Making a flyer is often the first step in event promotion. After all, you want your function to be well-attended. With eye-catching visuals and a clear call to action, event flyers are a classic advertising idea for a reason. From parties to fundraisers to school events, paper flyers are a great way to guarantee attendance. You can pass them out in targeted areas that will help you reach the right audience or leave them in a common area for people to grab on the go. GotPrint’s event flyer printing is the best place to start your print marketing plan. Here’s how you can design custom flyers that will maximize turnout at your event.
How to Design Event Flyers
Identify Your Objective
How you create a flyer design will depend on your end goal. The best flyers are specifically tailored to the type of event. A party flyer, for example, will look different from a job fair flyer. Do you want people to RSVP online? Do you want them to buy tickets? Does your event require something special, like wearing a costume to a Halloween party or bringing food to a potluck? Do you want people to show up at a location at a specific time, such as a graduation ceremony? Or is it an ongoing event, like an art exhibition or a monthly book club? Is the event free, donation-based, or paid? This important information will guide how you organize your one pager designs. Keep a clear goal at the top of your mind to create an effective flyer.
Identify Your Target Audience
The visual style of your print advertisements will depend on the audience you hope to attract. A rave flyer and a fundraiser flyer, for example, will be designed with different people in mind. Your target audience’s age, gender, and other defining characteristics will help you brainstorm a design. A birthday party flyer for kids will likely use bright colors and cute cartoons. A food truck flyer or restaurant flyer will have enticing food photos and happy hour specials. A real estate flyer will showcase details that will appeal to your ideal buyer. Whatever your event is, your promotional materials should be made with the intended recipients in mind.
Flyer Design Elements
Flyer Page Layout
A flyer layout should be easy to follow. Design the page from top to bottom, which is how viewers will read the flyer when they see it. The most important or compelling information should be at the top of the flyer. This will hook viewers and convince them to read more. Include more elaborate details, like the event location and time, further down the page or on the back of double sided flyers. GotPrint’s event flyer maker simplifies the page structure and makes it easy to craft the perfect layout.
Flyer Color Palette
Using the right flyer colors is an important part of the design process. They are crucial to making custom business flyers that people actually stop and read. Use bold, contrasting colors that grab people’s attention. Limits the color palette to a few shades, so the design doesn’t overwhelm viewers. If you’re promoting a business event, like a hiring fair or a pop up shop, then you can rely on your brand colors. An art show flyer should use colors that fit the artist that is being featured. A housekeeping flyer or car wash flyer should use colors that reflect the thorough services and clean final product they guarantee.
Design Style
Most flyers don’t just have text on a plain background. Finding the right art style for your marketing materials can help convince people to attend your event or learn more about your business. The direction you take will depend on your pre-determined audience. Flyers for a religious event, like church service flyers, will likely include religious imagery. Open house flyers can include photos of the property or the real estate agent. Car show flyers can share photos of cars. If you don’t have any ready-to-go promotional photos ready to go, you can find relevant stock photos that fit the event theme. But flyers aren’t limited to photos. You can use graphic design elements, cartoons, and illustrations to craft a truly unique layout. Otherwise, you can include your business branding, like your company logo, models, or product photos.
What to Write on Event Flyers
The copy on your event flyers should be simple and straightforward. After all, flyers aren’t like brochures or emails, which have plenty of space for lengthy marketing messages. A flyer is meant to be a brief piece of paper that immediately makes someone want to attend your event. Write a bold, enticing headline that will capture people’s attention. From there, most people will include a short event description. Use bullet points for other information, like locations, RSVP requirements, and dress codes.
The Best Fonts for Flyers
The flyer fonts you select should reflect your brand identity. But if you don’t have a set style guide, there are a few rules to follow when making a flyer. Use easy-to-read fonts that ensure you are effectively sharing information. Two popular fonts for flyers are Bon Vivant and Franklin Gothic. Both have clean lines that are thick and legible. When choosing font sizes for flyers, use the visual hierarchy. Your headline and brand name should be the largest font. Use mid-sized fonts for other details, then a smaller font for contact information.
