When you’re coming up with a marketing campaign for your business, whether you’re working on a digital or print campaign, you know that there are many factors to consider. You need to come up with a good slogan, eye-catching graphics, and a strong call to action. However, many business owners neglect to think about the physical dimensions of their marketing materials. This flyer size guide will help you determine the right size flyer requied for your business.
Flyer sizes actually matter a lot in your marketing campaign. Flyer paper comes in many different dimensions and folds, which are used for different purposes. Here is your complete guide to flyer dimensions and designs to help get the word out about your business.
Here is a detailed flyer size guide that you can use.
Why you need a flyer
A lot of conventional marketing wisdom nowadays focuses on digital marketing at the expense of print marketing such as flyers. However, flyers are still important to get the word out about your business—and can be even more effective than digital marketing.
It’s a mistake to assume that everyone is online. Not everyone has access to the Internet or may know how to use it, especially if they are older. These people still want to know about new businesses around them, and flyering is an effective way to reach them. Digital ads are so ubiquitous that most people tune them out automatically, but they will pay more attention when you hand them a paper flyer.
Handing out flyers also allows you to attract the people who are most likely to become paying customers. Handing out flyers near your location means you will mostly reach people who live or work near your business. Finally, the act of handing out flyers also helps you generate more leads because you and your team can actually talk to people and pitch your business.
Most common flyer sizes for print marketing
Before you figure out which flyer dimensions are the best for your business, you need to know what your options are.
There are three main types of flyer size dimensions: standard size, rack card, or half sheet.
The standard flyer size, sometimes called a letter flyer, has standard letter size dimensions of 8.5” x 11”, the same size as a regular piece of paper.
The rack card is smaller. Its flyer size dimensions are 4” x 9”. If you think this is too small to fit anything, don’t worry—many rack card-size flyers are actually multiple sheets folded onto each other into a pamphlet. If you’re wondering, “what is a pamphlet,” it’s a small booklet of folded paper full of informative content, such as a takeout menu.
The last of the common flyer sizes is the half sheet, which measures 8.5” x 5.5”.
These flyer size options don’t just differ in their dimensions; they also have different purposes. Depending on the information you want to share or the audience you are trying to attract with a particular marketing campaign, you’ll choose the right flyer paper accordingly.
When to use standard flyers
The standard flyer size is the largest and the one most people think of when they think of flyer marketing. The advantage of using this flyer type is that you can fit plenty of information—and even print on the front and back if you are mailing the flyer instead of tacking it up on a bulletin board. However, you have to be careful not to fit so much information that it overwhelms your reader.
The other advantage of the standard flyer is its versatility. There are so many ways that you can distribute it! Mail it or slip it under people’s doors. Stand on a busy street corner and hand it out or pin it up on a bulletin board in a well-trafficked location.
Here are a few situations when this flyer size is best.
Promote a sale, upcoming event, or new product
Flyers on regular size paper are great when it comes to promoting important new developments in your business because they attract the most attention. You have enough space on the paper to create large, glossy images stretching over the whole page and headlines in large flyer font.
The key to using your flyers to leverage a sale is to use space wisely without overcrowding the flyer and to create a steady campaign building anticipation for your sale or launch in the days or weeks before it.
Connect new clients
Flyers catch the eye more than digital marketing these days which means you can branch out your business to new potential clients. To make the most of this marketing tool, think strategically about your design and placement.
Your design should be eye-catching, with bright colors, without being overwhelming or illegible. Be strategic about where you tack up or hand out your flyers and identify places where potential clients spend time.
Sharing upcoming class, conference, or campaign details
The most important benefit of this type of paper flyer size is how much room there is for important information. That means that if you have an important event coming up, such as a class you are teaching or an election you are running for, you have enough space to give the details of that event as well as reasons why the public should care and attend.
Large format flyer also function as paper invitations. In this day and age, physical invitations are a rare novelty. If you are selling a class or entrance to a conference, you can even offer a discount if a person has a copy of your flyer!
When to use rack card flyers
Rack card flyers are narrower than standard flyers, but this brochure size offers a deceptively large amount of space because you can fold up several sheets of paper into a rack card size to make a pamphlet.
You can still fit plenty of information onto a rack card flyer. However, be careful not to overwhelm the reader with flashy images and large blocks of text that will get squished after printing.
Restaurant takeout and cafe menus
The most popular use for rack card flyers is for restaurant takeout menus. Even with the popularity of delivery apps such as Grub Hub, many consumers still like ordering directly from restaurants or at least having a direct reminder of what their favorite place has to offer.
