A brochure is a piece of paper with photographs, graphics and text information on it. There are many types of brochures, for example, Z-shaped, which have 4-6 strips (pages), fold in half, which have 4 stripes, and U-shaped, which have 6 stripes. As an example, in this article we will create a U-shaped brochure that is completely print-ready. Follow the directions to learn how to create a U-shaped brochure using Adobe Illustrator CS5.
Steps
Step 1. Prepare your print-ready file
- Create an A4 document (29.7 x 21 cm) and change the color mode to CMYK. You can do this in File> Document Color Mode> CMYK Colors.
- Add color swatches such as red, pink, green, yellow, and dark yellow. Please note that you can choose any of your colors. Several color combinations used in this guide are listed below. Red: C = 0, M = 67, Y = 50, K = 0; Pink: C = 0, M = 31, Y = 37, K = 0; Green: C = 59, M = 0, Y = 33, K = 0; Yellow: C = 0, M = 0, Y = 51, K = 0; Dark yellow: C = 0, M = 7, Y = 66, K = 0.
Step 2. Now you need to mark the trim line using a rectangle shape
The crop line is the borderline used by printers when printing to determine where the booklet ends. Create a 29.7 x 21 cm shape and set the color of the border line to one of the swatches. Change the width of the border line to 0.1 pt.
Step 3. Then divide your entire width (29.7 cm) into 3 pieces
Mark your separation with landmarks and draw dotted lines there. To create a dashed line, use the Line tool and then click on the Dashed Line icon to make your line dashed.
Step 4. Add crop marks to the document
To add crop marks, select your border line or rectangular shape, go to the "Effects" menu item and click on "Crop marks".
Step 5. Group all the elements
Select everything (Ctrl + A), right-click and click on "Group".
Step 6. Make a copy of this group and rename them “Front” “Inner
”To make a copy, drag the group onto the Create New Layer icon.
Step 7. Create the content of the document
Now that you've finished preparing your brochure, it's time to add some editable content. Start by creating a background using a rectangle shape and choosing colors from your swatches. Make sure your rectangle shape extends slightly beyond the crop marks.
Step 8. Add content for the front, back, and inner stripes of the brochure (or “Front” group)
Create content by combining photos, graphics and text. You can create a look according to the illustration below, or create your own.
Step 9. Finally, it's time to add content to the left, middle and right inner strips of the brochure (or the “Inner” group)
Once you have done this, the brochure is ready.
