Brochure Folds: 8 Types, Panel Sizes and When to Use Each

There are eight brochure folds worth knowing: the half-fold (bi-fold), the tri-fold (also called a letter or roll fold), the Z-fold, the gate fold, the double gate, the accordion, the double parallel and the French fold. The fold decides everything downstream: how many panels you get, how wide each one is, and the order a reader meets them. Below are all eight with panel counts, flat-to-folded sizes on Letter, Legal, Tabloid and A4, the narrower-panel rule that makes a tri-fold close flat, and which fold to pick for which job.

Most people choose a brochure fold by default: the tri-fold, because that is what a brochure looks like. Often that is the right call. But a fold is a structural decision, not a style. It sets how much content fits, how it unfolds in a reader’s hands, and whether the piece fits the envelope, rack or mailbox it is headed for. Choosing it after the content is written is how brochures end up with a headline sliced by a crease.

The 8 brochure folds at a glance

A “panel” is one face of the folded piece. Printers usually count panels on both sides of the sheet, so a tri-fold is a six-panel brochure: three panels on the outside, three on the inside.

Fold	Also called	Panels (per side / total)	Creases	Equal panels?	Best for
Half-fold	Bi-fold, single fold	2 / 4	1	Yes	Menus, programs, short catalogs
Tri-fold	Letter fold, roll fold	3 / 6	2	No, fold-in panel is narrower	Rack brochures, services, price lists
Z-fold	3-panel accordion	3 / 6	2	Yes	Timelines, maps, letters for window envelopes
Gate fold	Single gate, open gate	3 / 6	2	No, center is double width	Product launches, big visual reveals
Double gate	Closed gate	4 / 8	3	No, end flaps are narrower	Premium pieces with a lot to show
Accordion	Concertina, fan fold	4+ / 8+	3+	Yes	Step-by-step guides, route maps
Double parallel	Parallel fold	4 / 8	3	No, inner pair is narrower	Dense content at rack size
French fold	Cross fold, right-angle fold	4 / 8	2	Yes	Invitations, posters and maps that fold to card size

A roll fold is the tri-fold’s bigger sibling: four or more panels rolled in on each other. It is covered with the tri-fold below, because it works the same way.

Panel sizes: flat to folded on Letter, Legal, Tabloid and A4

The same four sheets produce most brochures. Here is the folded size each fold gives on each one. US sheets are listed landscape (width × height) because that is how most brochures are laid out.

Fold	Letter, 11 × 8.5 in	Legal, 14 × 8.5 in	Tabloid, 17 × 11 in	A4, 297 × 210 mm
Half-fold	5.5 × 8.5 in	7 × 8.5 in	8.5 × 11 in	148.5 × 210 mm (A5)
Tri-fold	≈ 3.67 × 8.5 in	≈ 4.67 × 8.5 in	≈ 5.67 × 11 in	≈ 99–100 × 210 mm (DL)
Z-fold	≈ 3.67 × 8.5 in	≈ 4.67 × 8.5 in	≈ 5.67 × 11 in	99 × 210 mm (DL)
Gate fold	≈ 5.5 × 8.5 in	≈ 7 × 8.5 in	≈ 8.5 × 11 in	≈ 148 × 210 mm
Double gate	≈ 2.75 × 8.5 in	≈ 3.5 × 8.5 in	≈ 4.25 × 11 in	≈ 74 × 210 mm
Accordion (4-panel)	2.75 × 8.5 in	3.5 × 8.5 in	4.25 × 11 in	74.25 × 210 mm
Double parallel	≈ 2.75 × 8.5 in	≈ 3.5 × 8.5 in	≈ 4.25 × 11 in	≈ 74 × 210 mm
Roll fold (4-panel)	≈ 2.75 × 8.5 in	≈ 3.5 × 8.5 in	≈ 4.25 × 11 in	≈ 74 × 210 mm
French fold	5.5 × 4.25 in	7 × 4.25 in	8.5 × 5.5 in	148.5 × 105 mm

“≈” marks folds where one or more panels are trimmed slightly narrower so the piece closes flat. The exact widths depend on the paper weight and the printer’s folding equipment, so treat these as planning sizes and get the printer’s template before you finalize. Half an A4 sheet is 148.5 mm wide; the A5 standard rounds that to 148 × 210 mm.

Three sizes in that table are worth remembering. The Letter tri-fold (≈ 3.67 × 8.5 in) and the Legal four-panel folds (≈ 3.5 × 8.5 in) both slide into a #10 envelope, which is 4.125 × 9.5 in, and fit standard brochure racks. The A4 tri-fold is DL-sized, about 99–100 × 210 mm, which fits a DL envelope at 110 × 220 mm. If you are unsure which sheet your printer means by a name, our paper sizes chart lists every US and ISO size, and our A4 vs Letter comparison covers what moves when a design crosses between them.