Rack card flyers are the perfect size to fit on a fridge while fitting a restaurant’s entire menu. If you design your menu wisely, you can even fit several coupons and other incentives to get people to order takeout, driving more revenue.
Travel packages and guides
Restaurants are not the only businesses that can take advantage of small flyers. Any business that wants to give customers plenty of information in a portable paper format can use this foldable flyer, such as travel agencies.
If you’re running a travel agency and promoting a travel package, you want to include all of the information you can to entice people to book, from eye-catching photos to practical information such as dates and costs. A rack card flyer is a great way to fit all that information in an eye-catching format that won’t load potential customers down with massive brochures.
Marketing handouts at events
If you’re invited to an event such as a trade fair, that’s a great opportunity to generate potential leads and build connections with customers. However, there are probably countless other business owners at the same event hoping to accomplish the same thing. How will you ensure that customers remember you after the event when they get bombarded with so much information?
Single-sheet rack card flyers are the answer. This brochure size is large enough to fit crucial information about your business, such as a name, photo, and contact information, but is still small enough that people can slip it into their bags or pockets and not feel weighed down by yet more event swag.
When to use half sheet flyers
The last common type of flyer size is probably the least well-known, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have its uses. One of the main advantages of a half sheet flyer is its affordability. You can fit two flyers onto one sheet of paper with standard letter size dimensions, saving you money on flyer printing while still getting your information out into the world.
The smaller size also means that the flyer is more convenient for your customers. It may not attract as much attention on a crowded bulletin board, but it is easier for people to carry around if you hand it to them.
Bulletin inserts
Half sheet flyers are small enough that they fit conveniently inside two-sheet bulletins or community newspapers. Whether you’re targeting a bulletin published by a religious community, cultural organization, or nonprofit, a half sheet flyer will fit inside more conveniently than a full-sheet or folded-up rack card.
Branching out into half sheet flyers also means you are expanding your potential audience once you find a print publication to partner with because you now have a whole new way of distributing your flyers.
Party and event flyers
Half fold flyer is perfect for promoting a party or an event! They are large enough to fit crucial information and a bright graphic, but not so large that you get tempted to flood them with paragraphs of information, which can turn away potential attendees.
This size of a flyer’s paper size is also perfect for sharing. Your goal when throwing a party or event is to get as many attendees as possible, which means that you want something that is easy to share. Medium posters are easy for people to take with them and pass around to their friends, drumming up organic hype for your event.
School or activity flyers
Little flyer sizes work very well when you’re passing information through little hands. On small flyers, you can print enough information about after-school activities, school fundraisers, and more to entice kids (and parents). The paper is still small enough to hand out easily. You can hand it directly to kids or slip it into their folders or bookbags.
Types of folds
Flyer dimensions are not the only factor to consider when planning your flyer marketing campaign. You also have a few different folds to choose from. Here is your guide to the different folds and when they are most appropriate.
Tri fold flyer
A tri fold, sometimes called a letter fold, folds a flyer’s paper just like a letter: one slightly shorter section folded in between two longer, equivalent sections. The trifold or one third fold flyer is one of the most common folds thanks to its versatility. You probably won’t win any points for creativity, but this is a great way to convey straightforward information about your business.
Half-fold
A half-fold is the easiest way to fold flyers. All you do is fold the flyer in half lengthwise. If you just have a very basic info sheet on standard flyer paper, this is a great way to make it more convenient for your customers to carry.
Gate fold
With the gate fold, you’re entering a bit more creative territory when it comes to organizing your flyers. To execute this fold, you crease each side of a long flyer towards the center, creating a double-paneled door. This fold works best if you have a graphics-forward design, preferably with a big reveal in the center panel concealed by the gate.
There are several variations on the gate fold because making use of a grand reveal is an eye-catching design tool that you can deploy in a few different ways.
Double gate fold
A double gate fold is similar to a regular gate fold. A flyer is divided into halves. Each half is further divided into two parts: one flap that holds the reveal and one flap that folds in, covering the hidden message. Double gate folds work well if you have a large graphic on the folds or plenty of information inside to reveal; this fold is perfect, for example, if you are promoting a travel package.
Parallel fold
A parallel fold is when you fold the flyer in half, then fold the already-folded flyer again, creating two parallel folded pages. If you have a dense flyer with plenty of information, such as an event brochure, this is a great design idea.
