Our guide to folded leaflets

The folded leaflet is the quintessential print product for marketing and promotional materials. Whether you’re printing brochures, programmes, menus or posters, you’ll find a multitude of folding options to choose from.

Our unique, intelligent upload system

Our intelligent software allows you to upload your files as single pages or panels, just as you would a book.

So long as the pages are numbered, or supplied in the correct reading order, our smart system - the first of its kind - will automatically place them in the correct position.

And once uploaded, you can also drag the pages to a new position if desired.

Alternatively, you can choose to supply your file with just two pages - Side 1 and Side 2. In this case, you must make sure your content is positioned on the correct panel once folded.

If you’re unsure, please use one of our templates as a guide.

The PrintMX way:

  • Unique, intelligent print file upload system
  • User-friendly
  • Drag and drop pages into place once uploaded
  • Downloadable templates available

Choose your folding method

Please note

  • The size on the price calculator is the final folded size of the paper, not the full unfolded size. This means an A5, 4-sided leaflet starts life as an A4 sheet, before being folded in half. And a DL 6-sided leaflet is an A4 sheet folded twice.
  • We crease and then fold paper that’s 170gsm or higher. Although this won’t prevent the paper from cracking outright - if you have heavy ink coverage on a folded area, it’s more likely to crack - it does help quite a bit.

Half fold (Single fold)

The single fold (or half fold) is probably the most simple folding option available. The paper is folded once along the middle, creating 4 printed panels: a front cover, back cover, and two internal panels.

Letter-fold or Roll-fold (6 panels)

The letter fold (or roll fold) is the ideal choice for displaying a large amount of information in a simplistic but controlled manner. The paper is folded twice to produce 3 sections and 6 printed panels. We also offer a letter-fold in both 8 & 10 panels on selected page sizes and paper types.

Z-fold or Concertina fold (6 panels)

The Z-fold (or concertina fold) is the best solution to split up information into sections in a folded leaflet. The paper is folded twice so that it resembles a Z shape, producing 3 sections and 6 printed panels.

Z-fold is also available in 8, 10 & 12 panels

The paper is folded in three, four or five times so that it resembles a repeating z-shape, producing 4, 5 or 6 sections and 8, 10 or 12 printed panels accordingly. * Only on selected page sizes and paper types.

Double parallel-fold

The double parallel fold supports more content within the product. The paper is first folded in the centre, before being folded a further two times to produce up to 6 sections (can also be 4 sections as the diagram shows here.)

Cross-fold

The cross fold is ideal for larger prints such as posters, maps or infographics. The paper is folded in half and then half again to produce 4 sections and 8 printed panels.

Gate-fold (open - 6 panels)

The gate fold is a very popular folding option. The paper is folded equally from either end so that they meet in the middle without overlapping, therefore resembling a gate.

Gate-fold (closed - 8 panels)

The gate fold is a very popular folding option. The paper is folded equally from either end so that they meet in the middle without overlapping, therefore resembling a gate.