The 8 types of brochure folds, explained

1. Half-fold (bi-fold)

One crease down the middle: a front cover, a two-panel inside spread, and a back cover. Both halves are the same width, so there is no panel math at all. On a Letter sheet it folds to 5.5 × 8.5 in; on Tabloid it folds to 8.5 × 11 in, which gives you four full Letter-sized pages.

It reads like a small book, which makes it the natural fold for menus, event programs, church bulletins and short catalogs. It can also fold the other way, top to bottom, for a tent card or a calendar. On the flat outside sheet, the back cover is on the left and the front cover on the right.

2. Tri-fold (letter fold, roll fold)

The classic brochure. Two creases divide the sheet into three panels per side, and the two outer panels fold in the same direction: one tucks inside, the other wraps over it as the front cover. A Letter tri-fold closes to about 3.67 × 8.5 in.

Because one panel tucks inside the other two, it must be slightly narrower, which is explained in detail below. The tri-fold is the cheapest fold to produce, the one every folding machine handles, and the one readers already know how to open, which is most of why it is the default.

Roll fold, four panels and up. Add more panels that keep rolling inward and you have a roll fold. A four-panel roll fold on Legal closes to about 3.5 × 8.5 in and gives you eight panels. Each panel that rolls in has to be a little narrower than the one wrapping around it, typically by 1/16 to 1/8 in per panel, so the piece does not bulge. Past four panels the stack gets thick, and getting the sequence right needs a printer’s template.

3. Z-fold

Also three panels per side, but the two creases go in opposite directions, like a letter Z or a three-panel accordion. Nothing tucks inside anything, so all three panels are equal: 11 ÷ 3 = 3.67 in on Letter, 297 ÷ 3 = 99 mm on A4.

Two consequences. First, the Z-fold opens into one continuous three-panel strip, which makes it better than a tri-fold for a timeline, a map, a numbered process or a single panoramic photo. Second, the front and back covers sit on opposite sides of the sheet. It is also the standard fold for a letter going into a window envelope, because the top third, with the address, ends up facing out. The trade-off: a Z-fold springs open a little more readily than a tri-fold, so it stacks and racks less neatly.

4. Gate fold

The two outer panels fold inward to meet in the middle over a center panel that is twice their width, like a pair of gates. Closed, the front is split down the middle; open, the reader gets a big, uninterrupted center spread. A Tabloid gate fold closes to roughly 8.5 × 11 in.

The flaps are made slightly narrower than half the center so they meet without butting or overlapping. A common spec on Tabloid is 4.21875 in | 8.5625 in | 4.21875 in, which folds to 8.5625 × 11 in; on Letter the same approach gives 2.71875 | 5.5625 | 2.71875 in. On the flat outside sheet, the two halves of the front cover sit at the far ends with the back cover in the middle, which catches people out. A design that spans both flaps, like a photo split down the center, is the gate fold’s party trick: the reader literally opens the doors.

5. Double gate fold

A gate fold folded once more down the middle. The end flaps fold in to meet at the center, then the whole piece folds in half, so there are four panels per side and eight in total. On Tabloid it closes to about 4.25 × 11 in; on Legal, about 3.5 × 8.5 in.

The reader opens it in three stages: the front cover, then the closed gates, then a four-panel inside spread. That sequence is the reason to use it. It suits premium real-estate pieces, product launches and annual highlights, anywhere you want a big reveal after a build-up. The end flaps are made about 1/16 to 1/8 in narrower than the two center panels.

6. Accordion fold

A Z-fold with more panels: four, five, six or more, each crease alternating direction like a concertina. The panels are equal, and the piece opens into one long strip on each side, so a four-panel accordion on Legal gives two continuous 14 in runs of content that fold to 3.5 × 8.5 in.

It is the fold for anything sequential: walking tours, route maps, step-by-step instructions, event schedules, product ranges. Accordions longer than a standard sheet are possible on long press sheets, but at that point you are in custom territory and should ask the printer what their equipment can do.

7. Double parallel fold

Fold the sheet in half, then fold it in half again parallel to the first crease. Four panels per side, eight in total, closing to about 2.75 × 8.5 in on Letter, 3.5 × 8.5 in on Legal and 4.25 × 11 in on Tabloid.

The two panels that end up innermost are made about 1/16 in narrower. Printers’ templates differ on which two panels those are on the flat sheet, depending on how their machines fold, so this is one fold where you should download the printer’s own template rather than work it out. It packs a lot of content into rack size, which is why it is common for maps, reference guides and product catalogs.

8. French fold (cross fold)

Fold the sheet in half one way, then in half the other way at a right angle. The result is card-sized: a Tabloid sheet becomes 8.5 × 5.5 in, a Letter sheet 5.5 × 4.25 in.

