How to Quickly Make a Brochure In Microsoft Word Using a Template

Don’t be overwhelmed by the task of creating a brochure to promote your business. You can quickly and easily create a professional brochure in Microsoft Word using templates.

In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to make a brochure in Microsoft Word, using a Microsoft Word brochure template. First, though, let’s look at why it makes sense to use brochure templates.

Why Printed Brochures Are Important

With so much information available online, are printed brochures still relevant for entrepreneurs, small businesses owners, and marketers? 

Yes, they are, and here are just a few reasons why. 

Ever been to one of those networking events designed to grow your business? I have, too, and it can be kind of a zoo. By the time you’ve visited the first dozen booths, you can barely remember your own name, let alone what each booth presented. 

If you’re exhibiting at a trade show or networking event, handing out a brochure will help people remember your business later. It’s one of the best ways to make sure that when you’re out of sight of your prospective customer, you don’t have to be out of mind.

That’s also why it’s a good idea to have brochures available at conferences, workshops, seminars, and training sessions. At these events, people pick up brochures so they can retain business and contact information. Sure, you could hand out a business card, but a brochure offers much more. They’re a great way to deliver a focused, targeted message about your business. 

Even if you’ve got a website, there’s no guarantee that visitors will experience it the way you want them to. So it makes sense to have a brochure, too. 

And there’s one more thing: brochures last. Even if the person who picks it up doesn’t act, that person may pass it on to someone else, or leave it where a third person can find it. That means long after a particular event, that content is out there marketing your business.

The bottom line: brochures can help reinforce your brand so that people recognize and remember your business.

But there’s one problem you  might face as a small business owner: knowing how to make a brochure. In the past, creating brochures required design and layout skills, so most were created by graphic designers. 

The good news is: that has changed. You can now create brochures and pamphlets easily using the software you’ve already got on your computer: Microsoft Word. According to statistics from Datanyze, Word is one of the most-used document software programs.

Benefits of Using Microsoft Word Brochure Templates

There are several benefits to using brochure templates in Word. 

One of the main ones is that you don’t need design skills to create a stunning brochure. Templates let everyone benefit from good design without having to come up with the concepts. 

There’s no need to learn complicated page layout software or use complex apps, either. If you’ve never created a page layout before, using a program like InDesign can be challenging. Using brochure templates removes the hassle, by giving you a layout that’s easy to customize.

Then there’s speed. If you need to create a brochure in a hurry, a brochure or pamphlet template with placeholder text and images lets you create an attractive marketing tool in just a few minutes. 

What You’ll Need to Customize Your Template

Brochures are basically text and images, so you’ll need plenty of both to customize brochure templates in Word. While you can do this as you go, it’ll work better if you prepare your text in advance, and choose some images, too. Don’t worry; you can always tweak as needed later.

Since brochure copy is marketing copy, you’ll need:

• a main title
• an explanatory subhead
• subheadings for the main content sections
• text
• a call to action
• contact details
• images for visual impact

For example, your copy might include

• your main unique selling point (USP)
• a brief history of your business
• an introduction to your services or products

Here’s some more advice on writing your own copy. Now let’s get started on making a brochure in Word.

How to Create Brochure Using a Template

Once you’ve got your content ready, it’s time to choose a brochure template for Word so you can create your brochure. Word has a built-in template library, but sometimes it’s hard to find a design that really appeals.

So, if you want an even wider range of templates to choose from to suit every business need, explore the brochure design templates at Envato Elements and GraphicRiver. These online marketplaces have thousands of Microsoft Word brochure templates and pamphlet templates to choose from.

For example, here’s how you find a Microsoft Word brochure template on Envato Elements. Go to the website. Select Graphic Templates to the right of the search box so you’re only searching for templates. Type “brochure, microsoft word” in the actual search box. There will be thousands of templates to choose from. 

Use the filter boxes on the left to refine your search by orientation, color, format, and more. There are several brochure types to choose from, including bifold, trifold, booklets, and flyers. Learn more about the different brochure types in the tutorial, How to Make a Brochure. 

When choosing a brochure or pamphlet template, make sure it has a good balance of text and images, so it’ll be visually appealing. You also want to ensure it fits in with your company branding, so pay attention to color, too.  Remember, it has to stand out against other brochures and encourage people to pick it up. Keep this in mind as you select your template.

