7 Common Brochure Design Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Getting Your Brochure Right the First Time

A brochure is often the first tangible piece of your brand that a potential customer holds. Making it perfect matters. Here are the seven mistakes we see most often — and how to sidestep them.

Mistake 1: Ignoring the fold. Different fold types (tri-fold, z-fold, gate fold) create different panel sizes. Always design with your specific fold in mind, not as an afterthought.

Mistake 2: Too much text. A brochure is not a whitepaper. Use concise headlines, bullet points, and ample whitespace. Let visuals do the heavy lifting.

Mistake 3: Low-resolution images. Always use 300 DPI images in CMYK color mode. Images that look fine on screen can appear blurry and pixelated in print.

Mistake 4: Missing bleed. Extend your background colors and images 0.125 inches beyond the trim line. Without bleed, you risk thin white edges on your finished piece.

Mistake 5: Inconsistent branding. Your brochure should feel like a natural extension of your brand. Use your established color palette, typography, and visual language.

Mistake 6: No clear call to action. Every brochure needs a purpose. Whether it is visiting your website, calling a number, or scanning a QR code, make the next step obvious.

Mistake 7: Not requesting a proof. Always review a printed proof or detailed digital proof before approving a full run. Catching errors at this stage saves time and money.