Folding guidelines
There are many kinds of folds, below are guidelines for some of the more common ones. Some folds require one or more "short panels" to allow the finished piece to remain flat. The amount of trim for the short panels will depend upon the weight and type of stock used in your project, but a safe measurement is 1/16th of an inch (0.0625").
Important Notes
- These measurements are for text-weight stocks only. Heavy cover stocks will need allowance for the thickness of the paper, so some testing or flexibility of the artwork may be required.
- Some folds require slight trimming of one or more outside edges. For best results, allow space near the edges, and supply extra bleed when possible.
- If your file is within a reasonable allowance, we may tweak the panels in premedia or during the folding process. If we don't feel we can comfortably do this, we will advise you during the proofing process.
tri/letter fold
| inside panel (short) | middle panel | outside panel (front) | |
| 8.5" x 11" | 3.625" | 3.6875" | 3.6875" |
| 8.5" x 14" | 4.625" | 4.6875" | 4.6875" |
| 9" x 12" | 3.875" | 4.0625" | 4.0625" |
| 11" x 17" | 5.625" | 5.6875" | 5.6875" |
| Custom width: |
gate 4 panel
| wide panels | short panels | |
| 8.5" x 11" | 2.78125" | 2.71875" |
| 8.5" x 14" | 3.53125" | 3.46875" |
| 9" x 16" | 4.03125" | 3.96875" |
| 11" x 17" | 4.28125" | 4.21875" |
| Custom width: |
| all panels | |
| 8.5" x 11" | 3.667" |
| 8.5" x 14" | 4.667" |
| 9" x 12" | 4" |
| 11" x 17" | 5.667" |
| Custom width: |
| all panels | |
| 8.5" x 11" | 2.75" |
| 8.5" x 14" | 3.5" |
| 9" x 12" | 3" |
| 11" x 17" | 4.25" |
| Custom width: |
4 panel roll fold
| 2 wide panels | short panel | shortest panel | |
| 8.5" x 11" | 2.8125" | 2.75" | 2.625" |
| 8.5" x 14" | 3.5625" | 3.5" | 3.375" |
| 9" x 16" | 4.0625" | 4" | 3.875" |
| 11" x 17" | 4.3125" | 4.25" | 4.125" |
| Custom width: |
