Flyer vs brochure: which should you print?
One sheet or a folded story? When a flat flyer is enough, when a folded brochure works better, and how the folds divide the page.
A flyer makes one point quickly
A flyer is a single flat sheet, read in seconds: an event, an opening, a menu or an offer. Flyers come in 5.5 × 8.5 in, 8.5 × 11 in and 11 × 17 in on 100 lb gloss text, a paper that keeps photos bright and is light enough to hand out or post.
A brochure guides the reader
A brochure is folded into panels that open in order, so it can introduce a business, explain services and end with a call to action. Brochures come flat, half-folded or tri-folded from 8.5 × 11, 8.5 × 14 and 11 × 17 in sheets on the same 100 lb gloss text, which folds cleanly.
Know what the folds do to the page
The brochure size is the flat, unfolded sheet. A half fold turns an 11 × 17 in sheet into a four-page 8.5 × 11 in piece. A tri-fold turns an 8.5 × 11 in sheet into six panels, about 3.67 in wide, and the panel that folds inside is slightly narrower so it closes flat. Build the layout on a folding template for the exact size and fold.
Choose by how it will be used
Pick a flyer for one message, a short deadline or wide distribution. Pick a brochure when people will keep it, compare options or read it at a counter. Both need 0.125 in bleed and important text kept away from the trim and the folds.
Products in this guide
designXprint editorial guidance · Reviewed September 2026. Follow the exact specification attached to your selected product.