise your store and expect your brochure to be tucked into a pocket by customers, it’s worth choosing a smaller, handy format. Thanks to Publuu’s versatility, you can enhance both prestigious brochures or smaller documents with additional decoration like animated backgrounds or logo features.

A comprehensive breakdown of international and standard brochure sizes

Brochures are available in a variety of sizes to suit different needs. Though there are many various standards used worldwide, we will focus on two of them.

Probably the most popular is the ISO size. I bet that most pieces of paper in the world are based on the A4 scheme. A0 is the basic sheet but the most commonly used A4 format is 8.3″ x 11.7″ or 210 x 297 mm – twice the size is A3, half of A4 is A5, and so on.

Its equivalent is the 8.5″ x 11″ letter format, called letter size. Many Americans also use half-letter size. Some other commonly used formats are Legal (8.5 × 14 inches) and Tabloid (11 × 17 inches).

The size of the brochure depends on the amount of information you want to convey.

Large brochures (Letter/A4 size)

It’s ideal for presenting detailed information, multiple products, or a complex story. This brochure size draws attention because you spot them from a large distance. A half-fold brochure of this size will be a small booklet.

Medium brochures (A5)

It’s a good basis for small booklets and notebooks. If you want a postcard-sized brochure fold, start with A5.

Small booklets (A6/DL)

It’s ideal for concise messages, product flyers, or pocket-sized handouts. This is the single panel that should be the basis of your brochure design.

Luckily for you, Publuu is here to help – with digital brochures online, you don’t have to rethink your brochure size. Publuu lets you share brochures of various sizes online, regardless of the proportion and paper size. You can show any size on the screen of your laptop or smartphone.

Unique brochure sizes

While standard sizes have their place, sometimes you want your work to stand out. Here are some unique brochure sizes to consider:

• To design your leaflet, you can start with a simple DL size. The DL format is one-third of an A4 sheet. You can easily create a trifold one with this. When fully opened, it forms a six-panel leaflet.

• Square Brochures: Eye-catching and modern, squares provide a blank canvas for striking visuals. Popular sizes are 6″ x 6″ or 8″ x 8″. Many are trimmed forms of A4 or Letters.

• Panoramic Brochures: Offer a wider field of view, ideal for displaying landscapes or product lines. Consider sizes such as 11″ x 8.5″ or 12″ x 6″. They are often stapled on the side (like a drawing pad).

• Cutout Brochures: Custom shapes add a fun touch and can reflect your brand identity. For example, a brochure advertising smartphone apps can be cut into a rectangular shape with rounded corners to resemble a phone. Many print shops offer this solution, so don’t be afraid to ask around!

Publuu brochures can be any shape and form – you can even supplement your trifold brochures with booklets you publish online. You can create simple leaflets, and place a QR code on them, allowing the reader to explore all sorts of booklets and brochures online on their smartphones and tablets.

Navigating the brochure folds: from classic to creative

When it comes to creating brochures you have two main options: bifold or half-fold brochure and the tri-fold brochure. These are classic options that can help you create the best brochure available.

• Bi-fold brochures are set as a booklet, folded in half. If you fold an A4 sheet in half, you have an A5 brochure size. This works great, offering two panels for information and visuals. With Publuu, you can use our realistic page-flipping effects to create a well-rated booklet effect.

• A Tri-fold brochure offers three panels inside and three panels outside. A Z-fold which is a variety of a tri-fold brochure can even unfold like an accordion, showing more panels and allowing you to tell a story. Our tri-fold brochure template gallery in our Knowledge Base shows many brochure templates you can use to design your leaflets.

• A Gatefold brochure has one large panel in the middle and two smaller ones on the sides, unfolding one major panel inside. Another popular way is roll fold or four fold – with narrow, panoramic panels, creating eight panels instead of six.

Practical tips and design strategies for brochure creation

If you’re new to graphic design, don’t panic. You can design simple brochures using only software like Microsoft Word or Canva – and Publish them online with Publuu. Our experienced experts suggest also these tips to get you started in no time!

1. Consider your purpose before starting

Focus on the goals of your brochure and what you want to achieve with its design. For example, use clear bullet points to convey key information if you aim to attract new customers. Instead, if your goal is to inform about a new promotion, focus on the topic you want to highlight.

2. Start by sketching

Instead of immediately jumping into digital design, try to outline the way your product should look like. Use sketches and layouts to brainstorm your ideas. Keep an A4 sheet of paper handy, put your ideas together, and start sketching!

3. A clean and consistent look matters

Limit the number of fonts you use to achieve a clean and consistent look in headings, subheadings, and content. Pair a serif font with a sans-serif font – this isn’t a rule, but it provides a contrast. As the name implies, decorative fonts are mostly for decoration.

4. Clear and concise text

Invest time into creating clear, concise, and engaging text supporting your visual elements. Tailor the content and design of your brochure to the interests of your audience. If you want to add specific information for readers, do it.

5. Keep it simple

To create a well-designed brochure, keep it simple. Avoid complex visual elements or excessive text. Use specifics, numbers, bullet points, or titles to convey your message. Write concisely and avoid flowery language.

6. Add interactive features

Publuu lets you utilize interactive elements. You can expand the content of your brochure, by integrating it with multiple images, galleries, and forms.

Remember that you can have an entire gallery of digital brochures thanks to Publuu. Create various sizes and versions online, show them to test audience, and use the ones that work. You can also employ Publuu analytics, to improve the content and visual appeal of your brochures even further!

Using technology and trends in brochure design with Publuu

Publuu’s brochures are amazingly flexible. You can create interactive PDF flipbooks in any format you desire, with complete control over size and brochure design. Not only that, you can fully customize them and use our interactive technology to its fullest potential.

Publuu’s online brochure example

View more online brochure examples

MAKE YOUR OWN

In addition to versatile design options, Publuu lets you create a customized online brochure stand for your clients. One great feature that’s sure to make your designs unforgettable is a beautiful animated background. This is a sure way to grab attention, especially when the animation complements your brochure’s theme. Start by setting a calming and professional tone with shifting colors or gentle night sky visuals!

But Publuu’s innovative technology doesn’t stop there. You can incorporate captivating elements like GIFs, YouTube or Vimeo clips, and even animated slideshows into your brochure content. Your products or services can come to life in real time!

At Publuu, we’re adding new features: like auto-flip. This lets you define whether your brochures automatically switch between horizontal and vertical displays. That’s a great feature for both mobile users and designers making brochures for various sizes.

Remember also that all edits you make are always in real time. Adding hotspots, links, or interactive features like galleries and animations automatically syncs in our cloud. This means you can edit your Publuu brochures online, from any device, anywhere in the world!

Conclusion

Choosing a catalog size depends on the content you would like to convey and the effect you can have on your audience. Standard sizes like A4 or Letter are ideal for presenting large amounts of information, while smaller sizes like A6 are good for short messages.

But whatever your choice, Publuu’s online catalog software allows you to create interactive and attractive brochures that can be accessed from any device. Use our features to create flyers and brochures that will interest your customers.

You may be also interested in:
20 Excellent Food Brochure Templates
Online Booklet Template that Wins Customers