Printed on one side only, it becomes a sturdy card with a front cover, a back cover and a two-panel inside spread, with the unprinted side hidden in the folds. Printed on both sides, it unfolds completely into a full sheet, so the inside can carry a poster, a map or a calendar. It suits invitations, announcements and event mailers. Because the second crease runs across the first, it is harder to fold neatly on heavy stock, so check with your printer before you commit.

What “4-panel brochure” means

“4-panel brochure” gets used for two different things, and it is worth confirming which one a printer means before you design.

• Four panels in total, two per side. That is a half-fold. Some printers list it as a 4-panel brochure, the same way a tri-fold is a 6-panel brochure.
• Four panels per side, eight in total. That is the accordion, the double parallel, the four-panel roll fold and the double gate. These are the folds people usually mean when searching for 4-panel brochure folds.

All four of the eight-panel folds close to about the same size: roughly a quarter of the flat sheet’s width. On Legal (14 × 8.5 in) that is about 3.5 × 8.5 in, which fits a #10 envelope and a rack. Where they differ is how they open:

4-panel fold	How it opens	Pick it for
Accordion	Pulls out into a continuous strip	Sequences, maps, schedules
Double parallel	Opens in two stages to a four-panel spread	Dense reference content
Roll fold	Unrolls one panel at a time	Revealing content in a set order
Double gate	Cover, then gates, then a four-panel spread	A dramatic reveal

The tri-fold inner-panel adjustment

This is the single most useful fact about brochure folds, and the reason home-made tri-folds do not close.

In a tri-fold, the fold-in panel sits inside the other two. The outer panel has to wrap around the thickness of the paper beneath it, so the inner panel has a slightly shorter distance to travel. Give all three panels the same width and the inner panel’s edge runs into the opposite crease: the brochure bows, will not lie flat and pops open in a rack.

The fix is to make the fold-in panel narrower, typically by about 1/16 to 1/8 in (1.5 to 3 mm). Thin paper sits at the low end of that range and card at the high end. Printers vary, so use their template when they supply one. Panel widths that add up exactly:

Sheet	Fold-in panel	Other two panels	Folded size
Letter, 11 × 8.5 in	3.625 in (92.1 mm)	3.6875 in (93.7 mm) each	3.6875 × 8.5 in
Legal, 14 × 8.5 in	4.625 in (117.5 mm)	4.6875 in (119.1 mm) each	4.6875 × 8.5 in
Tabloid, 17 × 11 in	5.625 in (142.9 mm)	5.6875 in (144.5 mm) each	5.6875 × 11 in
A4, 297 × 210 mm	97 mm	100 mm each	100 × 210 mm

On Letter, the naive split is 11 ÷ 3 = 3.667 in per panel. The corrected split takes 1/16 in (1.59 mm) off the fold-in panel and shares it between the other two. The A4 row takes 3 mm off, roughly 1/8 in. A folded brochure is as wide as its widest panel, which is why a corrected Letter tri-fold measures 3.6875 in across, a hair over the 3.67 in you get by dividing by three.

The same principle applies to every fold where a panel tucks inside another: each roll-fold panel, the flaps of a gate and double gate, and the inner pair of a double parallel. It does not apply to the half-fold, Z-fold, accordion or French fold, where nothing tucks inside anything and the panels stay equal.

Panel reading order

The second most common brochure mistake, after equal panels, is putting content on the wrong panel. The order on the flat sheet is not the order a reader meets it.

For a tri-fold, the outside of the sheet, left to right, is:

Outside, left to right	Panel	Notes
Left	Inside flap	The narrower fold-in panel
Middle	Back cover	Contact details, map, next step
Right	Front cover	One promise, one image

The inside, left to right, is the three-panel inside spread. The narrow panel is on the far left of the outside and the far right of the inside: the same piece of paper, seen from both sides.

The reader meets them in this order: front cover, then (on lifting the cover) the inside-left panel beside the inside flap, then the full three-panel inside spread when the flap opens, and finally the back cover. So the inside flap, the second thing anyone sees, is the place for the hook, not the fine print.

To fold a tri-fold by hand: lay the printed sheet inside face up, fold the right-hand (narrow) panel in first, then fold the left-hand panel over it. The front cover ends up on top. When printing both sides of a landscape sheet on a desktop printer, choose flip on short edge, or the inside will come out upside down.

The other folds each have one trap worth knowing: the Z-fold’s front and back covers are on opposite sides of the sheet; the gate fold’s front cover is split across the two outer ends of the flat sheet; the double gate and double parallel open in two stages, so their first spread is only two panels wide. The universal fix takes thirty seconds: fold a blank sheet the way the brochure will fold, and number every panel in pencil before you design anything.

