The basic shape of your leaflet will be the first way to impress your reader. You can design your leaflet to unfold in an interesting way, as to present information to your reader one panel at a time. The tri-fold leaflet design divides an 8.5" x 11" paper into three columns, giving you a total of six different panels. You can either design a tri-fold leaflet so that the outside panels fold in on each other, or fold the panel back and forth accordion-style so the information reads more like a magazine or newspaper when unfolded. Quadra-fold formats, used for legal-sized paper, fold the leaflet into four columns, giving you total of eight panels. The quadra-fold formats include the roll-fold, in which the four panels are folded from the innermost panel to the outermost panel three times, and the closed-gate fold, in which the two outermost panels fold in toward the center and the last fold is down the center of the leaflet.
Once you have your leaflet shape determined, you can choose how you wish to convey information to your reader on the various panels. Your front panel should always include your title, company name and logo. If you are organizing or hosting an event, clearly display the name of the event and the hosting party on the front of your leaflet. Include quick, interesting blocks of text, such as mission statements, inspirational quotes or core values on the gate panels. Save the most informative, detailed copy for the innermost panels. Include pictures, cartoons and design elements where appropriate, but don't crowd your space. Photos don't always reproduce well as photo copies, so plan and budget for color if you want clear photo quality images. The back panel is where you place your phone number, email and website address in a clear font so your reader can contact you or the company you are representing.
Leave an 2.5" x 3" space for a business card on one of your panels. Readers may end up tossing your leaflet, but if you make your business card easy to detach and keep, you'll have a better chance at securing a connection with your reader. Business cards can be attached with removable glue adhesives or slipped into pre-cut slits made to hold the corners. A distinctive logo with bold shapes and recognizable colors will resonate with your readers, making your company and message more memorable.
If you are creating a leaflet for an organization or group that has an online presence, consider saving paper and print costs by designing a digital leaflet. Create your leaflet in a word processing program and save the file as a PDF document. This allows you to embed fonts and images into one file for emailing, uploading and downloading. Readers who receive your leaflet can easily store a PDF on a computer, and you can also make a PDF available on a company website through a link. A website link to a PDF leaflet allows you to change leaflet information as frequently as you like, without changing the structure of your site.