A common mistake we often encounter in the Repro department involves incorrectly setup artwork for documents that fold more than once. A good example of this would be flyers and brochures that contain 6 or more pages. Documents such as these are normally designed to either be finished with a concertina fold (also called a ‘z’ fold) or a roll fold. Both names are fairly descriptive of their outcome.
Z Fold Leaflet
The z fold leaflet is folded in equal parallel parts much like an accordian and will resemble a ‘z’ from above when opened out. This zig zag style of leaflet is much easier to setup as it requires the flat page to be divided exactly into the required number of panels and will back up perfectly on the reverse.
Example:
A typical DL sized Z fold with 6 pages will fold into three equal sections measuring 99mm x 210mm. This leaflet size is very common as it originates from an A4 page which is in effect just folded twice. Because of this, the guides and back up will be exactly the same on the reverse.
Roll Fold Leaflet
The roll fold is a little more tricky. It involves the largest two panels being the same size at one end with the rest of the panels being incrementally smaller so that they can fold into each other and nest correctly. This means each panel is slightly different in size and the designer has to consider the back up very carefully.
Example:
A typical DL sized roll fold will have three sections, two of which will make up the front and back cover and are the largest at 100mm each. The third panel needs to fold inside neatly without buckling the leaflet and therefore needs to be slightly smaller. As this leaflet will usually originate from an A4, so the last measurement must be 97mm. The first diagram shows the outside spread of the leaflet which includes the front and back cover on the right. The second diagram shows the inside spread which is the exact inverse and reverse of the measurements on the front. This is where most people slip up. The outside spread must start with the lowest measurement on the left and the inside spread, the lowest measurement on the right – remember, they have to back up correctly and so they are not the same on both sides!
The simplest way of checking that everything works is obvious. Print it, cut it out and fold it up! If the margins and text line up correctly and the folding is flat without buckling, you have successfully created your leaflet. Congratulations! Output a high resolution PDF (don’t forget the bleed!) and send it to us for fast turnaround, quality printing.
Use the DL leaflet printing experts
An easy way to avoid 6-page DL leaflet for print setup problems is to contact us for help. PrintHouse has three decades of experience setting up leaflets of all shapes and sizes, ready for printing on one of our presses.
We can, therefore, assist with your DL leaflet setup and, at the same time, provide you with a price to print your leaflet. Give us a call today on 020 8963 0123, drop us an email or simply use the form below to reach out. We look forward to assisting you.
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