What Kind of Paper Is Used for Flyers?
Picking the right paper for flyer printing is as critical as picking the right wood for a building project. Paper engages a variety of sensory factors that can be the difference between your flyer getting noticed or getting tossed. It only takes a few minutes to make important design decisions, including paper choices. Read on to discover what kind of paper is used for flyer printing and how different options best fit your needs.
Flyer Printing Paper Choices
There are many questions you need to ask when you are designing a flyer, and the paper choice for that flyer is dependent on the answers. Will your flyer feature text or images? Do you want people to be able to write on the flyer? Will you be handing the flyer out, stuffing it into a magazine, or leaving it in a stack next to a cash register? Depending on your advertising needs, it’s important to consider the right paper to ensure your campaign has the greatest chance of success.
Paper comes in all sizes, thicknesses, colours, and finishes. Although some choices can lead to slight increases or decreases in price, the overall cost of different options is comparable. A quality flyer custom-tailored to your needs is always more cost-effective than an economical flyer that does not capture the interest of the people you are attempting to reach. The three critical components to consider are size, weight, and finish.
What is the Standard Size for a Flyer?
The first thing to consider is the size of the flyer. Standardized sizes exist, which makes it easy for printing companies to minimize waste space when they are printing your flyers. This makes printing more efficient and cost-effective. There are some variations from country to country, but you can get a good concept of available sizes by doubling or folding a standard piece of office printer paper in half.
Trim Zones
Whenever you are designing your graphic for flyer printing, you always have to make accommodations for the trim zones. There can be some variance in cutting. It is best practice for important text to be away from the edges to eliminate the risk of being cut off.
It is important to know the exact dimensions of the paper sizes available from your printer to ensure your graphic looks exactly as you want it. You do not want your printer to adjust the aspect ratio of your image to fit their print size because that can lead to distortion.
Postcard Sizes
Postcard-size flyers can be a very effective and dynamic means of marketing. Although postcards are small, they are compact enough to place in areas of high visibility. Local businesses are often very accommodating to the placement of postcard-sized flyers next to a cash register where they can be seen by everyone who patronizes the store.
Large postcard-sized flyers are equivalent to a standard sheet of printer paper that is folded in half once. This is a good size for handouts or for magazine inserts. If you fold the paper in half again, you achieve the standard mail postcard size that is very familiar and easy to slip into a pocket or a briefcase. Smaller sizes are ideal because individuals are more likely to take these attractively sized flyers when you hand them out.
Printer Paper Size
The standard flyer size is 215 by 280 millimetres, also referred to as the A4 or the P4. The P4 size is highly recognizable and is large enough to contain a significant amount of information. This size is ideal for handing out individual units and is also large enough that you can effectively display the flyer on a door or window.
Large Sizes
If your flyer has more than one page, you might consider a larger print size. When printing a magazine, for example, your printer will require a graphic layout that allows them to print multiple pages on the same sheet of paper. Magazines are assembled through folding and stapling.
Creating graphics for multiple pages can be counter-intuitive and might include printing pages one and four back to back on the same sheet. When doing complex flyer printing, it’s important to rely on the graphic experts of your printing company for quality control.
Types of Paper Finishes
The finish is a very important consideration for your flyer printing. Finish contributes both to the overall impact of your flyer along with its durability and effectiveness. Choose a finish that will help to enhance your message and make your flyer less likely to be ignored. The three basic choices for finish are glossy, matte, and uncoated.
Glossy
A glossy finish is the easiest way to get a dynamic, vibrant, and clean-looking finish. Best used for flyer printing that involves a lot of images or flyers that will be handled outdoors, a glossy finish is like a bright magazine cover that makes the images pop and is also resistant to spills and moisture. You should always consider a glossy finish because it is a quick, easy, and affordable way to make your flyer look highly professional.
Matte
A matte finish is more subdued than a glossy finish and is also very attractive. If you’re doing a postcard that will sit next to a register at a coffee shop, you will probably choose a matte finish. Matte finishes do not have that wet look of glossy finishes and are a good choice if your graphic contains a lot of text because they are easier to read.
Uncoated
Using an uncoated finish will make your flyer less durable, but there are situations where uncoated is the best choice. If you are creating a flyer that you want individuals to write on, your best choice is an uncoated finish.
Paper Weight
Your last option for your flyer printing is to consider the weight of your flyer. Thick flyers do not flap in the wind and provide a satisfying heft, but they are more expensive per unit. Thin flyers are less expensive, but they can flap in the breeze and are more subject to tears.
Paper weight is measured by GSM, meaning grams per square meter. A standard piece of office printing paper is around 80 GSM, newsprint is around 40 GSM, and business cards can be around 300 GSM.
The Perfect Paper for Your Flyer Printing
It is always a good practice to take a few minutes to consider your paper options to ensure you get the most out of your flyer printing. You need the right size so your flyer is striking even from a distance, and your graphics are accurately reproduced without any distortion.
The right finish helps enhance the look and practicality of your flyer. Finally, the right weight improves durability and influences the overall cost. Having the perfect paper lets you get the most out of your flyer design and concept.
You may also be interested in knowing what type of paper is best for magazine printing.
If you have questions about paper size or would like further information about weight, finish, and pricing, contact the flyer printing experts at Dollco Printing today.
