Creating a brochure may look simple at first glance some text, images, colors, and a clean layout. But behind every professional-looking PDF brochure, there’s a very specific setup process that depends entirely on where and how the document will be used.

Is it meant for print or digital use?
Will it be downloaded, emailed, or physically printed?

These questions change everything from color profiles and margins to export settings and final quality.

In this article, we’ll break down:

• The key differences between print and digital brochures

• Why setup from the start is critical

• Exact A4 margins and bleed values

• RGB vs sRGB vs print color logic

• How Affinity makes this process easier

• Where Adobe Illustrator fits in

• And the 5 core principles where all professional tools meet

We’ll use a real travel brochure example, created in Affinity, which you’ll soon be able to see live in our portfolio.

Why the Setup Matters More Than the Design

One of the biggest mistakes we see is starting a document without knowing its final purpose.

A brochure designed for screen:

• Can look amazing on a laptop

• But print terribly on paper

A brochure designed for print:

• May look “dull” on screen

• But print perfectly at the press

This isn’t a design problem—it’s a setup problem.

Once a document is created with the wrong settings:

• Colors shift

• Images lose quality

• Text edges look soft

• Printers request revisions

• Files need to be rebuilt or rasterized

That’s why deciding print vs digital before you start saves time, money, and frustration.

Print vs Digital Brochures: The Core Differences

Digital PDF Brochure (Screen Use)

Used for:

• Websites

• Email attachments

• Online catalogs

• Tablets and mobile devices

Key priorities:

• Vibrant colors

• Smaller file size

• Fast loading

• Screen clarity

Print PDF Brochure

Used for:

• Offset printing

• Digital print shops

• Professional presses

Key priorities:

• Color accuracy

• Proper bleed

• Sharp text and vectors

• Printer compatibility

These two formats may look identical but technically, they are very different documents.

Color Modes Explained: RGB, sRGB, and Print Reality

Digital Use: RGB & sRGB

For digital brochures, we work in:

• RGB

• Preferably sRGB

Why?

• sRGB is the most consistent color space across screens

• It prevents unexpected color shifts on different devices

• It keeps file sizes optimized

In Affinity, this allows:

• Brighter blues

• Cleaner gradients

• More vibrant imagery

Perfect for travel brochures where photos and landscapes matter.

Print Use: Why RGB Still Matters (At First)

Here’s a common misconception:

“Print = CMYK from the start”

In modern workflows, especially with Affinity, this isn’t always necessary.

We often:

• Design in RGB

• Export with print-ready PDF profiles

• Let the printer handle final color conversion

Why?

• Printers use different machines and profiles

• Early CMYK conversion can flatten colors

• Modern RIP systems handle this better than manual guessing

The key:
Know your printer—and export correctly.

A4 Document Setup: Print vs Digital

Standard A4 Size

• 210 × 297 mm

A4 Print Setup (Recommended)

Margins

• Inside: 15–20 mm

• Outside: 15–20 mm

• Top: 15–20 mm

• Bottom: 20–25 mm (for binding or trimming tolerance)

Bleed

• Standard: 3 mm on all sides

• Final document size becomes:

  • 216 × 303 mm (with bleed)

Why bleed matters

• Prevents white edges after trimming

• Ensures full-bleed images reach the edge

• Mandatory for professional printing

A4 Digital Setup

Margins

• 10–15 mm (more flexible)

• Optimized for readability, not trimming

Bleed

• ❌ Not needed

Focus

• Clean spacing

• Comfortable reading on screens

• Logical flow for scrolling and zooming

Why Print and Digital Layouts Feel Different

Even with the same content:

• Print layouts must breathe

• Digital layouts can be tighter

• Print requires more safety space

• Digital allows edge-to-edge viewing

This is why duplicating one file for both uses rarely works well.

Professional designers create two exports or two versions from one well-planned source file.

Why Affinity Makes This Workflow Easy

Using Affinity for this travel brochure gave us several real advantages:

1. Proper Setup from the Start

• Easy document presets

• Clear bleed and margin controls

• Visual guides that actually make sense

2. Non-Destructive Design

• Text stays editable

• Vectors stay vectors

• Raster elements are controlled, not accidental

3. Export Flexibility

Affinity allows:

• Multiple PDF presets

• Digital-optimized exports

• Print-ready exports

• Easy size variations without rebuilding layouts

This is especially useful when clients ask for:

• A4 print version

• Screen PDF

• Reduced-size email version

All from one source file.

What About Adobe Illustrator?

Adobe Illustrator is still:

• Extremely powerful

• Industry-standard in many studios

• Preferred for heavy vector-only workflows

But for multi-page brochures:

• Illustrator isn’t always the most efficient

• Page handling can feel forced

• Exporting multiple versions takes more steps

Affinity handles document-style design (like brochures) more naturally especially when speed and clarity matter.

5 Professional Principles Where All Tools Meet

Regardless of whether you use Affinity or Adobe, true professional work always follows these rules:

1. Purpose First
   Print or digital is decided before design starts.

2. Correct Color Management
   No guessing. Profiles matter.

3. Clean Margins & Bleed
   Printers don’t fix layout mistakes.

4. Export Awareness
   PDF for screen ≠ PDF for print.

5. One Source, Multiple Outputs
   A smart file saves hours later.

Tools change. Principles don’t.

Real Travel Brochure: From Screen to Print

The travel brochure we’re finishing now:

• Was designed with both outputs in mind

• Uses clean RGB visuals

• Exports flawlessly for digital viewing

• Converts cleanly to print-ready PDF

You’ll be able to see:

• The digital version

• The printed version

• And how close they are—without compromises

This is the result of proper setup, not luck.

Final Thoughts

Print and digital design are not rivals, they’re different destinations.

When a brochure is built correctly:

• Printing becomes predictable

• Digital versions look sharp everywhere

• Clients stop asking for fixes

• And designers stay in control

With the right setup, and the right tools creating professional PDFs becomes not just easier, but repeatable.

If you’re planning a brochure, catalog, or print-ready document and want it done once, properly, we’re always happy to help.