Design an Event Flyer That Gets Attention

A flyer is only as good as the attention it grabs. Event flyers especially have to stand out, since they're usually competing with a sea of other flyers. This article will focus on ways to make yours more attention-worthy.

Steps

  1. Visit a spot where there are lots of flyers. It's best to visit a spot where event flyers tend to get posted, not the laundromat, where it's mostly babysitting, housecleaning, and appliances for sale. Scan the flyers and note which ones stand out to you the most. Take a closer look: What made those flyers stand out to you? Keep that in mind as you continue with these steps.
  2. Use the largest paper format that your printer can handle or the biggest enlargement you can afford from a print shop. Size matters, especially among a flurry of other flyers.
  3. Use brightly colored paper. Neon paper will grab the most attention on its own, but it can overpower the text or pictures. Consider using a color that's bright but still soft enough to create contrast with dark ink (e.g. sky blue). Or, if you do stick with a neon color, use a dark color for the text and images.
  4. Choose a striking picture. The picture you choose will depend on your audience, but no matter what, make sure it has high enough contrast and saturation that it "pops".
  5. Use simple, thick fonts. The funky fonts may look good on your computer, and work well on a handbill or some other type of pamphlet, but they are hard to read from a distance and don’t photocopy well. Use simple, bold fonts that are easily read and will not distort after being copied 150 times.
  6. Avoid clutter. It's tempting to cram every square inch of the flyer with words and graphics, but sometimes having "whitespace" around your headlines and images can make them stand out better.
  7. Make sure the flyer can be seen from a distance. Test your flyer by hanging it up and taking 4-5 big steps back- you should be able to read the headline from this distance.
  8. Post your flyers early, at least one week before your event. This will ensure that your poster is posted before others, and help publicize your event early on. Check back later and re-post your flyer if necessary.
  9. Plan any big events a month or 2 before you start handing out flyers to make sure that everything is planned.

Tips

  • Use string to post flyers on live trees, not tacks or staples.
  • If contact can be made by e-mail, fax, or telephone, or more information is available on a web site, include that as well. This information does not need to be as large and can go at the bottom of your flyer. Just remember, "If you want 'em there, tell them where."
  • Don’t forget to include all pertinent address, contact, date and time information - even if it looks redundant. For example: Thursday Evening Show. Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 @ 7pm. Likewise, even though it seems everyone should know where the Washington Monument is, tell them again: the intersection of Madison Dr, NW & 15th St, NW; Washington, DC 20001.
  • If you make flyers often, pick a theme and stick with it. Maybe that means a color, or running your flyers horizontally rather than vertically. Find something that makes you stand out in your community and stick with it; people will start to recognize your flyers before they have even read them, this makes it more likely that they stop and see what you are currently up to.
  • If you look at a color wheel, any two colors that are at opposite ends will look vibrant next to each other.
  • When removing old posters from poles or boards only remove posters for events that have already occurred. You wouldn't want someone taking down your poster before your event.
  • Avoid placing flyers on parked cars. People may complain.

Warnings

  • Many municipal codes restrict the size of and where flyers may be posted. Check your local codes. The same is true for placing posters within a business or school, always seek permission first.

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