Making a Brochure Using Microsoft Word: Working with Word

There are lots of ways to get started and if you have worked with Word before you may have your own approach. There are lots of three-fold templates available on the web, but for the purposes of this assignment you are expected to try to use the software yourself to solve problems and make your own original design. Be prepared to allow your design to evolve with the actualities that you discover in the lab. You may find very good images on the web, for example, that will help you with your design. Or you may discover that your content fits differently than you had expected. Be prepared to adapt to the facts.

Getting Started on the Computer

I assume that most of you have worked with a word processing program before and know how to use a mouse and menus. If things are unclear, try your best to understand and then ask someone who might help you. Usually someone in your group or another group is most available for quick questions. You will have to play around with your individual document and try to get beyond the basics. Try challenging yourself to learn more about the program and about design as you go. Your teacher should be able to offer you some guidance if you have questions, but try to figure as much out on your own as you can since that's how you learn (or make yourself ready to learn when you do have to ask a question).

Step 1: Open Word

You should find Microsoft Word by going to the "Start" menu (the button located in the lower left hand corner of the screen). Click on Start-->Programs-->Microsoft Word. Click on Microsoft Word and it should open. (Note: Your computer may also have a desktop shortcut for Word, in which case you can simply double-click on that icon).

Step 2: Use the Page Setup Dialogue to Change Margins and Orientation

Once you have your new document open, you need to set up the page. To set up your page, choose File-->Page Setup. You should see the following dialogue window:

First you have to change the "Margins" of the page so that you can get the maximum page size allowed by your printer. The default settings for Word are between 1" (for top and bottom) and 1.25" for the left and right margins. These are quite generous. Most printers can handle about .5" settings. Make the changes you think are appropriate (remember these can be changed later).

Once you have selected your margins, you need to select your "Paper Size," which also allows you to set the paper orientation horizontally (what is called "landscape view"), since your brochure will be folded together along its longest side. Click the Tab near the top of that window that says "Paper Size" and you should get the following window:

Under "Orientation" choose "Landscape" (see figure above) so that your document will be longest left to right. Once you are done setting your Orientation and Margins, click "OK" on the Page Setup dialogue box.

Step 3: Set the Format to Three Columns

Next go to the top menu of the page and choose Format-->Columns. A new dialogue box will open called "Columns." Change the Presets to "Three" (for three columns) and adjust other settings to the way you want them (the screen below offers suggested possibilities):

IMPORTANT: In order for each of your brochure's three "pages" to have equal "margins" (technically "gutters"), you need to make sure you select "Equal column width" and be sure to set the "Spacing" width to double that of the page margins (which you set in Step 2 above). If you set your page margins to .5 inches, make your gutter spacing 1". You may or may not want lines between your columns. Once you have set up your column settings you can close that dialogue box.

Step 4: View Your Columns and Insert Column and Page Breaks

To help you see your columns while you work, you should turn on "Paragraph Marks" and "Text Boundaries." Go to the neu and the top and choose Tools-->Options.

The Options window will open. Make sure that it is on the "View" tab and check "Text Boundaries" and "Paragraph Marks." Click OK.

Now you should see where your text will go. As you type, you should be sure to insert column breaks (between your three columns) and page breaks (between the two pages of your document, which will have two sides.) You can insert these breaks by using the top menu item Insert-->Break. A break dialogue window will open to allow you to insert column or page breaks:

To avoid confusion later, you can insert breaks now. Press the Enter key to add a blank line and then choose Insert-->Break and add a "Column break." Click OK. With your cursor at the top of the second column, repeat the process so that your cursor ends up at the top of the third column. Then insert a page break to create the second page, and Insert the proper column breaks on that page.

Step 5: Insert an Image

You will probably want to insert an image somewhere in your text. There is a lot to know about images, and your instructor will probably cover some of those issues in class. I'm just going to show you how to get an image from the web and insert it onto your page. Be sure to ask your instructor whether or not it is OK to use the specific images you have found for this exercise.

If you want a good image to get started with, try this Rutgers University logo:

Right click on the image and select "Save Picture As..." from the contextual dialogue box that opens:

Now save the picture into a folder that you will be using to save your brochure pages.

IMPORTANT: You must save your image into the same folder of your brochure pages or you will not be able to use it in your brochure.

Now that you have saved the image locally (on your computer), you can insert it onto your pages. Go to Insert-->Picture-->From File.

In your document, make sure that you have your cursor in the place you want the image. In the "Insert Picture" dialogue box, locate your picture, select it, and insert it into your document. The image should appear where ever you had placed your cursor.

To find more images, open a new window in your web browser (i.e.: Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator) and navigate to a web page that has an image that interests you. Right click on an image and save it into the same folder you are using for your brochure.

Step 6: Insert Text

I assume that you all know how to insert text and to change fonts and styles.

Step 7: Design Issues to Decide

• Page Layout. Remember that the barrell-fold brochure presents, essentially, four views to your reader: the title page, the first two inner pages, then the three inner pages together, and then the back. You also have both a front cover and a back cover. What information do you want on each page? How are you going to use these four views to communicate your message effectively?

• Section Headings. You should break up the information you present into sections, and each section should have a heading. The headings convey the logic of your document and help organize it both conceptually and visually for your reader. Ideally, headings should take a similar format and should follow logically from each other.

• Text appearance. How do you want your text to appear on the page? Do you want it centered or left-justified, for example? What fonts do you want to use? You are not confined to the fonts available -- you can also try to find free fonts on the web to improve your presentation. Play around with colors and styles until you find one you can agree upon. Try to come up with a rationale for the styles that you choose. That is, if someone asks you "Why did you make it pink?" be prepared to explain yourselves.

• Images. Would images help you to communicate with the reader? If so, then you will either have to find images (non-copyright images or Rutgers images connected to your topic should do fine) or you will have to make the image yourself.

Other things will come up in time, but if you come to conclusions about these you should do well.

Now you are ready to print out your brochure and photocopy it for the class. IMPORTANT: Be aware that some photocopiers will print differently on the front and back sheet for two-sided copies; you will have to experiment with the printer or copier you use to get the best results.

Selected Bibliography

Microsoft Office Tools on the Web. <http://office.microsoft.com/> Accessed January 31, 2001. This site offers links to invaluable tutorials and information about Word and related products. See especially the Word Assistance Center.

Baycongroup. Microsoft Word Tutorial.
<http://www.baycongroup.com/wlesson0.htm> Accessed January 31, 2002.

Daffron, Susan. "Use Word to Create a Tri-Fold Brochure." Computer Companion: The Practical Guide to Using Computers More Effectively. <http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=143> Accessed January 31, 2002. A short instruction set on using Word to make a brochure.

Hewlett-Packard. "Productivity Tools: Office Templates." HP Invent.
<http://www.hp.com/cgi-bin/sbso/office_template_brochure.cgi?nail=6> Accessed January 31, 2002.