5 Pocket Folder Design Ideas

Presentation by Company Folders, Inc.

At Company Folders, we help customers create the ultimate pocket folder with:

• The industry's largest selection of die-cuts, stocks, and print methods 
• The only lifetime warranty for a printing company
• Styles ranging from 0-3 pockets
• A variety of sizes to fit any presentation
• View our 200+ styles of pocket folders

Number of Pockets

Zero—Several of our report covers feature fold-down or spine tabs, letting you attach documents directly to the folder.

One— A single pocket secures presentation materials, while the vacant panel(s) offer extra design space.

Two—Our most popular items, two-pocket designs come in traditional v-split pockets or one-of-a-kind die-cut pocket shapes.

Three—Triple pockets offer extra storage space, more room for media slits, and an extra imprint area.

Imprint Methods

Four color process—Four color printing works best for photos or designs with four or more colors.

PMS printing—PMS printing is best for non-photographic designs or those using three colors or less.

Foil stamping—Metallic foils are highly reflective, while non-metallic colors have the same smooth texture with less reflectivity.

Embossing—Embossing raises parts of the paper stock for visible texture. Long-fibered or textured stocks achieve the most dramatic effect.

Debossing—Debossing creates a recessed area in your paper stock. It also works best on long-fibered or textured stocks.

Learn more

Single vs. Double-Sided Printing

• Marketing materials are made of dual sided cardstock, just like ordinary paper.
• Stocks are imprinted in a flat position before being cut and folded into a final product.
• Since your product starts out two-sided, printers call those Side 1 and Side 2.
• Once assembled, Side 1 becomes the exterior, Side 2 the interior. 

You'll hear your printer talk about Side 1 and Side 2. Here's what that means:

Blog post: Understanding Double-Sided Printing

Stocks and Coatings

• Select heavier stocks (100lb or 14pt) for durability.
• To achieve a colorful background you can:
  • Print ink colors onto a white stock to create a background.
  • Print a dark stock with foil, embossing, or debossing.
• Select C1S or C2S stock if you want to add a coating to your design.  

We offer a wide selection of paper in a variety of colors and textures. Here are some tips for choosing the right one:

• Uncoated stocks will actually absorb a coating and make it invisible, whereas C1S and C2S stocks are pre-coated to prevent this from happening.
• C1S stocks are coated on one side, which usually becomes the exterior so the flashiest design element is on the outside.
• C2S stocks are coated on both sides, so you can coat any part of your design.

Only C1S or C2S stocks can be coated. Here's what that means:

Stocks and Coatings (continued)

• Custom slits hold smaller print materials such as:
  • Business cards
  • Room key cards
  • Gift cards
  • Brochures
  • CDs/DVDs
  • Flash drives
• Spine attachments affix papers to your folder's spine, like a booklet.
• Stitched brochures are sewn into the folder to provide extra brand or product info.
• Velcro closures keep your folder closed and your papers secure.

Certain folders let you add cool extras, like:

Cool Extras

See examples