Creating Fliers & PostersCreating Fliers & Posters

General guidelines & suggestions for a professional look

Your key consideration:Your key consideration:

•Audience

•Audience

•Audience

Information to includeInformation to include

• Who?

• What?

• When?

• Where?

• Sometimes Why? and How? (only if they are brief)

• Usually better not to list these; just provide the information.

About fliersAbout fliers

• 8 1/2 by 11 inches

• single or double sided

• not folded

• simplest form of printed communication

• should contain a dominant element

Major design elementsMajor design elements

• Title• Graphic• Body copy

– NOTE: does not follow the normal body copy guidelines; all posted flier text is larger than 14 point

• One of these design elements should be noticeably larger than the other two (dominant element)

• Also allow for areas of “white” or unused space

Some considerationsSome considerations

• Usually (almost always) one font.

• For posted fliers, a sans serif font allows for readability at a greater distance.

• For hand-distributed fliers, either serif or sans serif would work. Use what fits the theme and audience.

• Vertical lettering is difficult to read.

LegibilityLegibility

• Title letters should be .75 to 1.5 inches high (roughly 54- to 108-point type).

• Body copy is usually 1/4 to 1/3 of the title size (roughly 14- to 36-point type)

• Allow for good contrast.

In one word, In one word, a flier should be:a flier should be:

Simple.Simple.

AdvertisementsAdvertisements

• Need two major components:– Copy & advertiser identification (logo)

• Types– Inform/educate– Sell– Bring emotion– Expose

Thumbnail SketchesThumbnail Sketches

• Small pictures of publication pages drawn by hand on paper with a pencil.

• AKA “dummy sketches”

• To drawn a thumbnail sketch, use– Boxes for graphics– Squiggles for body text– Large XXXX for headlines/subheads

AssignmentAssignment• Agricultural Student Council has asked you to design

a flier for a food drive. Items collected will go to the Love Feast, Stillwater’s meal for homeless and “anyone who needs it.”

• Write your answers to the following questions:1. What is the purpose of the flier?2. Who is the audience?3. Describe appropriate fonts and graphics that could be used

in the flier.4. Where and how would you distribute the flier?5. Create two thumbnail sketches for the flier.