A pamphlet is an unbound printed work, usually with a paper cover or a short essay or treatise, usually on a current topic, published without binding . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths (called a leaflet), or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book. In order to count as a pamphlet, UNESCO requires a publication (other than a periodical) to have "at least 5 but not more than 48 pages exclusive of the cover pages";a longer item is a book.

The pamphlet is the poor man’s brochure. Usually printed in a single colour and sometimes photocopied, it’s usually a document that’s produced at the last minute and with very little notice.

The pamphlet has been widely adopted in commerce, particularly as a format for marketing communications. There are numerous purposes for the pamphlets, such as product descriptions or instructions, corporate information, events promotions or tourism guides and are used in the same way as leaflets, brochures and Z-CARD.

Pamphlets are inexpensive to produce and are regarded as a very effective form of direct marketing by media experts. Their widespread use intensified with the spread of desktop publishing systems. In recent years, the production of pamphlets through traditional printing services has been supplanted by Internet services; customers may send designs and receive final products by mail.

Pamphlets are normally printed on non coated stock such as copy paper and saddle stitched. As we know, his process is not only cost effective, it’s also quick, which makes it an ideal choice when it comes to send out some information.

In the right situation pamphlets do their job very well. They can be printed and bound quickly at a very low cost.

Pamphlet Design Tips

The first thing to remember when creating your pamphlet is to keep the design consistent. Keeping the margins and headers the same throughout creates a professional image which will ultimately help deliver your message. This type of consistency can best be achieved through a template. Try to keep your fonts to a minimum. Arbitrarily using several font sizes and types will only lessen the appeal of your publication.

Also, avoid italicized typefaces. This will often slow down the reader. The body of your publication should be sized between 9 and 11 points. A good rule of thumb is to set leading text two or three points higher than the body text size. Most people read from left to right. This being the case, don't make it difficult for them. Avoid inflicting irregular shaped blocks of type. For maximum readability use headlines and sub-headings. Finally, ask your printer. They are professionals and have some great insight on newsletter and pamphlet design.