Quick Guide to Standard Flyer Sizes

Are you a business owner designing your flyers? Wondering what size is a flyer, typically? Our complete guide on flyer sizes can help you.

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Size matters with flyers

Printing technology has changed dramatically over the past decade. Laser printing and cutting mean that you can create print designs in any shape and size imaginable. There are no more strict rules and restrictions when it comes to printing. 

Still, there are some good practices that have proven over years that they work.

For example, when it comes to flyers, you might get tempted to go small and cut the cost of production even more. 

However, the best flyer size is A5. The flyers this size are usually the ones that most people save for later reference. It also gives you enough room to put all the necessary information and images without making it look overcrowded.

Navigating through all the options regarding standard paper sizes can be confusing, mainly if you work with clients or designers from different regions in the world. 

There are two global standards for flyer and poster sizes, ANSI (used in the US and Canada) and ISO 216 (used internationally). So, if you’re hiring a freelance graphic designer, it pays to double check which standard flyer size you’re both referring to.

Besides printing, understanding typical flyer sizes can also help you organize your content better. If you know what you’re working with from the get-go, it will be easier to highlight key elements, such as a logo or call to action.

Standard flyer sizes

So, before you start working on your flyers and posters, make sure that you have the correct dimensions. Let’s jump right into it and discover the best flyer dimensions!

ANSI Flyer Sizes (the US and Canada)

Standard flyer 8.5x11 inches (216x279.5 mm) is the typica flyer size in the United States and Canada. This size is equivalent to a US Letter page size, and it is popular because of its versatile folding options. It can be folded in half (half-fold flyer), twice (tri-fold, gate-fold, z-fold), or three times (accordion fold).

Half sheet flyer 5.5x8.5 inches (139.5x216 mm) is the cheapest option when it comes to printing.

Large format flyer 11x17 inches (279.5x432 mm) is usually distributed as an insert in small-format newspapers. It is also known by its nickname "tabloid."

ISO 216 Flyer Sizes (International)

A4 flyer 210x297 mm (8.2x11.6 inches) is similar in size to the standard flyer in the US. It is widely used because of its versatility.

A5 flyer 148x210 mm (5.8x8.2 inches) is mainly used for promotional pamphlets.

DL flyer 99x210 mm (3.8x8.2 inches) or "dimension lengthwise" is one-third of a standard A4 flyer. This type of flyer is used for promoting a single offer or product.

Setting your posters and flyers for print

Your printing service usually prints materials on a larger piece of paper than the dimensions of your flyer or poster. This is usually done because they can print multiple files simultaneously on the same sheet of paper to cut the cost and production time.

Once printed, the material is cut on the guillotine, a large knife that cuts through stacked sheets of paper. Since this type of cutting is not precise, slight misalignments happen during the process. Therefore, you need to pay attention to bleed and margins when setting up files for print. They are all equally important because they keep the content and the design safely away from the knife.  

Bleed area

In essence, bleed area or bleed makes sure that there are no white lines around your flyer design after cutting. Designers usually extend the document's borders for an additional 1/8 inch (3mm) on each side. Design colors and elements extend beyond the document's standard print size to ensure that there are no white lines around it when slight misalignments happen during the cutting process.

If you plan to create a document for a larger size, you should increase the bleed area. For example, for medium poster size, your bleeds should go up to 1/2 inches (12.7mm).

Margins

Margins create an internal safe zone in the document intended for print. The minimal acceptable size of the margins is 1/4 inch from each document edge. They provide an additional layer of protection for the design after the cutting process. Therefore logo, text, and other essential elements of the document should not go past the margins.

Fold lines

If your flyer or brochure needs to be folded, you also need to leave 1/8 of inch margins on each side of the fold. Folding lines make sure that your design stays symmetrical and that the folding won't affect any part of the content.

Picking the right paper

The size you pick for your flyer or poster will depend on three things: content, type of business, and how you want to distribute your flyers. Determining these three in advance will help you pick the right paper quality quickly. There are many types of paper, and you will have to check with the printing service you plan to hire about available options. However, you can divide paper types into the following categories:

• Glossy paper is a high-quality material, used mainly for luxurious, professional, and high-end brands. The colors and images will make a big impact with this material. The only downside of this format is that it is prone to smudging and smearing, so it should be used for promotional materials distributed directly to the audience, e.g. on trade shows.
• Premium paper is almost identical to glossy paper with one crucial difference, its resistance to smearing and smudging. So you can distribute it more widely, e.g. for new product or event promotion.
• Matte finish paper has a much softer appeal than glossy paper and is usually used by professional services. It is not prone to smearing and smudging. Due to its matte finish, its colors are muted compared to glossy and premium paper.
• Recycled paper is becoming more and more popular because of its environmental impact. With the improvement of recycling technology, the quality of recycled paper is almost indistinguishable from the regular one.

 You don’t have to create your own flyers!

Whether you need a gym flyer, cleaning, massage or something else - there are many awesome templates available online in standard flyer sizes.

Nevertheless, creating something that’s totally custom and a perfect fit for your brand and target audience takes a lot more skill and effort than adapting a template.

Many small businesses owners decide to design their own flyers, to cut down on costs. But if your flyers don’t perform, you’ll end up losing both money and time.

Professional print design services like ManyPixels provide a cost-effective solution for all your design needs. A single monthly rate covers essential business graphics such as, flyers, posters, social media posts, presentations, as well as complex projects like website design, logos and branding, and custom illustrations and motion graphics!

Best of all - a ManyPixels subscription starts at just $549 a month. That’s a fraction of the cost you’d pay with other design providers.

Get started today and let us help you achieve your marketing goals. Alternative, schedule a time to discuss your design needs with us in more detail.