Scoring, paper weight and grain

A fold that looks perfect on screen can still crack, bulge or wander on paper. Three physical factors decide it.

Scoring. A score is a pressed channel along the fold line that lets the fibers bend rather than break. Without one, heavy or coated stock cracks along the crease in a white line, which is at its worst where a dark solid color crosses the fold. A common rule of thumb:

Paper	Approximate weight	Scoring
70–80 lb text	104–118 gsm	Usually folds cleanly without it
100 lb text	≈ 148 gsm	Common brochure weight; score if coated or heavily inked across the fold
65–80 lb cover	≈ 176–216 gsm	Score before folding
100 lb cover and up	≈ 271 gsm and up	Score, and keep the fold count low

Print shops set their own thresholds and many score cover stock as a matter of course. At home, a bone folder run along a metal rule does the job.

Paper weight and fold count. Every panel adds thickness. A tri-fold on 100 lb cover is fine; a six-panel accordion on the same card becomes a brick that will not stay closed. The more panels a fold has, the lighter the paper should be. Heavier stock also needs a larger adjustment on fold-in panels, toward the 1/8 in end of the range.

Grain. Paper fibers run in one direction. Folding parallel to the grain gives a clean, straight crease; folding across it gives a rougher edge and more cracking. A French fold always crosses the grain on one of its two creases, which is one reason it is fussier on heavy stock. Print shops choose the grain direction for you; at home, bend a sheet gently both ways, and the direction that gives more easily is along the grain.

Which brochure fold should you use?

Start from the job, then check the folded size fits wherever the brochure is going.

If you need…	Use	Why
A general brochure for a rack or an envelope	Tri-fold on Letter or A4	Cheapest to fold, fits racks and #10 or DL envelopes
A menu, program or short catalog	Half-fold on Letter, Legal or Tabloid	Large panels that read like a booklet
A timeline, map or step-by-step process	Z-fold or accordion	Opens into one continuous strip
A letter for a window envelope	Z-fold	The address panel faces out
A big reveal for a product or property	Gate fold	The center spread opens like doors
Lots of content at rack size	Double parallel or 4-panel roll on Legal	Eight panels folding to about 3.5 × 8.5 in
A premium piece with a staged reveal	Double gate on Tabloid	Cover, then gates, then a four-panel spread
An invitation or a poster that mails small	French fold	Card-sized closed, a full sheet open
Something memorable on a budget	Z-fold or accordion	Unusual to open, still standard to produce

On unique brochure folds: the gate, double gate and French fold feel special precisely because they are less common, and less common usually means slower and more expensive to fold, and sometimes hand-finished. Ask for a quote on the fold before you design around it. If the brochure will be mailed without an envelope, USPS has specific rules for folded self-mailers, including tabs or seals and which edge the fold sits on, so check with your printer or the post office first.

Setting up a folded brochure in Korva

For the most common case, Korva ships a Tri-fold brochure template laid out on landscape A4 (switch the page size to Letter under Page Design › Size). Our step-by-step tri-fold guide walks through the whole job, from panel widths and margins to paper and duplex printing, with setups for Word, Google Docs, PowerPoint, Canva and a page-layout app like Korva.

For any other fold, the setup is the same three steps:

1. Set the flat sheet size. In the Format pane, choose the Preset (Letter, Legal, Tabloid or A4) and switch Orientation to landscape. The status bar confirms the size.
2. Mark the fold lines. Place a thin temporary line at each fold position from your printer’s template, for example at 4.21875 in and 12.78125 in from the left for a Tabloid gate fold. Objects snap to page edges, centers, margins and other objects, so text frames and pictures line up against those lines. Remove the lines before you export.
3. Keep content off the creases. Hold text at least 0.25 in (6 mm) back from every fold line and never run a headline across one.

Then choose Press-ready PDF under File › Export, which adds crop marks at the exact page size; the Ready to print check flags anything crossing the trim edge. Korva exports RGB PDFs, or composite CMYK with crop marks and bleed for a print shop; it does not produce CMYK separations for offset prepress. It runs offline on Mac, Windows and Linux. A new user can export their first complete project free, and Pro is a one-time $49 purchase that adds unlimited exports and master pages.

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Pick the fold before you write a word: it sets the panel count, the panel widths and the order the reader meets your content. Half-folds and tri-folds cover most jobs, Z-folds and accordions suit anything sequential, and gate, double gate and French folds are for when the opening itself is part of the message. Make fold-in panels 1/16 to 1/8 in narrower, score heavy stock, and fold a numbered pencil dummy before you design. If a single sheet would do the job better, our flyer sizes guide and how to make a flyer cover that format, and our free printable templates give you a head start on either. To lay out your own with snapping and a print-ready PDF, download Korva and open the Tri-Fold Brochure template.