Popular Flyer Sizes
The most popular flyer size is 8.5” x 11”. Small flyers are available in 2.5″ x 4″and 3.5″ x 8.5”. Large flyers are available in 8.5″ x 14”and 11″ x 17”. Choose a large flyer if you want to display them in common spaces and attract attention. A small flyer is best for passing out to individuals at crowded events like trade shows and conferences.
Flyer Paper
When you order flyers, you want to ensure they print on a paper stock that shows off your design. 100 lb. Gloss Book is the most popular paper for flyers, since it has a shiny finish and a UV coating that resists damage. Similarly, 80 lb. Gloss Book is a slightly thinner paper that is still durable. Both options are great for vibrant colors and bright photos. Since you’re distributing flyers, you want to make sure you’re using sturdy paper that can handle heavy use, which these paper stocks are perfect for.
How to Distribute Event Flyers
Distributing leaflets is a great way to increase attendance at your event. There are several different strategies for passing out flyers. The lowest-effort option is to leave a stack of flyers in a common space, like a community center, library, or coffee shop (with the owner’s permission). Another method is to hand out flyers on the street. Stick near the event location to reach people in the area. Select a location with lots of foot traffic so you can reach the largest number of people. Not everyone will want to interact with you. But if you send out an engaging extrovert, you can connect with people and present a reason to attend your event.
Event Flyer Templates
GotPrint’s 8.5” x 11” flyer templates include a wide variety of events, industries, and businesses. Choose the size you’re looking for, then browse our flyer examples. Finding the right flyer template lets our professional design team handle the creative work. All you need to do is add your own branding, event details, and any other artwork you want. To customize GotPrint’s free templates, choose one of the online design options, which lets you personalize the text and design elements.
Birthday party flyers are the best way to spread the word about your celebration. This cute pink flyer features raised hands having a fun time. Customize the text boxes with your party date, location, and time. If you want to streamline the party RSVP process, you can add a QR code that can track attendance.
Stacks of gifts and bright confetti fit the theme on these flyers for birthday party designs. Bold block text makes it easy for everyone to know the event details. Whether you’re planning a surprise party, a children’s birthday party, or a brand birthday party, this flyer is a great design option. Use GotPrint’s party flyer maker to create a fully customized design.
This cartoon flyer design is ideal for any entertainment event. Customize the text to fit your event, whether it’s a stand-up set, live podcast recording, or improv show. Add details about buying tickets on the back of the double sided flyer.
This band flyer features a design with people on stage with instruments. Pink stripes draw attention to event details on the black flyer background. Add your band website and instructions for buying tickets on the back. Use this concert flyer to get more local fans.
Get more people to attend your next DJ set with this concert flyer template. Intricate lines are patterned to look like sound waves. Include your musical specialties and what kinds of events you usually work in the text boxes. Choose between green, blue, black, and orange color palettes.
Use this farmers market flyer to get the local community involved in your recurring event. An illustrated orange tree design at the top adds color to the template and points to the healthy nature of the event. On the back, a case of oranges pairs with your event info. Don’t forget to include the time, location, and frequency (weekly, biweekly, etc.).
Fresh produce, like tomatoes, bell peppers, and mushrooms, will catch people’s attention and give them a taste of what they can buy at the market. This farmers market flyer template free to customize online is a great way to promote your event. Need more farmers market flyer ideas? Browse GotPrint’s fully customizable flyers.
Print Halloween flyers for your costume party. This black and white flyer features cute, illustrated pumpkins and bats. The white text stands out against the black background.
Customize Halloween party flyers with a cute pumpkin pattern. The carved pumpkins come in multiple shapes and make different faces, adding variety to the template. Browse all of GotPrint’s Halloween event flyers to invite people to your haunted house, trick or treating excursion, or costume party.
As a realtor, promoting your events is essential. Print open house flyers to improve attendance and find your next home owner. Upload a photo of the property for sale as well as your professional real estate headshot.
Real estate open house flyers spread the word about a new property on the market. This template features design elements that draw attention to the home and the open house information. GotPrint has multiple open house flyers examples, so you can find the design that best fits your agency.