A successful flier needs to grab a viewer's attention and make him want to know more.
A strong flier increases sales, improves attendance at an event or educates about an important issue. You must convince the viewer that you have something he wants and you're the best source through which to obtain it. By preparing your message before you begin designing, you can ensure the return on your design investment will be well worth the effort.
Instructions
Preparation
1. Set goals for the flier by determining what you'd like it to accomplish. For example, if you would like the flier to increase your sales by at least 25 percent, write down on a sheet of paper "Increase sales by 25 percent."
2. Compose the main message of the flier. This message needs to be specific, but it also needs to grab a viewer's attention. Try using humor, an interesting fact or a quotation to draw the reader in. The main message should be no more than one sentence.
3. Write down all the important information the flier needs to cover, including the event or business name, location, time, contact information, cost and other details. Also collect any high resolution photography, illustrations and logos that you want to include.
4. Call your local printer to find out what it needs to print your flier. Many printers require a specific file format or only print up to a certain size. By gathering this information first, you'll save yourself a lot of hassle later.
5. Decide the size of the flier based on the information the printer provides and how the public will come into contact with the flier. If you plan to hang the flier on telephone poles or community boards, make it larger (up to 11 by 17 inches). If you plan to distribute your flier by hand, make it a smaller, more manageable size (down to 4 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches).
Design
6. Sketch at least 10 different possible layouts on sheets of white paper. Always make your headline or main idea the biggest text on the sheet, as this is the piece of copy that draws viewers' attention.
7. Find photographs or illustrations to help describe the purpose of the flier. Your imagery should be compelling and informative, and it should make viewers want to know more. Remember, text can be placed on top of imagery, but make sure these elements include enough contrast, the difference between two or more tones, to be readable.
8. Open your favorite design program, and place all the copy and imagery in the margins. This allows you to see everything you need to place on the flier, thereby reducing the possibility of leaving out something important.
9. Lay out the flier according to your sketches. Don't be afraid to experiment with new ideas that come to mind while you're working.
10. Choose two to three colors to use in your design that work harmoniously with the photography and logos you have chosen. According to color psychology consultant J.L. Morton, "in visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience. When something is not harmonious, it's either boring or chaotic."
11. Select one to two fonts that are easily readable. Be creative with your typography, and stay away from default fonts, such as Times New Roman and Arial. Stick to just one or two fonts, because any more will become too distracting.
12. Allow one or two details of your design to bleed off the edge of the page. Bleed photography, illustrations, color and even typography. Be careful that any words you bleed off the page are still understandable or are unimportant. Work closely with your printer to ensure you provide it with files correctly formatted to accomplish the bleed effect.
13. Print the flier to fit on a standard sheet of 8 1/2-by-11-inch white paper, even if your planned flier is larger or smaller. Printing a copy of your flier allows you to see how it will live on the page, thereby giving you the opportunity to adjust aspects that might not work.
14. Review the flier carefully for typos, incorrect information, missing details and other errors. Ask another person to check over the information as well.
Refinements and Printing
15. Study the goals you established for the flier and evaluate whether your design meets those requirements. If it doesn't, look closely at the flier to determine what needs to be changed to meet your objective. Refine the file accordingly.
16. Prepare the file for printing based on the specifications the printer gave you.
17.Double-check one last time that all the information is correct in your flier and that the file has been prepared to your printer's standards. Don't overlook this step. By checking and double-checking your work, you'll be sure it goes to the printer correctly.
18. Send your file to the printer.
