What are posters and flyers? What are the advantages of posters and flyers? How to create your poster or flyer A few basic tips on poster design Mistakes to avoid Posters and flyers can be a remarkably effective way of getting your message out to the public. Whether you want to generate support for a project, raise awareness about an event, share available resources, or inform the public about a community issue, posters and flyers can help you communicate with community members. This section discusses how you can make and use posters and flyers as part of your organization's communications plan. What are posters and flyers? You probably already know what posters and flyers are: visual materials designed to communicate information quickly. Printed posters are often displayed in public or organizational spaces and may be produced in a range of sizes, while flyers are usually smaller and can be printed, emailed, posted online, shared through social media or messaging platforms, or distributed in other digital formats. Posters and flyers may combine words, photographs, illustrations, graphics, or other visual elements. They are usually informational in nature, but they can also encourage positive behaviors, connect people with resources, or draw people to an event or activity. What are the advantages of posters and flyers Posters and flyers can be displayed or shared in many different places. Locations where people naturally spend time and where posting is appropriate and permitted may be especially useful: schools and classrooms, when the material is appropriate for the students and setting examination and waiting rooms at dental and medical clinics buses, transit stations, or other public transportation settings community service organization offices community bulletin boards in markets, laundromats, libraries, and other gathering places windows or bulletin boards of local businesses that allow community postings other places where people are likely to have time to notice and read the message A good poster can have staying power. You probably won't want to use the exact same content indefinitely, but using a coherent visual theme, recognizable design elements, or a consistent style can help people recognize your group's materials over time. The familiar Uncle Sam "I want you!" image, for example, shows how a distinctive design can remain recognizable long after it was first created. Flyers can be distributed in many ways. Printed copies can be mailed, handed out, displayed at events, or placed in appropriate community locations. Digital versions can be emailed, posted on websites and social media, included in newsletters, shared through messaging platforms, or distributed through partner organizations. Flyers can be inexpensive. You can create a simple flyer using widely available design or word-processing software and print only the copies you need. Digital distribution can reduce printing and mailing costs even further. The best distribution method depends on whom you are trying to reach and how those community members prefer to receive information. Flyers can also support presentations and other outreach. A flyer can be displayed on a presentation screen, shared through a QR code or link, included in a slide presentation, or adapted into a social media graphic or other digital format. How to create your poster or flyer Decide on your communication objective. While you may want to jump ahead and start working on a strong image or a catchy slogan, we can't emphasize enough how important it is to clearly identify your communication objective from the start. If you ignore this step, your campaign may not communicate what you intended. Take the time to define a communication objective first and foremost. Ask "What event, service, resource, or benefit are we promoting?" or "What do we want people to understand, consider, or do?" This is the essence of your message. For example, your objective might be to explain a health risk, invite people to a community meeting, promote a prevention program, or connect residents with available services. Examine what benefits or concerns are most relevant to your intended audience. If you're communicating about a health practice, for example, use current, credible health guidance and explain the benefits accurately and in context. Avoid oversimplifying evidence or using messages that may shame people whose circumstances, needs, or choices differ. Use these answers to develop benefit statements -- clear reasons why the information or action may matter to your audience. Make sure that your statements are accurate and supported by credible information; otherwise, you risk undercutting your message with false, exaggerated, or misleading claims. Decide on your intended audience. This is essential. You will probably need to do some pretesting with that audience as well. This will help you decide how the entire message should be conveyed. Make sure your language, examples, images, and requested action are understandable and relevant. If a technical statement is too complicated, translate it into plain language without changing its meaning or overstating the evidence. Develop your concept. Sketch out some ideas. Don't get caught up in making them look perfect at this point -- that comes much later. Experiment freely and let your imagination run. Look at what you have and play with other words. Puns, double meanings, and other types of word play can work well when they fit the subject and audience. Think about how the visual elements of the poster or flyer might reinforce the words as well. Let your mind make associations freely with the words, without criticizing yourself and without worrying about neatness. Get others involved with the brainstorming process, including people from the intended audience when possible. Keep in mind that whatever you develop needs to fit the space and