Flyer Size Essentials: Choosing the Right Dimensions
There’s a lot of fun to be had in picking out a flyer size, creating a flyer design, and putting that piece of work out there for the world to see. It’s great to see people from all different walks of life reading through something that you’ve created or something that your business stands for. It creates a sense of pride - but in order to get the best bang for your buck, you need to make the right choice when it comes to the dimensions.
We know it may not be the sexiest sentence you’ve ever heard, but trust us when we say this stuff matters. From the formatting to the message you want to get across and beyond, it’s really important that you get this right.
Today, we want to explore a few essentials, from potential sizes to tips and tricks. Hopefully, once you’ve made it to the end of our guide, you’ll have a clearer idea in your head of what it is you’re after.
Popular flyer sizes
Letter size (8.5" x 11")
In the United States, a standard letter size tends to come in at around 8.5” x 11”. In the United Kingdom and other nations across the globe, it’s best known as an A4 piece of paper, which is 8.3” x 11.7”. This is a far more formal option than you’re likely to see with some of the other options we will run through, but it’s also a pretty professional one.
There’s a whole lot of information that you can store on a flyer of this size, and there’s a lot of room to play with. Some would argue that there’s too much room, but really, it all comes down to what you’re trying to convey to the target audience. If you believe in the “bigger is better” line of thinking, this could be the one for you.
Half page (5.5" x 8.5")
If you’re looking for a complete introduction to your business without wanting to use up too much room, then the half-page may be the perfect choice for you. It’s not too big to the point where it’s going to cause a nuisance, it’s easy to read when you’re walking down the street, and you’ve got to be a big pickier with what you include, which allows you to cut away at some of the excess fat.
One of the big attractions here tends to be the use of images. There’s enough real estate to warrant using the odd picture here and there, to the point where it could dominate the entire piece - if that’s what you desire. We aren’t here to conclusively say it’s the frontrunner in this department, but it’s definitely up for debate in our book.
Quarter page (4.25" x 5.5")
There’s nowhere near as much space to play around with regarding a quarter-page flyer, but maybe that’s the point. Perhaps, sometimes, instead of shouting something from the rooftops, it’s better to take a step back and allow everything to breathe. They say that less is more, and with a quarter-page flyer, that’s exactly the statement we think it’s trying to make.
Some may say you’d be handicapping yourself with an item that isn’t doing enough, but we beg to differ. There’s a lot to enjoy with a quarter page as it’s easy to read, easy to hold, and easy to produce. What we would say, though, is that it’s important to find the right balance between quality and quantity, as short attention spans are all the rage these days.
Rack card (3.5" x 8.5")
When you’re looking for the Hollywood superstar of flyer sizes, you’ll probably wind up staring at a rack card. They utilise high-impact, intense graphic design, and they are seen pretty much everywhere. From shops to restaurants to landmarks, we’d say there’s a 90% chance that you’ve seen one of these bad boys in your lifetime.
Even if you haven’t, it’s still super important to know and understand why they’re so frequently used. It’s cost-effective marketing that gives out a lot of info on a much smaller space, which tends to drive a lot more engagement. We’re all moving at a thousand miles per hour, and this gives us the chance to absorb data at a quicker and more efficient rate.
Things to consider with flyer sizes
We can understand the appeal of diving in head first and using the first flyer size you see, and by that, we mean it’s easy to go for the simple option. Alas, if you really take the time to analyse the good and the bad, it’ll give you a far more complete picture of the pros and cons that every flyer size can provide.
Because of that, we’ve decided to run through a few quick guidelines to consider when you begin your journey.
Budget
The majority of us aren’t made of money, and because of that, you have to be both conservative and realistic when it comes to your flyer budget (and it also doesn’t hurt to think of the environment). Depending on how much money you’re working with, you’ll have to make an informed decision about just how many flyers you want to invest in.
The smaller options may be better, if only because you can get a higher quantity of them to put out there for the public to see. Then again, if you aren’t too bothered about how many flyers you have to distribute, you could revert back to the less is more ideology. Of course, that’s pretty risky, given that the whole point is to advertise and market your product.
Content volume
If you have a specific vision in your head of what it is you want to create, it can be hard to deviate away from that. So, if you’ve got a picture set in stone, you must first understand what kind of space you’re working with. Between the text you’re creating and the images you’re using, there has to be a clear idea of what will go where.
That all brings us back to the content volume. You don’t want things to look overcrowded because you only have one chance to make a good first impression with the public. At the same time, if there’s barely anything on the page and you’ve got a lot of empty room to work with, it could look unfinished - which is a far cry from the sexy minimalist goal you may have.
Distribution method
Whether your flyers are big or small, they all need to be distributed somehow. This is one of the first things you need to sort out if you’re going to make your flyers in the first place because if the network isn’t there to get them out there, your project could fall apart before it’s even gotten off the ground. So, naturally, the “big or small” question becomes a lot more critical.
You could be handing them out on the street, you could be displaying them in a shop window, or you could be mailing them out to the masses. It really is on you to decide what the best way to go about it is, and if it were up to us, we’d say you should also share your plans with the team around you. After all, it’s better to go with the consensus, if only to prevent a few headaches.
Need help with graphic design? Contact us!
Whether it be flyers, logos or any other kind of graphic design project, we understand that things can get quite overwhelming in a hurry - especially if you have a million and one other problems to resolve as a business first. So, if you’d allow us, we’d love to take part of the burden off your shoulders by lending a helping hand.
At Hatchly, we provide an unlimited graphic design service that allows you to sit back, relax, and let us churn out as many designs as you require. With a team of dedicated professionals working away to get the job done, we can guarantee great communication, high-quality work and a platform that will give you peace of mind.
All of your problems won’t be solved overnight but if we can help alleviate the stress in any way, shape or form, then we’d be honoured to do so. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, feel free to check out our website, and if you want to learn more, get in touch!
