9-Panel Perfection: Tell Your Brand Story with a Unique Mailer
Marketing is all about attracting attention, but how do you do that exactly? One awesome strategy is to use a unique mailer like the Rectangular 9-Panel Reveal to engage your audience and drive sales.
And while that could be easier said than done, we have the ‘done’ part covered with expert design and print advice from Foldfactory founder Trish Witkowski. Plus, two of Smartpress’ very own clients let us in on their experience with this specialty fold and how it gave their brands a boost.
Rectangular 9-Panel Reveal: 80# Coated Matte Cover with Flat Matte Coating on both sides, 28.6 x 19.5″
What is a Rectangular 9-Panel Reveal?
Whether you design them as folded mailers or custom brochures, Rectangular 9-Panel Reveals inject unexpected excitement into your print marketing. Part of our exclusive Designer Folds collection, it features a tri-fold that flips the script on the format with panel after panel opening to the left and right. How many panels? You guessed it: nine.
It’s a perfect example of creative direct mail and gives you plenty of space to include product images, branded content, pictures of your staff and so much more – you can even reveal an entire image across all nine panels, with each one acting like a piece of a bigger branded puzzle. (Hint: More ways to use it below!)
Customize Your Mailers
We wouldn’t be the premium online printer we are without custom options, so the Rectangular 9-Panel Reveal has many to play with. When you consider how to make a brochure or mailer like this, you want to explore coated and uncoated paper stocks, text and cover paper weights, double-sided printing and ultra gloss UV and flat matte coatings. And you get to – when you print on demand with Smartpress.
You also get to personalize each one with variable data printing, print them with different designs using Versions and do it all with our folded mailer template (under Layout Guides here).
And since Rectangular 9-Panel Reveals can be mailed with or without an envelope, we smooth out the sending process with full mailing services, like list processing, addressing and more. See? We don’t skimp on the customizing around here.
How to Use Rectangular 9-Panel Reveals
With a unique mailer like this, its uses are super versatile. From promos and direct mail campaigns to informational pamphlets, photography portfolios and trade show brochures, the Rectangular 9-Panel Reveal can do it all. It can even be turned into invitations and greeting cards. It’s a creative piece, so get creative with your content like two of our own clients.
“It delivers an engaging user experience, while sharing a substantial amount of information in a compact design.”
Share Service Details
For Will Hill, chief strategy officer for the nonprofit Poetice, the Rectangular 9-Panel Reveal was used to provide mission trip opportunities and details to potential participants. Utilized at Poetice events and fundraisers, it was the engaging outreach asset Hill was looking for.
“The goal was to create something distinctive that would break away from the conventions of traditional nonprofit media,” said Hill. “When I discovered the 9-panel format, I immediately recognized its potential to deliver an engaging user experience, while sharing a substantial amount of information in a compact design. The unfolding process naturally guided the reader through different aspects of our story in a deliberate and impactful way, allowing us to showcase our message with clarity and creativity.”
Showcase Imagery
As a graphic designer at South Oxford Management, Alex Steigenberger was tasked with creating a unique marketing asset for a unique apartment community. To match the thoughtful design concept of Heirloom Flats, Steigenberger needed a print format that could tell a story as equally thoughtful.
“I wanted the brochure to tell a story as you open it, but I also knew I wanted that story told in a specific order – we had a lot of great photos of cool spaces that I wanted to highlight,” said Steigenberger. “I made a mockup of the dieline to get the hang of the folding order [and] printed out test versions. It was a bit challenging but such a fun project.”
“These are great for higher ed, events, self-promotion, direct mail, information graphics and other highly visual content.”
Printing Advice
Before you design and print any creative direct mail marketing assets, it’s nice to have some guidance. And who better to give it than Foldfactory founder Trish Witkowski? She gave us the inside scoop on what makes the Rectangular 9-Panel Reveal so effective, innovative content ideas and mailing need-to-knows.
What do you like most about the Rectangular 9-Panel Reveal? What makes this fold so impactful?
Witkowski: “My favorite thing is that it starts out like a tri-fold, and then you realize there’s a lot more! It’s really surprising in that way – the discovery for the recipient is very cool. I also love that this format uses the full area of the press sheet. Some specialty formats in unique panel configurations are less efficient on the sheet, which means more waste. This format absolutely maximizes the sheet, producing less waste and lots of area for design content.”
What are some ideas for how to use a unique mailer like this? What type of content works best?
“It might not seem obvious, but it features 18 pages for content! One of my favorite designs was for a gallery opening, where each interior panel introduced an artist and their work, and on the back, it became an art poster when it was unfolded. These are great for higher ed, events, self-promotion, direct mail, information graphics and other highly visual content.”
What tips do you have for designing print for the Rectangular 9-Panel Reveal?
“You’ll really want to think about the journey when the recipient opens the piece. Study the video on the product page, request a sample or make a mini mockup so you can determine how you want the experience to unfold. It isn’t the most challenging of specialty folds to design for, but for an exciting format like this, you owe it to yourself to put some thought into the placement of the graphics so the message is clearly communicated in the right order or experience.”
Do you have any mailing advice for a smooth send?
“Just know that this is an oversized format, so if you’re mailing it, it will classify as a USPS Flat. You can mail it in an envelope or it can self-mail with a tab to seal the edge.”
What else is important to share about these creative mailers?
“These are great for content that doesn’t need to be read in a particular order. Try to think of the panels as working together, but also independently. They must make sense by themselves and collectively, since they may be read in a different order than expected.”
Print Unique Mailers with Smartpress
Printing a unique mailer that looks professional and earns the attention your brand deserves is easy when you do it with Smartpress. Along with all of the customizing options, you also get a whole team of print experts ready to help you with any and every part of the process. And that process? It’s an eco-friendly one, which always feels good. Take it from our clients who experienced it first-hand:
“The final product exceeded expectations,” said Hill. “The print quality was outstanding, and I continue to be impressed by [Smartpress’] attention to detail and excellent customer service.”
Steigenberger had a similar sentiment. “I’ve been ordering from Smartpress since 2020, and I can confidently say the product selection and production quality is top notch and the customer service is excellent.”
Upload the print-ready file for your Rectangular 9-Panel Reveal now.
