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SIX ELEMENTS OF A WELL-DESIGNED FLYER

(1) Extremely short copy. Limit it to one to three short paragraphs – the amount someone might read before they get to the closest trash can.  Reread and delete unnecessary words.

(2) A dominant headline. One large headline grabs attention more than multiple headlines do. The shorter the main headline, the larger the type and the more dramatic it will be.

(3) Subheads to highlight main points. Most flyers also need a secondary headline, usually under the main headline (as further explanation of the main point).  If your text is longer than one or two paragraphs, you’ll also need to break up the copy with subheads, bold-faced lead-in sentences, or bullet points.

(4) A strong visual. Nothing makes a flyer stronger than a good photo, cartoon, or illustration. Art should reinforce your message and be good enough to be the focal point. Often, this should be a worker or community member’s photo, together with a short quote from them about why they are involved in the action the flyer promotes. Don’t let dull or meaningless art clutter up the page or confuse your message. If you don’t have a good picture, use other ways to add graphic interest and emphasis. A quote in large type with even larger quotation marks? A subhead or meeting notice reversed (in white type) in a black box? A large arrow, dollar sign, or question mark?

(5) White space. White space is not wasted space if it helps draw in the reader and focus attention on your message. It can be effective at the top of a page or down one side. Make sure it doesn’t break up the elements so that you no longer have a unified presentation.

(6) Call to action. Use bold and larger type at the end of the flyer to tell the reader what they can do to get involved.  Include contact information and the organization or campaign logo.

LAYING OUT THE ELEMENTS

Make the layout have a logical flow. The layout should guide the reader through the piece. Use headlines and art to establish a strong center of interest where the reader will begin, then make sure that it's clear which element leads to which.

Be consistent in spacing between the different elements, column widths, margins, etc.

Use fonts that work together. Don't confuse readers with a jumble of different type styles. Your two best options: (1) Choose one type family for the entire flyer (for example, Futura Extra Black for heads and Futura regular for body copy). (2) Choose one bold sans-serif font for headings (such as Helvetica) and one serif font for text (such as Times). Avoid cursive fonts (they’re hard to read) and unusual, gimmicky fonts (which can create visual chaos). Use fonts on a consistent basis so readers will recognize the “look” of your campaign or group.

Make choices about what’s most important. If too many words are big and bold, none will stand out. Rank words and messages in importance, and establish a visual hierarchy.

Give everything room to breathe. Related copy and art should be grouped but not crowded together. Leave a generous “gutter” around columns of text. Don't run the text inside or outside a box too close to the box frame.

Keep it simple. If you aren’t an artist, don’t try to be one. Don’t try to be so creative that your flyer is complicated and hard to follow. The best flyers are clean and simple.

MAKING YOUR MESSAGE READABLE

Avoid large blocks of text that most readers won’t wade through. In addition to breaking up the text with subheads, break for a new paragraph much more often than you would in other kinds of writing. In fact, you usually can start a new paragraph after every sentence or two.

Don't run text all the way across the page like you normally do when writing a letter. Instead, use columns that are between 2"-4" wide. One 5" column can work well too.

Don't justify text (where the copy in a column lines up on both the right and left margins.) Justified copy creates a block look and often leaves strange spacing between words, making it hard to read. Just align text on the left, and let the right edges of the lines be ragged.

Make sure the text font size is large enough that anyone can read it quickly and easily—at least 12 points and preferably 14.

Make key points and quotes stand out. Use bullets that will catch the reader's eye and pull their attention to your key points. For very short quotes, use a large type size so that the statement jumps out at the reader. For longer quotes that are several sentences, use a normal type size but add a short headline in a larger type size and put single quote marks around it.

Be selective with reverse type. Use reverse type (white words on a color background) to emphasize short items such as subheads, short quotes, or short sidebars. Make sure the font is big and bold enough to read when reversed. Avoid using serif type faces for reverse type.

Adjust line spacing. You can enhance the readability of your text by increasing the line spacing or “leading” a bit. To make headlines more readable, on the other hand, you may need to reduce the leading. The automatic leading is often too much for large size type.

BE RUTHLESS: When you think you’re done, cut more! Simplify the writing and design.