format you have. For a detailed explanation, a brochure, webpage, fact sheet, or other format may work better than a poster. At this point it's a good time to toss ideas around with colleagues, community members, or others who understand the issue. If you know someone with graphic design experience, this is a good place to involve them. Also, look at what other organizations have done for ideas about what works -- and what doesn't. Leave it for a day or two and come back to it later if time allows. A little distance can help you see whether the idea is as clear and effective as it first seemed. Consider what pictures or other graphics you might want to use (if any). It's not absolutely essential that your poster or flyer have graphics. Generally, a strong visual may be especially useful for a poster because people often encounter posters quickly or from a distance. A flyer may have more room for explanation, but visuals can still help readers understand and navigate the information. If you do decide to use a graphic, your choice of image is very important. Visuals often attract attention before people read the full text. Organizations such as Adbusters have long explored the relationship between images, advertising, and public messages. Whatever visual you use, it should support the communication objective rather than distract from it. Some thoughts to consider about images you might use: People may respond positively to images that reflect experiences, settings, and communities that feel relevant to them. Use authentic and varied representation rather than assuming that everyone in a racial, ethnic, age, disability, gender, or other demographic group will identify with the same image. When possible, ask members of the intended audience what representation feels accurate and respectful. Well-known public figures or trusted community messengers can attract attention when their involvement is genuine and relevant. If you use someone's image or endorsement, make sure you have appropriate permission and that the person's role is represented accurately. Color can help attract attention and create visual organization. Use enough contrast to keep words and important information readable, including for people with low vision or color-vision differences. In most cases, the image should fit the message. You may have a clever idea about using a picture of a flower to promote smoking cessation, but the connection may not be clear unless people stop and read the poster. Think about what someone should understand from a quick glance and whether the image supports that understanding. Repeated use of a recognizable image can build familiarity, but make sure people are remembering the issue or action you intended rather than only the artwork. Types of graphics: Illustrations and graphic assets can save time and make good visual design possible even when your organization doesn't have an artist on staff. Many design programs and websites provide icons, illustrations, templates, and stock graphics under different licenses. Check the terms of use before including any asset, and give credit when required. Photos can be extremely effective and no longer have to be expensive to produce. Smartphones and affordable cameras can produce useful images, and many stock-photo services, public-domain collections, and openly licensed resources are available. However, don't assume that an image can be reused simply because you found it online. Use photographs that your organization created, has permission or an appropriate license to use, or is otherwise legally permitted to reproduce. When identifiable people are pictured, also consider consent, privacy, and how the image represents them. Original artwork can also be very effective. Someone within your organization or community may have artistic or design skills and may be interested in contributing. If you invite artists to submit work, be clear in advance about how the artwork will be used, whether payment or credit will be provided, and who will retain the rights to it. Other graphics you might want to use include original lettering, abstract and background designs, graphs and charts, maps, icons, infographics, and other visual representations of information. Write your headline and, if using any, text. The headline should be short, clear, connected to the reader's life or interests, and strong enough to earn attention without exaggerating or misleading. Make your case for the communication objective in the copy. Use accurate, compelling facts and clear reasons. It's usually better to have one or two strong statements than a long list that makes the main message difficult to find. Decide on what type of lettering to use. Here are a handful of tips: Remember, if this is a poster, it will need to be easily readable from a distance -- so large, clear lettering is usually best. Choose clear, familiar typefaces and test them at the size and distance at which people will actually read the material. Serif and sans serif typefaces can both be readable; factors such as size, spacing, line length, contrast, and overall design are more important than assuming one category is always better. Don't go too crazy with the fonts -- using one or two coordinated typefaces is usually enough. Too many different styles can make the design harder to follow. If you have a lot of copy, break it up with smaller subheadings, bullets, or clearly separated sections. This keeps the information from blending together and makes it easier to scan. Lay out your final poster or flyer. There are many different ways you can lay out your poster or flyer. Again, this is a good time to look at materials produced by other groups and to get suggestions and feedback from people who will actually encounter your message. Test both printed and digital versions when you expect the material to be used in more than one format. Include