What is a flyer? | Envato Tuts+

Let’s look at what a flyer is in graphic design. If you’re interested in the meaning of a flyer, that’s exactly what you are about to discover.

You can easily create advertising flyers like these using Envato's premium templatesYou can easily create advertising flyers like these using Envato's premium templatesYou can easily create advertising flyers like these using Envato's premium templates
You can easily create stunning advertising flyers like this one using premium templates from Envato.

Today, we will define a flyer, explain why it’s a good option for advertising your products or services, answer all of your questions, and show you some premium flyer templates from Envato.

What is a flyer?

Let’s start with the meaning of a flyer.

A flyer is a single-page piece of paper containing printed text that advertises an event, product, or service.

Flyers are meant to be attention-grabbing and provide information in a concise and clear manner. They often consist of short messages that share key facts (like contact information), as well as visually appealing elements (images, eye-catching fonts, interesting arrangements, and engaging colors).

The Unique Summer Flyer PosterThe Unique Summer Flyer PosterThe Unique Summer Flyer Poster

Why use flyers for advertising?


Flyers are often used as part of marketing campaigns because they’re considered very effective, easy to design, cheap to produce, and can be distributed in a large number of ways. For example, they can be handed out to individuals, left or posted in public places, sent through the mail, placed inside newspapers, etc. 

Common flyer questions answered (FAQ)

By now, you know how to define a flyer. But do you know everything there is to know about flyers? If you don’t but you’d like to learn more, here we answer some of the most frequently asked flyer questions!

1. What is the standard size for a flyer?

Let’s start with the basics: what size is a flyer? More often than not, you’ll find that the standard size for a flyer is 8.5 x 11 inches (a.k.a. US Letter size). Other common sizes are A5 (5.8 x 8.3 inches), A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches), and DL (8.3 x 3.9 inches). Here are some more details:

Consider that you can create flyers of all shapes and sizes. An oddly shaped or sized flyer may even be more attention-grabbing, but it may be more challenging to print. In any case, know that the size can depend on your flyer’s audience, distribution, and intention.

2. What is a digital flyer?

With the flyer definition in mind, let’s discuss digital flyers. As you may have guessed, they’re the virtual counterpart of a print flyer. People see them on their smartphones, tablets, or computers. As such, they’re mainly distributed through social media, websites, or email. 

They’re a great element because they’re interactive, clickable, easy to distribute, cheap to make, and fully customisable.

3. What is a business flyer?

Now, let’s get on to the meaning of a business flyer. In this case, as the name states, it’s a flyer created by businesses to share products, events, or services.

A business flyer is properly branded, shares a clear message, provides the necessary contact information, and often has a call to action depending on its purpose (such as “Sign Up!” or “Sale!”). Whether it’s an internal communication flyer or is meant for existing or potential customers, it can be passed around physically or digitally.

Flyer design is the process of putting together the aesthetics and functionality of a flyer. It involves a combination of colors, spatial arrangements, images, graphics, shapes, fonts, and text. Together, these visual elements make up the look and feel of a flyer.

Moreover, design is key in creating an encouraging, captivating, and easy-to-understand flyer that will help the communicator achieve their goal. Read this tutorial to learn even more:

5. What is a flyer template?

The meaning of a flyer template is simple: it’s a pre-made design with placeholders that you can customise to include your own message and information. Templates are a great option if you don’t have the skills, time, money, or interest to create a flyer from scratch.

Envato has a ton of premium flyer templates ready to be used. They’re professionally designed, with full customisation capabilities. They will help you reach your objectives and succeed in your marketing goals!

6. What are the differences between flyers and brochures?

You’ve probably noticed it before: some people use the terms “brochures” and “flyers” interchangeably. However, keeping the flyer definition in mind, there are a few key differences to note. While they’re both marketing materials, their format, purpose, and content changes.

Flyers are single-page documents that share concise messages and focus on attention-grabbing visuals to promote short-term marketing efforts. Brochures, on the other hand, are a multi-page or folded design that communicates more detailed information, and they’re often used in longer campaigns.

7. What is a good font for a flyer?

Believe it or not, the font of a flyer defines the mood, look, and feel it has. In some cases, the font is even the main ingredient in the flyer design. Needless to say, it needs to be engaging but readable, so it serves the dual purpose of functionality and aesthetics. 

The kind of typography you use will depend on the message you’re trying to convey. If you’re feeling wild, you can use up to three fonts in a single flyer. Just make sure to keep them legible, big enough, and with the proper hierarchy to ensure the best results.

Here are some magazine font ideas to think about:

8. What is a good website for making flyers?

Lastly, if you’re on the hunt for a good website for making flyers, you’ve come to the right place. Envato is the easiest and most cost-effective way to obtain a professionally designed premium flyer. You can easily customise them to suit your needs. 

A low monthly subscription fee gives you access to unlimited downloads of thousands of premium flyer templates. Plus, you’ll also get logo templates, fonts, and any other element you could need to create a killer marketing campaign.

Watch a video to learn what a flyer is!

Strapped for time and want to know the meaning of a flyer? Watch this video from the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel to learn what a flyer is in graphic design and why you should use flyers for advertising.


Choose your favourite flyer template 

Now that you know what a flyer is and how to create high-quality flyers quickly and easily using flyer templates, head on over to Envato today and get started creating your own terrific flyer. 

And finally, if you want even more information on flyers, check out these ever so useful articles below: