A brochure fold is not decoration. It is the order in which your reader meets your story, and it changes both the panel sizes you design to and the price. We print 16 fold styles. Half fold is included at no extra cost, most single folds add about $19, and compound folds add about $39.
Here is every fold we offer, what each one is actually for, and what it costs.
Every fold, with the real upcharge
Prices are the fold upcharge at our standard 8.5 x 11 brochure configuration. Most print sites make you configure the whole order before revealing this, which makes comparing folds harder than it needs to be.
| Fold | Upcharge | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Half Fold | included | One crease, four panels. The largest uninterrupted panels of any fold |
| Tri Fold | +$19.30 | The classic rack brochure. Two panels wrap over a third |
| Z Fold | +$19.30 | Accordion into a Z. Every panel faces outward, opens flat in one motion |
| Roll Fold | +$19.30 | Panels roll inward one inside the next. Packs length into pocket size |
| 3 Panel Roll Fold | +$19.30 | A shorter roll fold, three panels |
| Double Parallel | +$19.30 | Folded in half, then in half again the same direction. Compact, eight panels |
| 8 Page Fold | +$19.30 | Eight panels from one sheet. Dense information pieces |
| Gate | +$19.30 | Two outer panels swing open like doors onto a double-wide centre |
| Score and Half | +$19.40 | Half fold with a scored crease. For heavier stock |
| 4 Panel Accordion Fold | +$38.68 | Zig-zag across four panels. Step-by-step guides, timelines, maps |
| Double Gate | +$38.68 | Gate fold, then folded again. The most theatrical option we print |
| Half Fold and Roll | +$38.68 | Compound fold. Half, then rolled |
| Score and Roll | +$38.80 | Roll fold with scored creases |
| Score and Z | +$38.80 | Z fold with scored creases |
| Score and Tri | +$38.80 | Tri fold with scored creases |
| Score and Double Parallel | +$38.80 | Double parallel with scored creases |
Upcharges as of September 2026 at the standard configuration. Check the product page for current pricing at your size and quantity.
What scoring is, and when you need it
Notice that several folds appear twice, once plain and once as "Score and...". That is not a duplicate.
Scoring means a crease is pressed into the sheet before it is folded. On lighter text stock you do not need it, the paper folds cleanly on its own. On heavier stock, and especially on coated stock, folding without a score cracks the coating along the crease and you get a visible white line through your artwork.
The rule: if your brochure is on cover weight or anything laminated, score it. On 100lb gloss text and similar, a plain fold is fine. If you are unsure, ask us, because a cracked fold on 500 pieces is not something you can fix after the fact.
The folds worth knowing properly
Half fold: the mini booklet
One fold, four big panels, and the only fold with no upcharge. It gives you the largest uninterrupted panels of any option, which makes it ideal for image-led pieces, simple menus and event programs. It reads like a small book: cover, spread, back.
Tri fold: the industry default
The letter fold wraps two panels over a third, making the rack brochure that fits a #10 envelope and every literature holder on earth.
Its real power is sequencing. Cover, then the inside flap teaser, then the full spread. Put your hook on the cover, your proof inside, and contact details on the back panel where someone looking for a phone number will turn first.
Z fold: the instant spread
Folded like an accordion into a Z, every panel faces outward. There is no hidden interior and the piece opens flat in one motion.
Choose it when your content is one continuous image or a timeline rather than a guarded reveal. Z folds also work well as self-mailers because there is no wrong way to open one.
Gate and double gate: the theatrical open
Two outer panels swing open like doors onto a double-wide centre. Nothing builds a reveal better, which is why product launches and premium pitches use it. The centre spread is your stage, so keep the doors simple.
Double gate folds again on top of that. It is impressive and it is the fold most likely to be opened wrong by someone in a hurry, so it suits pieces handed over in person rather than mailed.
Roll folds and double parallel: length into a pocket
Roll folds tuck each panel inside the next, so a long sheet becomes pocket sized. Double parallel folds in half twice the same direction for the same effect with a squarer result.
Both are good for narrative content that runs in sequence. Both are also the folds where panel widths differ most, which matters for your artwork.
Accordion and 8 page: dense information
Accordion folds zig-zag, so every panel is independently visible as you open it. Good for step-by-step instructions, product ranges and maps. 8 page folds pack the most panels into one sheet.
Three rules that save reprints
- Panels are not equal widths. In a tri fold, the panel that tucks inside must be slightly narrower or it buckles against the crease. In a roll fold, each successive panel is narrower still. Design to the template for your fold, never to even thirds.
- Never run type across a fold. Creases eat letters, and on coated stock the crack goes straight through the middle of a word. Headlines especially.
- Pick the fold before designing. Retrofitting a tri fold layout into a gate fold never quite works, because the reveal order is different and the panel maths does not transfer.
Common questions
What is the most common brochure fold?
Tri fold, by a wide margin. It fits standard racks and a #10 envelope, and people know instinctively how to open one.
What is the difference between a Z fold and an accordion fold?
A Z fold is specifically three panels in a Z. An accordion fold is the same zig-zag principle extended to four or more panels. Both open flat with every panel facing outward.
What is the difference between a tri fold and a roll fold?
A tri fold wraps two panels over one. A roll fold tucks each panel inside the next, so with three panels they look similar but the panel widths differ, and a roll fold scales to more panels where a tri fold does not.
Do I need scoring on my brochure?
On heavier or coated stock, yes, or the coating cracks along the crease and shows as a white line. On standard text weight, a plain fold is fine.
Which fold is cheapest?
Half fold, which carries no upcharge at all. After that most single folds are the same price as each other, so choose on function rather than cost.
Why are the panels different widths?
Because a panel that folds inside another has to be slightly narrower to sit flat. If all panels were identical the piece would not close properly. This is why designing to exact thirds fails.
Can I get a folding sample first?
The order form asks whether you have a folding sample, which matters for unusual or compound folds. If you have a physical piece you want matched, say so and send it. For standard folds it is not needed.
How many panels can I get from one sheet?
Up to eight with an 8 page fold or a double parallel. Beyond that you are into booklets rather than brochures, which are bound rather than folded.
If you have more to say than a fold can hold
The answer is usually fewer words rather than more panels. A tri fold that earns a phone call beats a twelve panel piece nobody finishes reading.
If you genuinely need the length, booklets are the right product. They are bound rather than folded, so page count stops being a constraint.
Every file, folded or flat, gets a free hand check with panel positions verified against the fold you chose before printing. Browse glossy brochures or the full flyers and brochures range.