“A Quick Guide to Tackling Hate” is a compact concertina leaflet produced for Communities Inc and partners to share clear bystander guidance on hate incidents. Designed to slip into a pocket yet unfold into a long run of concise advice, it’s aimed at social action groups and human rights champions across the community. We worked with Kat at Communities Inc to quote multiple quantities, advise on stock and folding, and finally print 10,000 pocket-sized silk concertinas ready for distribution.
About the Pocket Sized Leaflets
At first glance it looks like a tiny square booklet. Closed, the leaflet measures just 85 x 85mm: small enough to tuck into a wallet, lanyard pouch or jacket pocket. The cover keeps things calm and approachable: soft greens, rounded shapes and clear type, framed by partner logos.
Open it up and a long ribbon of panels appears. One side explains what hate is, how it affects people and when to step in; the other side lays out practical indirect and direct interventions in simple language. Icons and short paragraphs make it easy to dip into, while the concertina format naturally breaks the content into bite-sized steps.
It’s a serious topic, but the palette and typography stay friendly and legible, helping the leaflet feel like a reassuring guide rather than a warning notice.
Print Specification & Materials
The client wanted something physically small but content-rich, so we based the format on an 850 x 85mm flat size, concertina folded down to 85 x 85mm. That gives a satisfying run of square panels on each side while still keeping the finished piece neat and portable. When a message outgrows its panels, the next step up is our brochure and lookbook printing.
We printed the leaflets full colour on both sides onto a lightweight silk paper. When the order was confirmed, the team opted for a silk stock similar to a previous project, and we booked the job onto 130gsm silk for a good balance between robustness and foldability.
Silk stock has just enough coating to keep type and icons razor sharp, but it’s thin and flexible enough to fold cleanly without excessive bulk. Once printed, each sheet was trimmed, then concertina folded to the final 85 x 85mm size and packed into manageable A4 boxes for palletised delivery.
The Art of a Concertina Folded Leaflet
The strength of this piece lies in its clarity. Panels are set in alternating tints of green and white so readers can track the journey from “What is hate?” through to “Ways to intervene” without getting lost. Icons for “See”, “Report”, “Support”, “Distract” and “Directly challenge” provide quick visual anchors, ideal when you only have a few seconds to scan the leaflet.
Body text is set in a plain, friendly sans serif, sized generously for such a small format. Margins are tight but consistent, and the design cleverly avoids heavy borders near the fold lines, so minor movement during folding doesn’t spoil the layout.
When fully opened, the leaflet forms a zig-zag line of information that can be read like a timeline. Fold it back, and the sequence snaps neatly together again: a simple, tactile way to emphasise that every small action contributes to tackling hate.
Working with the Client
Kat from Communities Inc first got in touch to ask how much it would cost to print 5,000, 7,500 and 10,000 concertina leaflets, and, crucially, how quickly we could turn them around. We replied with a detailed quote, outlining costs for each quantity, a seven–eight day turnaround after artwork and some practical advice on folded leaflet design.
As the project developed, the team explored even larger runs up to 50,000 copies and asked how the leaflets would be packed and shipped. We responded with revised pricing and explained that the folded leaflets would be boxed in roughly 10kg A4 cartons and palletised for safe transport.
Once funding and quantities were confirmed, Kat placed an order for 10,000 copies and requested silk stock to match a previous campaign. Files arrived shortly afterwards via email, followed by an updated version when a late typo was spotted. We swapped in the new artwork before pre-press and created a PDF proof for final sign-off.
After proof approval and payment, the job moved quickly through press and folding. With a bank holiday in the middle, we kept Kat updated with realistic delivery expectations and then confirmed dispatch. A few days later came the email every printer loves: the parcel had arrived and everything looked great.
How Ex Why Zed Helped
For this project our focus was on guidance and reliability. We:
- Quoted a full range of quantities so Communities Inc could balance budget against reach.
- Advised on stock weight and finish to maintain crisp folds on a long concertina without adding too much bulk.
- Shared best practice for folded leaflets, including allowing leeway for folding movement and avoiding tight borders, to keep the artwork looking tidy in real life.
- Handled multiple artwork versions calmly, ensuring the corrected file went to press and providing a clear PDF proof before printing.
- Communicated delivery windows around a bank holiday, so the team always knew where the project stood.
The result is a small but powerful leaflet that has already reached thousands of people with practical, pocketable advice.
Takeaways for Your Next Concertina Leaflet
- Concertina folds are perfect for step-by-step content, whether that’s social guidance, a product range or a mini portfolio.
- Pocket-sized formats encourage sharing: 85 x 85mm is easy to hand out at events, meetings or workshops.
- Lightweight silk stocks fold cleanly and keep small type clear without making the finished leaflet feel flimsy.
- Avoid tight borders and panel-specific colour blocks; allowing a little flexibility in the design means small folding shifts aren’t noticeable.
- Ask for pricing across several quantities so you can see where the cost per copy really begins to drop.
- Build in time for a PDF proof and last-minute text tweaks, catching a typo before 10,000 copies are printed is always worth it.
For a concertina or zig zag fold of your own, our folded leaflet printing page sets out the formats, and the file set up knowledge base covers the artwork checks before you send anything over.
With far bigger panels, the Where’s Petunia? concertina folded an 898mm sheet of 300gsm silk down to a 210x148mm booklet: a search and find puzzle made as a speaker gift for HLTH Europe in Amsterdam.
Campaign leaflets like this one are a big part of what we print for mission led organisations, and our nonprofit and association printing page shows the rest, from impact reports to training manuals.
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