How to Make a Brochure in Adobe Illustrator

Last Updated: June 6, 2022

A brochure is a piece of paper that includes photos, graphics and information. There are many types of brochures such as the Z-fold which has 4 - 6 panels, a bi-fold which has 4 panels and a tri-fold which has 6 panels. For this tutorial were going to create a tri-fold brochure and make it print ready. Follow this tutorial and learn how to create a tri-fold brochure using Adobe Illustrator CS5.

1

Make your file print ready.

Before you create a brochure, make sure you're using a print ready format. Here's what to do:
- Create a letter size document (11x8.5 inches) and change the document color mode to CMYK. You can do this by going to file > document color mode > CMYK Color.
- Add color swatches such as red, pink, green, yellow and dark yellow. Keep in mind that you can also choose your own colors. Written below are some combinations of the colors used on the tutorial. Red: C=0, M=67, Y=50, K=0; Pink: C=0, M=31, Y=37, K=0; Green: C=59, M=0, Y=33, K=0; Yellow: C=0, M=0, Y=51, K=0; Dark Yellow: C=0, M=7, Y=66, K=0.

2

Create a crop guide.

Now you need to create a crop guide by using a rectangular shape. A crop guide is a guide used by printers to know where to trim your brochure once printed. Create the shape with a size of 11x8.5 inches and color the stroke using the registration swatch. Change also the weight of the stroke to a 0.1 pt.

3

Create three sections.

Divide your 11 inches (27.9 cm) width-space into 3. Mark your division using guides and then place dashed lines on them. To create your dashed line use the line segment tool to create a line then click dashed line on your strokes panel or window.

4

Add crop marks to the document.

Select your crop guide or rectangular shape. Then, go to effect and click on crop marks.

5

Group everything together.

Begin by selecting everything on the page. You can do this with Ctrl + A. Then, right-click the selection and choose Group.

6

Copy and rename the group.

Make a copy of the group and rename them “FRONT” and “INSIDE.” To make a copy drag the group to your create new layer icon.

7

Create the brochure content.

Now that you have finished preparing your brochure, it's time to add editorial content. Start by creating backgrounds using your rectangular shape and selecting colors on your color swatch. Make sure that your rectangular shape is extended and not exactly fitted on your crop guide.

8

Create the front, back, and inside flap content.

Create your content by combining photos, graphics and texts. You can follow the layout on the accompanied illustration or create your own also.

9

Add content to the other panels.

Finally, it is time to add content on the left, middle and right inside panels of your brochure (or your “INSIDE” group). Once you do that, you are done.

Community Q&A

Question

I've found this tutorial really helpful, but how do I do step 10?

Community Answer

Select your page by direct selection tool (A) which you want to fold. Click on on the anchor point you want to give realistic look and drag it according to your desire. Do it with every corner of the page and there you go.