A basic knowledge of folding techniques is an essential tool for any designer. Having an understanding of the different types of folds can help to elevate your designs and to better communicate with producers and other designers.
Half Fold
The half fold (also known as hamburger style) is the most basic fold! Just fold the paper in half the short way, and you have your half fold.
Tri-Fold
The tri-fold (also known as the three panel roll fold) is a fold often seen for pamphlets and hand-outs. This fold segments the paper into three quarters, giving six total panels for content. To create a tri-fold, fold the right side of the paper twice (roll it over), creating three equal segments.
Z-Fold
The z-fold (also known as the 3-panel accordion fold) is another fold type that is commonly used for pamphlets, as it also provides six panels for content. To create the z-fold, fold the right size of the paper in, then the farthest left panel back, creating three equal sized segments in an accordion manner.
4-Panel Accordion Fold
The 4-panel accordion fold is another type of accordion fold that divides that four segments, leaving a total of 8 (front and back) panels for content. For the accordion fold, fold the paper forward and backward, creating four equal accordion sections.
3-Panel Gate Fold
The 3-panel gate fold creates two equal sized panels and one large panel. To achieve the 3-panel gate fold, fold the left and right sides so they touch the middle of the sheet.
Double Gate Gate Fold
The double gate fold is very similar to the 3-panel gate fold, just with an extra fold in the middle. To create this fold, fold the paper hamburger style, then fold the left and right size of the paper to meet where that fold is.
Double Parallel Fold
The double parallel fold is like folding your paper hamburger style twice. Begin by folding hamburger style, then fold hamburger style once more, so the folds tuck into each other.
Vertical Half Fold
The vertical half (also known as hotdog style) fold is just as simple as the regular half fold. Just fold your paper in half the long way, and you have your vertical half fold.
French Fold
The french fold (or the quarter fold) is a fun fold that divides the paper into four quarters. Begin by folding your paper hamburger style. Then rotate it so the fold is on the top and fold it hamburger style once more.
Map Fold
The map fold is a fold commonly seen for, well, maps. It is similar to the french fold but instead of using hamburger fold for your second fold, you use a tri-fold.