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Folding paper can serve a greater purpose than just the ability to reduce a page’s overall size. By carefully selecting a few folds, your brochure or direct mail piece can quickly become an engaging piece of marketing. To provide you with a better understanding of what can be accomplished, we have compiled some examples below of the various types of folding techniques.

folded paper types for digital printing and offset printing

Folding paper can be categorised into two main groups: parallel folds and combination folds. Parallel folds involve folding the paper vertically in a manner that the folds run parallel to each other, like a roll fold. Combination folds combine two sets of parallel folds at right angles, like a half fold then tri fold.

Once the fundamentals of folding are understood, you can expand your creativity by incorporating short or Asymmetric folds, making the opportunities for producing uniquely creative and engaging projects limitless.

Expanding the possibilities even further are short folds, which are folds that are not folded all the way to the other edge. Most of the common folds above can have shortened panels to any length. These folds can be on the inside or the outside, top or bottom.

Parallel folds

Utilising parallel folds allows for the creation of a final product, as well as being incorporated into a book to introduce distinctive fold-out sections. The list below is a descriptive overview of several typical parallel folding techniques:

  • Tri-fold or Letterfold: The tri-fold, also known as the letterfold, is the most popular method for fitting A4 pages into a DL envelope. The page is folded into thirds, with both outside panels folded inwards.
  • Z-Fold: The two edge panels are folded in opposite directions, resembling the letter "Z" and creating a zigzag pattern in the document layout.
  • Half Fold: Folding a page along the centre results in a document with four pages, transforming an A4 sheet into a four-page A5 brochure.
  • Double Parallel Fold: This folding technique involves folding the page vertically through the centre and then folding it again down the centre, which creates a double parallel fold.
  • Roll Fold: Each panel is folded or "rolled" in the same direction, creating a document with sequential, stacked sections.
  • Gate Fold: The gatefold presents itself like an opening gate, with outer panels folded into the centre.
  • Open Gate Fold: Two additional panels are folded outward in opposite directions, creating a visually dynamic and expanded layout.
  • Closed/Double Gate Fold: Outer panels are folded inward towards the centre, with an additional fold down the centre line, creating a document with multiple sections.
  • Accordion/Concertina Fold: This is achieved by folding a sheet of paper in alternate directions, creating a compact and expandable document resembling the musical instrument's bellows.
Parallel folds 600px

Combination folds

The simplest combination fold is the French or right-angle fold which is a sheet simply folded in half in both directions. Here we have described several typical combination folding techniques:

  • Tri-fold plus half: Combines a standard tri-fold, where two outer panels are folded inward, with an additional half-fold, resulting in a document with an extended layout and increased sections.
  • Z fold plus half: This involves a Z Fold, where two edge panels are folded in opposite directions, followed by an additional half-fold, resulting in a document with a distinctive layout.
  • French fold/Right Angle: The sheet is folded in half, and then folded again at a right angle to the initial fold, resulting in a quarter-sized document with a clean and square appearance.
Combination folds 600px

Asymmetric folds

Folds can take on unique shapes by utilising asymmetry. Off-centre folding or incorporating shorter panels allows for diverse creative possibilities and enhances reader engagement. The following are examples of several common asymmetric folding:

  • Tri-fold with one short panel: The three panels are of varying lengths, with one panel shorter than the others to create an uneven distribution of the folded sections.
  • Short panel: One sheet can be folded with a short panel on one side, allowing for an extra fold-out panel to be added to a document, page, or book cover. This technique is effective at showcasing artwork across the fold.
  • Asymmetric gate fold: The outer panels are of unequal width, creating an asymmetrical presentation when folded into the centre to create an engaging piece.
  • Stepped accordion: A sheet is folded in an accordion style but with alternating step-like heights in the panels.
Asymmetric folds 600px

Short folds

These folds are used to create compact and organised printed materials, resulting in a compact and easily navigable size. Some of our more commonly used short folds include:

  • Tri-fold plus short fold: This combines a standard tri-fold with an additional short fold, resulting in a document with three sections, which opens from the bottom up.
  • Z fold plus short fold: Involves a Z Fold, where two edge panels are folded in opposite directions, followed by an additional short fold, resulting in a document with a zigzag pattern and a shorter folded section.
  • Half plus short fold: A sheet is folded in half, and one of the halves is then folded again, resulting in a document with a shorter folded section.
Short folds 600px

Lane Communications is here to help

We hope our guide on paper folding can help turn your next print job into an engaging masterpiece. If you require any further explanation or have inquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact your Lane Communications Account Manager, and we will gladly help.

This folded paper for printing guide is available to download.

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