How to Make a 4-Page Brochure in Word: Step by Step

To make a four-page folded brochure in Microsoft Word, open Layout > Margins > Custom Margins, choose Book fold under Multiple pages, and create four pages in reading order: cover, inside left, inside right, and back. Word arranges those pages for booklet printing; if you mean four separate pages rather than a folded booklet, leave Book fold off and design the pages in their normal order.

Choose the brochure format first

“Four-page brochure” can describe more than one design. A four-page booklet is made by folding a sheet in half. It has a front cover, two inside pages, and a back cover. On standard letter paper, the folded booklet’s pages are about 5.5 by 8.5 inches. On A4 paper, they are about A5 size. Word’s Book fold setting is designed to arrange this kind of document for printing.

A four-page file can also simply mean four full-size pages that you distribute as a PDF or print individually. In that case, use ordinary portrait or landscape pages and keep them in reading order. A tri-fold brochure is different: it typically has six panels, three on each side of a sheet, rather than four booklet pages. Decide which finished piece you need before laying out content, because the page size and print setup depend on that choice.

Set up a four-page booklet in Word

In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, start a blank document, then use the ribbon path Layout > Margins > Custom Margins. In the Page Setup dialog, open the Margins tab and choose Book fold from the Multiple pages list. Word changes the page arrangement for a folded booklet and generally switches the sheet orientation to landscape. The pages you edit remain in their normal reading sequence; Word handles the print order.

Set the paper size in the Page Setup dialog to match the paper you will actually print on, such as Letter or A4.
Set the booklet’s margins and, if needed, a gutter. The gutter provides extra room near the fold; choose a modest value and check that text and images do not crowd the center.
Use the Sheets per booklet setting if it appears. For a four-page brochure, keep the complete four-page document in one booklet.
Select OK, then create or insert the content for all four pages.

The precise dialog wording can vary slightly between Word builds. On Word for Mac, look under Layout > Margins > Custom Margins for a Pages or Multiple pages option such as Book fold; available labels and print controls can differ by version and printer. If you cannot find the booklet option, use Word for Windows or create a standard four-page document and use a print or PDF application that supports booklet imposition.

Plan what goes on each page

For a simple folded booklet, assign content by the reader’s experience rather than by the sheet’s physical printing order:

Page 1, front cover: Use a clear title, a strong image or graphic, and a short explanation of what the brochure offers. Include a date or organization name if it helps identify the piece.
Page 2, inside left: Introduce the subject, problem, service, or main idea. A short opening and a few scannable facts usually work better than a dense block of text.
Page 3, inside right: Add the next useful details, such as features, steps, examples, or a brief comparison. Keep related information together.
Page 4, back cover: Give the reader a next step: contact details, a web address, opening hours, a QR code, or a concise closing message.

For example, a community garden brochure might use the cover for the garden’s name and location, page 2 for membership details, page 3 for activities and growing seasons, and the back for contact information and a signup link. Keep the most important action easy to find. A reader may see the cover first and the back last, so do not hide essential contact information in small print on an inside page.

Build and control the four pages

Type the first page, then insert a page break whenever the next page should begin. On Windows, press Ctrl+Enter; on Mac, press Command+Enter. Repeat until the document has four pages. Page breaks are more reliable than pressing Enter repeatedly: extra text, a changed font, or a different printer setting can otherwise push material onto an unwanted page.

Check the page count in Word’s status bar and use View > Print Layout to see the document as pages. If the status bar does not show a count, right-click it and enable the page-count display if that option is available. Avoid adding a blank fifth page to make a design feel balanced: a four-page booklet already has the right page count for one folded sheet, and extra pages can affect printing.

For a design with columns, use Layout > Columns where appropriate, but remember that columns flow text between one another. They are not the same as separate booklet pages. For panels that need independent placement, a table with borders turned off or text boxes can help, but keep text boxes simple so they do not overlap or move unexpectedly. A conventional booklet is usually easiest to maintain when each page uses ordinary paragraphs, headings, and placed images.

Make the layout readable and print-friendly

Use a small set of consistent type sizes and styles. A clear heading hierarchy helps people scan the brochure, while body text should remain comfortable to read at the final folded size. A font that seems large on a full-screen page may look cramped once printed at half-sheet size, so check the actual-size print preview or a test copy. Leave space around headings and paragraphs rather than filling every inch.

