How big should a brochure be? The answer, of course, is that it depends on many factors, including its function, the kind of person you’re targeting and practicalities like how you intend it to reach the reader. It can also depend on what brochure format you’re using.
Nevertheless, there are some general principles to bear in mind. Here are some suggestions about different brochure design, sizes and reasons for using them, which should give you some ideas about choosing the best size for a brochure.
What Brochure Sizes Are Available?
While theoretically a brochure can be any size you want, in practice there are four industry standard sizes, each of which is ideally suited to certain functions.
8.5×11″ (21.59×27.94cm), whether half fold or trifold, is the most compact of the sizes, and this is obviously ideal if you don’t need any more space, or if small is good. For example, if you wanted a brochure to take to a trade show or to send through the mail, you might not necessarily want something large and impressive.
If you want to keep your brochure reasonably compact, however, while giving yourself a little more space, you can upsize slightly. 8.5×14″ (21.59×35.56cm) will give you more room on the pages, without becoming too bulky.
In some cases, on the other hand, large is good. If you want to go into a lot of detail (for a product description, for instance) and to include a number of images, a half-folded 11×17″ (27.94×43.18cm) brochure will enable you to fit in everything you need without looking cramped.
Sometimes, the most important aspect is how impressive your brochure is going to look. The largest standard size, 11×22.5″ (27.94×57.15cm), will convert into the perfect mini product catalogue — the kind of brochure your readers will want to keep.
What to Consider when Choosing Your Brochure Size
As we’ve seen, there are a number of variables to consider before settling on the best size for a brochure. Besides those noted above, these are a few of the most important questions to ask:
- What’s the brochure meant to do? A few examples are given above, but there are many others, and the ideal brochure size will depend largely on this answer.
- What format are you going to use? Besides the standard half fold and trifold, brochures can come in many different forms and shapes, reflecting both impact on the reader and how user friendly it is. Some formats may need a larger size than others.
- Is your brochure going to be mailed out? If so, issues to consider will include whether it will fit one of the standard sizes of envelope and what each mailing is going to cost you.
Ask the Experts
These are all questions you can answer for yourself, if you have a clear idea of what you’re doing with your brochure and consider each aspect carefully. Alternatively, if you take the job to a professional brochure designer, they’ll be able to translate your wish-list into the best possible size, among other things.
You’re very welcome to get in touch with us to talk over your brochure needs.
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.