Print ready file checklist before you send artwork to a printer in Dubai
The questions, PDF/X settings and final checks that turn artwork into files a printer in Dubai can run without calling you back.
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Brochure Design
Brochure design in Dubai
Folded brochures that walk a reader from cover to contact panel in Arabic, English or both, planned fold by fold and supplied as print ready files for the printer you choose.
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A brochure is a guided conversation on a folded sheet. The reader picks it up, sees the cover, opens a flap, then opens the whole sheet, and each step reveals a little more. Done well, that sequence mirrors how a good salesperson explains a service. In Dubai we see brochures used by clinics explaining treatments, developers presenting a project, schools outlining admissions and consultancies summarising what they do. We design brochures for businesses in Dubai and across the wider UAE, planning the fold sequence before any layout begins.
Here you will find the main types of brochure design used in Dubai and their sizes, how to plan copy panel by panel, how Arabic changes the order a brochure opens, and the finishing questions for your printer. For a single sheet with one message, see flyer design; for many pages, see booklet design. The print design hub lists everything else.
Fold types
Brochure design folds and the flat sizes behind them
Most brochure design work in Dubai starts from an ISO 216 sheet, usually A4 or A3, which is then folded. The fold decides how many panels you have and in what order they are seen.
| Fold | Flat sheet | Folded size | Panels | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bi fold | A4 | A5, 148 × 210 mm | 4 pages | Menus of services, event summaries, property highlights |
| Bi fold | A3 | A4, 210 × 297 mm | 4 pages | Project presentations with large images and plans |
| Tri fold, roll fold | A4 | About 99 × 210 mm | 6 panels | Service overviews, clinic treatments, rack display |
| Z fold, concertina | A4 | About 99 × 210 mm | 6 panels | Step by step processes, timelines, maps |
| Gate fold | A3 or A4 | Two flaps meeting at the centre | 2 flaps and a double width centre | Launches and reveals, where the inside spread is the centrepiece |
Roll fold detail
Why tri fold panels are not all the same width
In a roll fold, one panel tucks inside the other two. If all three panels were exactly a third of the sheet, the inner panel would buckle against the fold. Printers therefore make the tuck in panel slightly narrower, commonly by a couple of millimetres. Your printer will confirm the exact panel widths, and we build the file to those numbers rather than dividing the page equally.
A Z fold is different: its panels fold back and forth like a fan, so they can stay equal. Confusing the two is one of the most common reasons a tri fold arrives with text running into a crease. Heavier brochure stocks also need creasing, called scoring, before folding. ISO 216 includes a method for indicating the machine direction of paper, and folding along that grain direction helps avoid cracked ink on the spine of each fold.
Fold specification to confirm
- Fold type: bi, roll, Z or gate
- Exact panel widths from the printer
- Scoring on heavier stock
- Grain direction for the fold
- Which panel is the front cover
- Whether a printer’s folding template exists
Content planning
What each panel of a tri fold brochure design should say
A tri fold is read in a sequence, not all at once. Planning copy to that sequence stops the most important point being hidden on a panel people only see last.
Front cover
Who you are and the one reason to open it. A headline and a strong image, not a list.
Inside flap
The outer face of the tuck in panel, seen first when the cover opens. The problem you solve or the promise, in two or three lines.
Inside spread of three panels
The substance: services, treatments, features or the process, with enough detail to answer questions.
Back panel
The middle panel on the outside of the sheet. Contact details, map reference, QR code and opening hours, plus accreditations you genuinely hold. People turn a closed brochure over to find this, so keep it clean and easy to scan.
Arabic brochures
Right to left fold order in bilingual UAE brochure design
For Arabic brochure design in Dubai, the W3C Arabic layout requirements note that when Arabic is the main script, the page layout is also set from right to left. For a brochure, that means an Arabic edition opens the opposite way: the front cover sits on what would be the back of an English brochure, and the tuck in panel folds from the other side. Simply translating the text inside an English layout produces a brochure that Arabic readers open at the wrong end.
For bilingual pieces there are two sound approaches. Produce two mirrored editions, one per language, each with its own natural fold order. Or use a bi fold where each language owns one half of the inside spread, English on the left and Arabic on the right, with a shared image in between. Prices, phone numbers and dates remain left to right in both. For translated copy, see Arabic and English translation.
Prepare before the brief
- The one audience the brochure is for
- Content grouped into five or six short sections
- Approved photos and any plans or diagrams
- Contact details and QR code destination
- Arabic, English or both, and how many copies of each
- Where the brochure will be displayed or handed out
Finishes that suit a Dubai brochure people carry
In brochure design, Dubai clients often forget that the piece is handled, folded and slipped into bags, so finish matters more than on a flyer. Matt lamination resists scuffing on folds and gives a quiet, premium feel. Soft touch lamination adds a velvety surface that suits hospitality and real estate. Uncoated stock looks natural and suits sustainability messages, though photos print softer. Spot UV or foil on the cover draws the eye on a crowded reception counter but needs its own artwork layer, so mention it at the brief stage.
If a Dubai brochure design is growing past six panels, it may be turning into a catalogue or a booklet. If it will be shown on a screen in meetings, a presentation may do the job better. Our copywriting services can write panel copy to fit. Each brochure starts with a fixed written quote, scoped to your brief, and ends with a press PDF built to your printer’s fold template.
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Frequently asked questions
Tri fold or bi fold: which should we choose?
A tri fold suits a short sequence of points and fits DL racks and envelopes. A bi fold gives larger pages for photos and plans, such as property or hospitality material. Choose from the content you have, not the other way round.
How much text fits in a tri fold brochure?
Less than most people expect. Each DL panel holds a heading, a short paragraph or a few bullet points, and perhaps an image. If your copy runs longer, move to a bi fold or a booklet rather than shrinking the type.
Can the brochure also work as a downloadable PDF?
Yes, but fold order that makes sense in the hand can confuse on screen. We can export a separate reader version with panels arranged in reading sequence and clickable links.
Can you write the brochure copy?
Yes. Brochure copy is short and structured by panel, so it is worth writing with the layout in mind. Our copywriting services cover this, in English and Arabic.
Sources
- ISO: ISO 216:2007 Writing paper and certain classes of printed matter, trimmed sizes, A and B series, and indication of machine direction accessed 13 September 2026
- W3C: Arabic and Persian Layout Requirements (Group Draft Note) accessed 13 September 2026
Fixed price, in writing
Send your brief. Get a scope and a price within 45 minutes.
- One fixed number, agreed in writing before work starts
- No obligation, and no pressure to sign
- English and Arabic work, with proper right to left layout
- One team for design, marketing, web, media and copy
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