- Flat size: 11" × 8.5" (landscape US letter)
- Folded size: 3.67" × 8.5"
- With bleed (0.125"): 11.25" × 8.75"
- Front fold positions: 3.6875" and 7.375" from left
- Back fold positions: 3.625" and 7.3125" from left (mirrored)
- Safe zone: 0.25" inside trim on all edges
The flat sheet — where everything starts
A trifold brochure starts as a single flat sheet of paper: 11 inches wide × 8.5 inches tall (US letter in landscape orientation). This is the same paper size used for standard office printing, which makes trifold brochures cost-effective — printers don't need custom paper sizes. These dimensions apply to both brochures and pamphlets — the physical format is identical regardless of the content type. See pamphlet examples using these exact dimensions →
When you add bleed (the extra area beyond the trim line that gets cut off), the total file size becomes 11.25" × 8.75". This is what your printer expects to receive.
Panel widths — they're not all equal
This is the detail most people miss. The three panels of a trifold brochure are not all the same width. The panel that folds inward (the inside flap) must be slightly narrower so it doesn't stick out when the brochure is folded.
| Panel | Width | At 300 DPI (pixels) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left panel | 3.6875" | 1,106 px | Full-width panel |
| Center panel | 3.6875" | 1,106 px | Full-width panel |
| Right panel (inside flap) | 3.625" | 1,088 px | 1/16" narrower to nest inside |
The 1/16" (0.0625") difference seems tiny, but it's critical. Without it, the inside flap either won't fold flat or will create a visible bump in the finished brochure. Every commercial printer expects this sizing.
Fold positions — front vs. back (they're different)
This is the most commonly misunderstood aspect of trifold brochure dimensions. The fold positions on the front and back sides are not the same. They're mirrored, because what's left on the front becomes right on the back when you flip the sheet.
| Side | Fold 1 (from left) | Fold 2 (from left) | At 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front side | 3.6875" | 7.375" | 1,106 px / 2,213 px |
| Back side | 3.625" | 7.3125" | 1,088 px / 2,194 px |
Why are they different? When you flip a sheet of paper, left becomes right. The narrower panel (3.625") is on the right side of the front — but on the left side of the back. This means the fold lines shift slightly when you look at each side independently.
When you export a print-ready PDF from Kreatos, the front and back pages have correctly mirrored fold marks. You don't need to calculate these positions yourself — the geometry engine places them precisely at the right pixel positions for both sides.
Bleed — why your file is bigger than your brochure
Bleed is the extra area of your design that extends beyond the trim line. It exists because paper cutters aren't perfectly precise — they can be off by a fraction of a millimeter. Without bleed, a slightly off-center cut would leave a white edge on one side of your brochure.
The standard bleed for trifold brochures is 0.125" (1/8 inch) on all four sides. This means:
| Measurement | Without bleed | With bleed |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 11" | 11.25" (+0.125" each side) |
| Height | 8.5" | 8.75" (+0.125" each side) |
| At 300 DPI | 3,300 × 2,550 px | 3,375 × 2,625 px |
Your background colors, images, and patterns should extend into the bleed area. Text and logos should not — they should stay within the safe zone.
Safe zone — where your content actually lives
The safe zone (also called the safety margin) is 0.25" (1/4 inch) inside the trim line on all edges. All important content — text, logos, phone numbers, QR codes — must stay within this zone.
Content between the safe zone and the trim line (the "risk zone") might be cut off if the trimming is slightly off. Content in the bleed area will be cut off — that's its purpose. Here's the hierarchy:
| Zone | Distance from trim | What goes here |
|---|---|---|
| Bleed | 0.125" outside trim | Background colors/images only. Will be cut off. |
| Risk zone | 0–0.25" inside trim | Non-critical design elements only. May be cut off. |
| Safe zone | 0.25"+ inside trim | All text, logos, and critical content. Protected. |
Skip the math — let Kreatos handle the dimensions
Paste your URL. Kreatos generates a trifold brochure with every measurement, fold position, and bleed spec already configured.
Crop marks and fold marks — the printer's guide lines
Crop marks and fold marks are thin lines placed outside the trim area of your brochure. They tell the printer exactly where to cut and fold. Here's what Kreatos includes in every export:
| Mark type | Count | Position | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crop marks | 8 | At each corner, extending into bleed/slug area | Show the printer where to trim the paper |
| Fold marks (front) | 2 pairs | At top and bottom edges, at fold positions | Show where to fold — front side positions |
| Fold marks (back) | 2 pairs | At top and bottom edges, mirrored positions | Show where to fold — back side (mirrored) |
These marks are placed in the slug area — the space between the bleed edge and the edge of the PDF page. The slug is 0.25" wide in Kreatos exports, giving the marks room to sit outside the bleed without interfering with the design.
Common mistakes — don't make these
1. Using equal panel widths
If all three panels are exactly 3.667" wide, the inside flap won't fold flat. It'll stick out slightly and look unprofessional. The inside flap must be 1/16" narrower (3.625" instead of 3.6875").
2. Forgetting to mirror back-side folds
The fold positions on the back are not the same as the front. If you use the same fold positions for both sides, your panels won't align when printed double-sided. Kreatos automatically mirrors these positions.
3. Placing text in the bleed zone
Text that extends into the bleed will be partially cut off. Even text near the trim edge (but inside it) risks being cut. Keep all text at least 0.25" inside the trim line.
4. Designing at 72 DPI
Screen resolution (72 DPI) looks fine on a monitor but prints blurry. Commercial printing requires 300 DPI minimum. If your images are sourced from the web, they may not have enough resolution for print.
5. Using RGB color mode
Screens use RGB; printers use CMYK. Colors shift during conversion — especially bright blues and greens. Design in CMYK if possible, or accept that your printed colors may differ slightly from screen.