by Anna Cruz

Created on: April 21, 2009   Last Updated: June 13, 2009

A brochure is one of the most important marketing tools you will need to promote your home business professionally. Handing out brochures at business conferences, trade shows, and even in strategic locations such as street corners or outside of complimentary businesses is a great way to gain new customers. You could also mail brochures in response to inquiries or even to grow awareness of your company to prospects.

Professionalism is of the utmost importance when it comes to brochure design and printing. This is why it's absolutely necessary to use a professional printing company as they can provide options, services, and quality not available when trying to print from home. If you need to cut costs, try designing your brochures yourself. Even if you don't have much experience in this field, it is completely doable when you follow the tips below.

Size tips
Be sure to design your brochure in the same size as you plan to print. In most design software, the standard template size in printing brochures is 8.5x11 and usually a tri-fold. There are many size and fold options for brochures available from a professional printing company, so decide ahead of time what look you need and choose the appropriate format.

Image tips
If you have the eye for photography, you may decide to take your own photos for the brochure. But don't despair if you don't own a digital camera or just don't have the skills, as there are several websites that provide free stock photos. Just make sure that these images are at least 300 dpi, otherwise they will appear blurry or pixilated when printed. Although some high resolution stock photos are only available at a price, if the image is right, fork over the small fee. You usually won't pay more than a few dollars, which is worth it for a perfect photograph.

Layout tips
Depending on the size and fold you have chosen, the layout will differ for each type of brochure. Fortunately, there are plenty of various brochure templates available online for free. Just make sure to choose a template that is compatible with your design program, whether you are simply using Microsoft Word or a professional software such as QuarkXPress. In general, all brochures will have a cover with an interesting headline, then a section that reveals your client's problem (usually in question form), next a section that shows how your product or services will solve this problem, and a call to action. Often brochures will also include customer reviews, awards your business has won,

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