your group's name, logo or other identifying information, and a clear way for people to learn more or take the next step. Depending on the format, this might be a phone number, website, email address, QR code, social media account, physical location, or combination of methods. If there is one action you especially want people to take, make that information prominent and easy to use. If you're creating a simple informational flyer, it can be done plainly and effectively, as in the example below. It’s almost here...The Neighborhood Hunt...will begin! Are you ready to play? Watch for details next week! Sponsored by the Eastern Whoville Neighborhood Alliance Questions? Call Rakim at 555-9876 Later in this section, you'll find some more tips on poster design and mistakes to avoid. Circulate drafts and get feedback from others. Be sure to have several other people -- including people from outside your group and, whenever possible, people from the intended audience -- look over your finished draft. Ask what they notice first, what they think the message means, whether anything is unclear or unwelcoming, and what they would do next. Use their feedback to help you decide on the final version. Have it printed or prepare it for digital distribution. It's possible to avoid, or at least reduce, the expense of paying a professional printer or designer. Find out whether anyone in your group or community has relevant skills or contacts. Approach area printers, designers, or communications professionals to see if any of them would donate services or offer reduced fees. For digital materials, test the final product on different screen sizes and make sure links, QR codes, images, and other interactive elements work correctly. Distribute your final product. This may seem like a no-brainer, but community groups sometimes put a great deal of effort and expense into creating materials without making a clear distribution plan. Decide how and where your poster or flyer will reach people before you begin production. Make a list of the places, organizations, websites, email lists, social platforms, events, and other channels you want to use. For physical locations, find out whether permission is required and who is responsible for posting materials. Choose visible, appropriate locations without blocking other information or creating unnecessary clutter. Assign specific staff members or volunteers to handle distribution by a clear deadline and to remove outdated materials afterward when appropriate. A method that many groups use for distributing flyers is to share a digital version with board members, volunteers, partner organizations, and other community contacts who can pass it along through appropriate networks. They might print copies for approved community locations, share the flyer through email or messaging groups, post it on social media, or send people directly to a webpage with additional information. Make it easy for partners to share the correct and most current version. A few basic tips on poster design Simplicity is key -- try not to have too many different elements competing for the reader's or viewer's attention. Strong images and clear contrast can help attract attention, but make sure visual impact doesn't come at the expense of readability or accessibility. An unexpected or memorable image can help catch your audience's eye when it is relevant to the message. Your poster should be easy to read from the distance at which people will usually encounter it. Use strong contrast between text and background and test the actual design rather than relying only on particular color combinations. Color can influence attention, emphasis, and the overall tone of a design, but people's responses to colors vary across individuals and contexts. Use color intentionally, maintain sufficient contrast, and test your design with the intended audience when possible. Mistakes to avoid Visual clutter -- avoid having so many competing elements that the message becomes difficult to understand. Someone should be able to look at the material briefly and get at least a general idea of what it's about. Unclear or easily misunderstood wording or images -- you want the audience to understand the basic idea quickly. Creative concepts can work well, but not if people have to solve a puzzle before they know what the poster is asking them to understand or do. Typos, incorrect information, broken links, or other errors -- as with any of your communication materials, strive for accuracy and professionalism. Images or production choices that distract from the message or make information difficult to read -- a poster doesn't have to be expensive to be effective. A simple, low-cost design can work very well when it is clear, accurate, accessible, and thoughtfully organized. In Summary Posters and flyers can be remarkably effective in getting your organization's message across. Start with a clear communication objective, create a focused message and strong visual design, test it with people from the intended audience, and distribute it through the places and channels where people are most likely to encounter it. Whether printed or digital, a simple and well-designed poster or flyer can help your organization reach people and encourage meaningful action. Contributor Chris Hampton Resources Online Resources Adbusters is an organization working to change the way information flows, making it more democratic and less directed by corporate and other powerful interests. Flyer/Poster Guidelines, by Three Rivers College, helps you keep track of the dos and don’ts when creating your own flyer/poster. It has a number of specific positive and negative layout examples. Microsoft Design Gallery Tips for creating posters, fliers, and stickers from the Rainforest Action Network Vandelay Design Tutorials on poster design using Photoshop, for users of that program.