Z-fold
A Z-folded flyer is shaped like the letter Z—two panels at the end are folded outwards in opposite directions. This is great if you have one large graphic splashed on either side of the flyer. Z-folds are also popular for restaurant menus.
Accordion fold
The accordion fold is when you fold a paper Z-style but divided into four panels. If you have lots of dense text, for example on a restaurant menu, the accordion fold is a great design choice.
Roll fold
Finally, the last common type of fold is the roll fold. Here, you tuck a half-fold into another half-fold, meaning that the reader “unrolls” the flyer as it opens. If you need to put a lot of information onto a flyer that readers must follow in a logical order, for example, if you are handing out instructions, this is a great design choice.
Flyer design tips for all sizes
No matter what size you make your eventual flyer, large posters or small flyer size, the right design before you can start flyer printing can help you get the most out of your limited space. Here are a few design factors to keep in mind before you head to your graphic designer.
Colors and spacing
Attracting attention due to colors is a more subtle art than just splashing neon pink across your flyer. You need to think about color psychology—if you’re advertising a soothing spa, fire-engine red will repel instead of attract customers. You also need to factor in your brand identity.
Contrasting and complementing colors instead of just adding the brightest shade you can find, as well as adding enough space around information to prevent crowding, will attract visual attention.
Clear images
The point of a flyer is to be visually attractive enough to generate attention. It can only do that with clear, compelling images. Choose high-quality photographs or graphics that are clearly related to the goal of your marketing campaign. Even if potential customers don’t read a word of your flyer, they should have some idea of your business.
A powerful message
Clear visuals are what get a client’s attention, but your writing is what converts attention into paying clients. Use concise, catchy headlines and body text that conveys the information you want to share without overwhelming the reader.
Call to action
A flyer campaign is not the time to be subtle. You are working with limited space here. Include a clear, definitive call to action that will draw the readers in, whether you want them to call you on the phone or attend an event.
Contact information
Flyers don’t have a lot of space for information, but what if your readers want to know more? Provide them with the places they can seek out more information, such as a company website, social media handles, email, phone number, and even the physical address and hours of operation.
How to distribute flyers
Once you design your flyers and choose the right brochure size and dimensions, half the battle is over. However, you still need print flyers and get your gorgeous product imagery to your audience.
We have listed a few time tested method of distributing flyers that can creat big impact to your advertising campaigns.
At events
Handing flyers out at events relevant to your business, such as local fairs or trade shows, is a great way to reach audiences that are highly likely to become paying clients. In addition to handing out your flyers, you gain a marketing advantage through face-to-face contact. When you’re handing out flyers at events, choose a small format that people can easily carry home.
Under doors
Going door-to-door is one of the oldest sales tactic if you are specifically targeting people who live locally around your business. Instead of spending money on postage or bothering people by ringing their doorbell, just slip the flyers and brochures under their doors.
Stapling them in high-traffic areas
Taping or stapling your flyers to community bulletin boards, telephone poles, or walls ensures that you will become a regular visual presence in the community. Research places where your target audience congregates—for example, you may put up flyers for your pet-sitting business on the bulletin board of the local café that also sells dog biscuits. You should also research local laws and ordinances because you don’t want to get in trouble for illegally putting up flyers on walls where you’re not allowed to.
This is a no-brainer, but when you’re designing flyers to put up, be sure that they’re one-sided.
Mailing them out
The good old-fashioned postal service is still a reliable way to reach people. You may need to spend money on postage, but you will save on the effort and manpower that it takes to go door-to-door and slip flyers under people’s doormats.
Including them in larger packets
If you don’t want to pay the extra money to mail out flyers individually, you can include them in larger packets or brochures. When you mail out an order, include a flyer promoting upcoming sales or new items in your business. Or piggyback off of someone else’s mailer by including your flyer in a local community newsletter or bulletin.
Sticking them under windshield wipers
Besides going door-to-door, another way of reaching people who live locally is to go car-to-car. Stick your flyers under the windshield wipers of parked cars. This is an almost-guaranteed way that people will look at your flyer because they have to remove your premium paper before they drive away. However, this could backfire if people get annoyed and mistake your flyer for a parking ticket.
Conclusion
Flyers are a tried-and-true way of getting the word out about your business to your local community. Depending on the flyer design and content of your flyer, a different dimension of paper will be appropriate. Whether you go for a industry standard flyer, a folded rack card, or a half sheet flyer that is small enough to pass around on the street, our flyer size guide will help you build a great flyer fyou your business and help make bigger presence in the community.
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