Use high-quality images and place them deliberately. Select an image, then use Picture Format > Wrap Text to choose how text interacts with it. “In Line with Text” is stable for simple layouts; other wrapping options allow text to flow around an image but can require more adjustment. Keep logos and important text away from the fold and trim edges. Word cannot guarantee that a home or office printer will print right to the edge, so leave a safe margin unless you are using a print service that supports bleed.

For accessible content, use Word’s built-in heading styles rather than merely making headings bold and large. Add meaningful alt text to informative images and use descriptive link text instead of “click here.” Check contrast between text and background, and do not rely on color alone to communicate a distinction. These choices help readers using assistive technology and make the printed brochure easier to scan.

Preview, print, and fold a test copy

Before printing a batch, go to File > Print and review the preview. Confirm that the document has four pages, that the cover and back appear where expected in the imposed booklet preview, and that no text is clipped. Book fold may show pages in an order that looks surprising when viewed as a sheet; the finished folded booklet should still read 1, 2, 3, 4.

For a duplex-capable printer, choose Print on Both Sides in the print settings. The required flip direction depends on the printer’s feed path and driver, so follow the preview or printer instructions and print one test copy. If the back side is upside down, change the flip setting and test again. For a printer that only prints one side at a time, use Word’s manual duplex option if available, following its prompts to reinsert the paper; paper-feed direction varies among printers.

Fold the test sheet in half and check the page sequence, orientation, margins, and image placement. A simple booklet printed on one sheet has two page panels on each side. If the pages appear reversed, check that Book fold is still selected and that you printed the document as a booklet rather than selecting an ordinary two-pages-per-sheet option that does not impose booklet order.

Common problems and practical fixes

The content spills onto a fifth page: Turn on paragraph marks with Home > Show/Hide, then look for extra paragraph marks, manual page breaks, or oversized images. Reduce unnecessary spacing or resize content carefully rather than shrinking everything until it is hard to read.
The booklet prints in the wrong order: Confirm that the document uses Book fold and that the print dialog is not applying a second booklet or pages-per-sheet setting. Print one copy to verify the result.
The back is upside down: Change the duplex flip edge in the printer settings. Which choice works depends on the printer’s orientation and driver; test rather than assuming a universal setting.
Text disappears near the fold: Increase the gutter or move important content farther from the center. The fold can consume usable space, particularly if the paper is thick or the booklet is stapled.
The printed colors differ from the screen: Screens and printers render color differently. Check the printer’s paper and color settings, and use a test print for important brand colors or photographs.

When to use another tool or workflow

Word is a practical choice for a text-led brochure with a small number of pages, especially when several people need to edit the copy. It also provides page setup, image placement, styles, and print preview in one application. For a highly graphic brochure with exact alignment, extensive bleed, or commercial finishing requirements, a dedicated page-layout application or a professional print provider may offer more precise control.

If the brochure will be shared digitally, save or export a PDF and inspect the resulting file before sending it. Check whether the PDF contains ordinary sequential pages or booklet-imposed sheets, since those are different outputs and the result can depend on how it was created. A standard sequential PDF is often more convenient for reading on screen; the print shop can impose it if you provide clear instructions about finished size, folding, and paper. Ask the provider about its file specifications before preparing artwork for production.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many sheets do I need for a four-page brochure?
A basic four-page folded booklet uses one sheet printed on both sides and folded in half. If you print single-sided or make a larger booklet, the number of sheets changes. Paper size and printer duplex capability also affect the practical setup.

Does Word automatically put the pages in booklet order?
When Book fold is selected in Page Setup, Word arranges the pages for booklet printing while you work with them in reading order. Check File > Print before printing, because printer settings can affect duplexing and the final orientation.

Can I make a four-page brochure without Book fold?
Yes. Use normal page setup if you want four full-size pages in sequence, or if you are creating a PDF for later layout elsewhere. Book fold is specifically useful when you want Word to arrange a folded booklet for printing.

What is the difference between a booklet and a tri-fold brochure?
A booklet has pages joined along a fold, with a cover and sequential inside pages. A typical tri-fold uses one sheet divided into three panels on each side, giving six panels. The content planning and print setup are different, so choose the format that matches the finished piece.

Why does Word show the pages in an unexpected order when printing?
Booklet printing rearranges the panels on each sheet so they become sequential after folding. The sheet preview may therefore look out of order. Fold a one-copy test print to confirm the sequence before printing more.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

Spotted an error in this guide? Let us know.