I’ve chosen a tri-fold brochure for this tutorial, which is commonly used by small businesses, and works for most uses. Here’s the template we’re going to use:

1. Download and Unzip the Template

If you already have an Envato account, then add your chosen template and get ready to use it. You’ll find it in the Downloads section of your account. Download the zip file.

Click on the file to unzip it, then go to the unzipped folder. Navigate to the Microsoft Word sub folder. 

There will be two versions of the template: Microsoft 97-2002 and one for the latest version of Word. 

Click on one of the templates to open it in Word.

If you’re using a recent version of Word, it’ll open in Protected View. Click where indicated on the notification to enable you to edit the template. 

Before you go any further, click on File – Save As in the Word menu, and give your brochure a suitable name. You’ll work on this version from now on, but the original template will be there should you wish to use it again.  

Now it’s time to start customizing it. As you work through this tutorial, remember to save your work at regular intervals so you don’t lose your progress. 

2. Explore the Brochure or Pamphlet Template

Before you start customizing, get familiar with your template, so you know exactly where you’ll be adding text and images. This template contains two pages, each divided into three to make a trifold brochure. 

When printed, the second page will be on the rear of the first. The front cover is to the right of your screen, with the back cover in the middle. This ensures that when it’s folded the most important information is visible no matter how the brochure is placed. 

Now you’re ready to customize the Microsoft Word brochure template.

3. Replace the Placeholder Text

One of the easiest places to start customizing is to replace your company name wherever it appears in the template. To do this, double click on the text you want to change to highlight everything within the text box.

Then replace it with the name of your company. 

Repeat this process wherever the company name appears in the template. 

Use the same process to edit the company address and contact details, and the company website.

Next, follow the same process to edit the brochure title. Here’s how the original title looks:

Choose something that’ll appeal to your target customer. For example, in this template, we’ve used the business strapline as a brochure headline.

You can also resize the text box to ensure that your text fits within the right space. Double click on the text to see the text box handles, then drag till it fits in the right space.

Depending on the text you want to use, you may need to adjust the font size. To do this, select the text you’ve just typed, and go to the font size selector near the top left of the screen. Choose a font size that works better for your template. 

Now it’s time to edit the main brochure text. Follow the process we used earlier to add new text to the back of the brochure. 

Feel free to edit the headlines to suit your purpose. For example, we’re going to replace the “Case Study Trifold” headline with one that says “My Customers Say,” then add some testimonials to the brochure. Here’s how it looks in the original Microsoft Word trifold template:

And here’s the edited version:

4. Replace the Image Placeholders

To complete the front of the brochure, you’ll need to upload some suitable images to accompany the text. Since images tend to draw the eye, and give a first impression of your business, it’s essential to  make these as appealing, clear, and relevant as possible. 

To change a picture, double click on one of the grey photo boxes to bring up the drawing tools menu.

Navigate to shape fill and select Picture. 

You’ll get the option to choose a picture that’s already on your computer. 

Select the picture and it’ll fill the shape. 

If you need to find suitable pictures, type your search terms into Envato Elements. 

Use the filters at the side of the screen to refine your search by picture orientation, color, and more. For example, we’ve chosen portrait orientation to match the shape of our image placeholder boxes.

In this case we’ve chosen a typewriter image. Here’s how the template looks with a couple of pictures added:

5. Customize the Inside Pages

Now that the outside is done, repeat the process for the internal pages, replacing text and images as shown earlier. 

If there are elements you don’t need on the template, you can delete them, as we’ve done with the numbers on this image. 

First, highlight the text and press Delete. Then click on the text box, right click, and press Cut.

Here’s how the cleaned-up image looks.

6. Proofread

Before you print your trifold Word brochure, proofread it and check for any mistakes. Spelling and grammar errors make your business look unprofessional, so you definitely want to avoid those. If you’re not confident in your proofreading skills, think about hiring a proofreading service. 

And look over the finished brochure to make sure all images are clear and in the right place. Remember, brochures can be around for a long time, so make sure yours is giving the right impression of your brand. 

Create Your Own Trifold Brochure From a Word Template

Now that you know how to create a brochure in Microsoft Word from a template, you’re ready to create your own professional brochure. Why not get started by downloading a Microsoft Word brochure template from Envato Elements or GraphicRiver today?