The new Brochure Builder lets you build a page from scratch, module by module, when the quick layouts don't give you what you need. This article covers starting from a blank page, the modules available, and the techniques for assembling a clean custom layout.
Starting a Blank Page
In the Brochure Builder, click Add Page.
Choose Add Blank Page.
You land on an empty page with only the header and footer modules in place. Everything else you add yourself.
Before you start: confirm your fonts, colors, and branding are set in the system so every module you add inherits the right styles.
Available Modules
Click Add Module to see what you can place on the page:
Text
Table
Image
Icon
Table of contents
Shapes: rectangle, horizontal line, vertical line
Map
Authors
More modules are being added over time.
Working With Any Module
Global vs. selected text
Click a module to open its global settings: font, text size, alignment, font weight, color, and so on. These apply to everything in the module.
Highlight a portion of text inside the module to get Selected Text options, which override the global settings for just that part. Use this to mix sizes, colors, weights, or letter spacing in a single block.
Background
Every module supports a background:
Solid or gradient
Starting and ending colors for gradients
Horizontal or vertical direction
Gradient opacity and position
Border
Color
Location: all sides, top only, bottom only, and so on
Border radius, which controls how rounded the corners are
Quick options
Text modules have a quick toolbar at the bottom of the screen for font size, weight, letter spacing, alignment, and color.
Building a Two Column Page
A common layout splits the page in half. Here's the approach:
Size the header to half the page. Click the page title module and resize it so it spans only the left half.
Add a color block for the other half. Add a rectangle module and place it over the right half of the page.
Style the rectangle. Add a gradient background, for example starting gray and moving horizontally into white.
Add a second heading. There can only be one page title module per page, so build additional headings from a text module. Type your heading, increase the size, set it to bold, and use selected text options to color part of it gray and part of it your primary brand color.
Using the Line Module
Add a line module to divide sections or add structure.
Options:
Stroke width
Style
Color
Direction: horizontal or vertical
Plus the standard layout, border, and background settings
Duplicating and Moving Modules
Copy a single module: select it and press Ctrl+C, then Ctrl+V to paste.
Copy a group: click one module, hold Shift and click the others to select the whole group, then Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. Place the copies anywhere in the document.
Nudge precisely: with a module selected, use the arrow keys to move it one pixel at a time. This is the fastest way to line modules up exactly.
Tips for a Clean Custom Page
Set your branding first so modules inherit the right fonts and colors.
Use the grid guide marks for the halfway, third, and quarter points of the page. The red zone is page padding, so keep modules out of it.
Check the X and Y position values in module settings when you need multiple elements aligned exactly.
Once the page is built, save it to Saved Pages so you can reuse it in outlines on future deals.
Questions about building custom pages or anything else in the Brochure Builder? Reach out to [email protected].