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Printing guide
Tri fold brochure size: flat and folded dimensions
A standard tri fold brochure is printed on an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet, laid out 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall, and folds to about 3.69 by 8.5 inches. The panels are not equal. A common setup makes the cover and back panels 3.6875 inches wide and the panel that folds inside 3.625 inches, so the brochure closes flat. Shops use slightly different allowances, and we adjust the panel widths before printing.
Tri fold brochure size chart
The flat size is the sheet laid on its side, with the long edge as the width and three panels across it. The panel widths follow the method in the next section.
| 8.5 x 11 in sheet | Flat: 11 x 8.5 in. Panels: 3.6875 + 3.6875 + 3.6250 = 11 in. Folds to about 3.69 x 8.5 in |
|---|---|
| 8.5 x 14 in sheet | Flat: 14 x 8.5 in. Panels: 4.6875 + 4.6875 + 4.6250 = 14 in. Folds to about 4.69 x 8.5 in |
| 11 x 17 in sheet | Flat: 17 x 11 in. Panels: 5.6875 + 5.6875 + 5.6250 = 17 in. Folds to about 5.69 x 11 in |
How the panel widths are worked out
A common method works like this. Divide the flat width by three and round up to the next 1/16 inch. That is the width of the cover panel and the middle panel. Subtract 1/16 inch (0.0625) for the last panel, the one that tucks inside, so it is a little narrower and the brochure closes flat.
On an 11 inch sheet: 11 / 3 = 3.6667, rounded up to 3.6875 inches. Then 3.6875 - 0.0625 = 3.625 inches. Check the total: 3.6875 + 3.6875 + 3.625 = 11.0 inches. For 14 and 17 inches we did the same steps and rounded up to the next 1/16 inch: 14 / 3 = 4.6667 becomes 4.6875, and 17 / 3 = 5.6667 becomes 5.6875. Those two rows are our arithmetic, not a figure from a printer's template.
The 1/16 inch is not one fixed law. Shops differ, so treat 1/16 inch as a common shop convention and ask us before you set up the file.
Fold types by name
The same sheet can fold several ways. Panel math changes with each.
| Tri fold (letter fold, C fold) | The sheet folds into thirds, which makes six panels, three on each side. One panel is narrower. See the chart above |
|---|---|
| Z fold (accordion fold) | The panels fold back and forth in a zigzag. Ask us for the panel widths before you build one. |
| Gate fold | The two outer panels fold in to meet at the center. Ask us for the exact panel widths before you build one. |
| Half fold (bi fold) | One fold, four panels. An 8.5 x 11 sheet folds to 5.5 x 8.5 inches. An 11 x 17 sheet folds to 8.5 x 11 inches |
Setting up the file
Build the file at the flat size with a 0.125 inch bleed on each side, the same bleed as in our guide on what is bleed in printing, and keep text at least 0.125 inch inside the trim. Keep text away from the fold lines too, so no line of text runs across a fold. A letter fold has two pages in the file, the outside and the inside.
On the outside page of a letter fold, the front cover sits on the right, the back cover is in the middle, and the narrow panel is on the left. That is the flap that tucks inside. On the inside page the narrow panel is the one on the right. We worked that layout out from how a letter fold closes. Before you set up the file, ask us to confirm it and to tell you which page should come first.
Pixels at 300 pixels per inch are inches times 300.
| 11 x 8.5 in flat | 3,300 x 2,550 px trim. File with bleed: 11.25 x 8.75 in, 3,375 x 2,625 px |
|---|---|
| 14 x 8.5 in flat | 4,200 x 2,550 px trim. File with bleed: 14.25 x 8.75 in, 4,275 x 2,625 px |
| 17 x 11 in flat | 5,100 x 3,300 px trim. File with bleed: 17.25 x 11.25 in, 5,175 x 3,375 px |
Mistakes to avoid on a tri fold
Three equal panels is the first one. The inside panel then has no room, and the flap bows or sticks out when the brochure is closed. Make the inside panel a little narrower instead of dividing the sheet into equal thirds, and ask us for our panel widths before you start.
The next is a cover built on the wrong panel. Check which panel is the front cover before you place the logo and headline, because it sits at the right end of the outside page. Last, watch the photos. A picture that spans two panels will have a line through it at the fold, so place faces and key details inside one panel.
Choosing a sheet and a fold
Eight and a half by eleven is the standard start. A tri fold on 8.5 x 14 gives wider panels, about 4.69 inches, and the 11 x 17 gives panels near 5.69 inches wide. The sheet size and fold change how the brochure looks in a rack or a mailer, so decide those before you design.
We print flyers and brochures in 4x6, 5x7 and 8.5x11, flat or folded, on 100 lb gloss or matte text, with folding and trimming done in house in Encino. Ask us which sheet sizes and folds we can run before you start. Send the file as a PDF.
Quick answers
People also ask
The standard tri fold is an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet laid out 11 inches wide by 8.5 tall. It folds to about 3.69 by 8.5 inches.
On an 11 inch sheet a common split is 3.6875, 3.6875 and 3.625 inches, which add up to 11. The 3.625 panel is the one that folds inside. Ask us for our widths.
The inside panel has to fit between the other two folds, so it is cut a little narrower. A common allowance is 1/16 inch, and some shops use up to 1/8 inch. Ask us, and we adjust the panel widths before printing.
About 3.69 by 8.5 inches from an 8.5 x 11 sheet, 4.69 by 8.5 from an 8.5 x 14 sheet, and 5.69 by 11 from an 11 x 17 sheet.
The cover is the right panel on the outside page. The narrow panel that tucks inside is the left panel on that page. Ask us before you set up the file if you are unsure.
A tri fold wraps inward and has one narrower panel. A Z fold zigzags, so no panel tucks inside the others. Ask us for the panel widths before you set one up.
Add 0.125 inch on every side. An 8.5 x 11 tri fold laid flat is 11 x 8.5 inches, so the file is 11.25 x 8.75 inches.
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