How to Make a Brochure in Microsoft Word

Templates make creating one easy

A person holding a brochure.

Shutterstock / Public Domain

by Joli Ballew
Microsoft MVP, Lynda.com trainer, Microsoft Press author, and college professor.
Updated August 07, 2019

A brochure is generally a single page of text and images that is folded in half (bifold) or in threes (trifold). The information often introduces a particular product, company, or event. Brochures may also be called pamphlets or leaflets. You can create one in any version of Word by opening one of the application's many templates and personalizing it to suit your needs. You can also create one from scratch by opening a blank document and using the page layout options, creating your own columns and designing your template from scratch.

This guide applies to just about any version of Microsoft Word, including Word 365, Word for the web, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, Word 2007, and Word 2003.

How to Create a Brochure from a Template

The easiest way to create a brochure in any version of Microsoft Word is to start with a template, which already has the columns and placeholders configured. You only need to input your own text and images.

  1. Select File > New.

    How to create a brochure form a template in Microsoft Word.
    Lifewire

  2. Type "brochure" into the Search for Online Templates field and press Enter.

    Screenshot of various templates in Microsoft Word 365

  3. Select the style you want and press Create to download the template. It will automatically open up in a new Word document when the download finishes.

From here, you can replace the placeholder text with your own copy. You can also change the template's default photos by right-clicking on them and selecting Change Picture.

How to Create a Brochure From Scratch

Although we highly suggest you use a template to create your brochures, it's possible to create them from scratch. Here's how:

  1. Go to the Layout tab and select Columns to choose the number of columns you want to add. Pick two if you want a bi-fold and three if you want a tri-fold.

    Screenshot depicting how to create a brochure from scratch in Word 365

  2. If you want to change the document's orientation, select Orientation under the Layout tab.

    Orientation is set to Portrait by default.

    Screenshot depicting how to make a brochure from scratch in Word 365

  3. Add your text. You can go to the Home tab to choose fonts, font sizes, and font colors, and to add bulleted lists or numbered lists.

  4. You can add photos by clicking on the spot in the copy you want them to go and selecting Insert > Pictures.

  5. If you want to save your brochure as a template, go to File > Save As and choose Word Template (*.dotx) from the list of file options.