You have about five seconds to capture someone's attention with a flyer. If the flyer is too busy or the message is unclear, you will lose the reader quickly. You don't want the reader's eyes to jump all around the flyer in confusion; you want him to focus on one area at a time.
Use Design Software
There are a number of graphic-design programs you can use to create your flyer; Adobe Photoshop and InDesign are two of the most popular. Photoshop allows you to edit the images--remove white space or add effects--in addition to laying out the flyer to fit your needs.
Avoid designing your flyer in a word-processing program, because your options are very limited.
Keep It Simple
Designers often make the mistake of packing the flyer with images and words, creating confusion. Keep the flyer as simple as possible. Choose one central image to support your overall them, and use only one or two fonts. Take advantage of the white (or other colored) space in your background as much as possible.
Use Bold Text
Pick a bold, eye-catching font for the headline and an easy-to-read font for the rest of your text. Remember that you have a very short time to grab the viewer's attention. Avoid script fonts, because they are usually too light and difficult to decipher. The general rule of thumb is that you use bold sans-serif fonts (no lines on the edges of the letters) for your headlines and serif fonts for your text.
Center or justify the text on the flyer whenever possible. Centering the words will draw the reader's attention to the main message first.
Use Both Sides
When you have flyers printed, the printer usually offers double-sided flyers. The cost of a one-sided flyer is not much different, so go ahead and create a two-sided flyer. Put your headline, main photo and pieces of supporting information, such as event location, time and date details, on the front, and place a longer description of the event, product or service on the back.
