JRN 302: Introduction to Graphics
and Visual Communication
- Proximity, tri-fold brochure
Thursday, 7/24/14
Class Objectives
 Lecture


Design Principle: Proximity
Project Discussion: Trifold brochure
 Homework assignments


Read Chapter 2
Suggestion: Start on your brochure
Design Principle of Proximity
 Position related/similar items together
 Make them appear as a cohesive group
rather than fighting for individual attention
 Implies closeness or relationship of items
 Also allows for easier understanding of
items
 Think of a menu- all appetizers are in one
area, all entrees in another
 Is yet another way for a designer to control
where the eye goes and the stopping and
starting of the reading
Proximity and Novice Designers
 Very often, novice designers try to fill up
the entire space of a design

When pieces of a design are scattered all
over, the page appears unorganized and
the information may not be instantly
accessible to the viewer.
 Do not fear white space created by moving
elements because of using proximity.
Proximity
 Can achieve proximity by physically moving elements
closer to each other
Quick test is to squint at design and look for chunks of
visual data
 Make it without a doubt that elements go together
 Esp. if your audience is quickly looking at design

Example of use of proximity
 Ask yourself these ?s for
each…



Where do you first look?
Where do you look next?
How do your eyes travel
around the design?

How fast can you access
information?
Example 2
 Top design definitely has
everything together…

But proximity is more than just
placing all elements near each
other; try to have an reason
why groupings occur
 Bottom design, 3 readings
being close together show they
are connected

While bottom information is
further away
Proximity
 Answers the “who”,
“what”, “when”,
“where” questions
quickly

You don’t lose the
viewer because
they just give up
 Clear
communication of
message is better
than amateur design
Proximity and Your Project
 Look at examples in your book of what
information should go together
 Again, do not fill up a design/page just
because there is the space

White space is a good thing
Why design a trifold brochure?




http://nine3nine.com/print-trifold-brochure-design-2/
http://creatingimpressions.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/
hobbymaster-trifold-brochure-01-01.jpg
http://www.chuckthomas.com/rrock/rrads.htm
http://www.visiblelogic.com/blog/2011/02/6-tips-for-trifold-brochure-design/
 They fit into


Envelopes
Display racks
 Who uses it
 Sales people
 Trade show exhibitors
want something that can
be handed out to
prospects.
 Consumers request
printed information about
products and services.
Part 2A: Trifold Brochure
 Elements you need in your design


Your logo
Photographs and/or illustrations (again, has to
be 300 ppi)

Have to be original/taken by you or downloaded
off of sxc.hu (and then turned to TIFFS)
 Resizing and resampling homework should have
prepared you to make 300 ppi images now
Part 2A: Trifold Brochure
 Elements you need in your design

Copy/text

You have to write all of this content by yourself
 Be sure to proof for grammar and spelling
 This is where people get the most points off in
spelling/grammar for part 2 (10 points possible
out of 100)


This brochure should help achieve your goal
(which you wrote way back in your company
write-up.)
Color printout from lab computer (which
means bleeds won’t print), taped/ glued/
printed 2-sided (not stapled or not assembled)
Trifold Brochure Design
 1. Front cover provides enough content to
get the reader to open the piece and read
more

Not a lot on the front in terms of text and
images because space is limited yet you
don’t want too much clutter



Include logo, company name, a tag line/slogan
Can also include a short amount of text (almost
like a title to the brochure)
Can also include an image
Trifold Brochure Design
 2. Back cover is least likely to be read

Definitely include all contact information



May also include a map (we’ll demo)
May also include a color or image
May be set up to be mailed
Trifold Brochure Design
 3. Front inside panel is very important.

State the reasons why the product or service
that is being promoted is the best and the
most suitable for clients.


May also want to include some contact
information (tel, website) here


May want to summarize best point from 3 panel
spread (so design this panel last)
It’s ok if it’s redundant.
May want to include testimonials.
Trifold Brochure Design
 4. Inside 3 panel spread


Detailed description of the different activities,
products and services of the company.
Weakest design is center aligning everything
into 3 columns

Use different
text and photo
alignment,
kerning, leading
Spread an image or text over multiple panels
Suggestions
 Avoid inside of brochure = 3 columns
centered on all


Can do 2 columns (one very large, one wide
panel)
Can do 3 columns with various alignments
 Try to have the look be consistent from panel
to panel
 Body copy on inside panel will be no more
than 10-12 points
Other things
 Don’t use more than 3 typefaces
 Images placed need to be flattened TIFFs or
transparent TIFFs
 Must have coherence between the inside and
the outside panels

May have the same graphic elements, color,
text on all panels

Try to vary these elements slightly to avoid
monotony.
Other things
 This is the most important and viewed the
heaviest for the design portion of p2 grade.



Don’t procrastinate this
Don’t give 24 point typeface and consider it
done = incomplete
Don’t leave too much empty space (as
opposed to white space) = incomplete
 It is up to you to find good examples of trifold
brochures.
Printing 2-sided on lab printers
 You can either print 2 pages and tape (not
staple) or glue them together
 Or you can try to print one 2-sided printout



Note that you may need help from the lab
attendant to do this
Or, you will have to do this by trial and error on
your own
Just make sure one side (interior or exterior)
has folds that line up
Brochure Templates
 Can use templates instead of measuring
where to fold

Types of trifold brochures

C fold (most common)
 Two ways to fold it
(determines where your cover is)
2 long panels, one shorter

Z fold
 All panels are same size
 Remember, the lab printer does not print all the
way to the edge

So you don’t receive points off for this!
Can use these templates for C-fold only
 Copy these two files to your drive/area where you
are saving files… may need to add .tif to name


8.5x11_trifold_in.tif (more important)
8.5x11_trifold_out.tif
 Create an InDesign file with 2 pages
 <File <Place
 Create a second layer (so you can turn the
visibility OFF/ON the template layer)
 Be sure to hide this layer when you print
 Suggestion is to use very light, thin tick mark fold
lines at top and bottom of 2 folds on inside
spread