A lot of people wonder what is the difference between a leaflet and a flyer? To many people it is difficult to tell the difference between them.  There are some similarities but also a few differences between a leaflet and a flyer.  The things they have in common are that they can all be printed onto paper.  They are all lower cost material for marketing a business or event.  They are all lower cost marketing tools.  A flyer is usually a piece of paper with a front and back page.  A leaflet is one piece of paper too but folded to create the effect of multiple pages and to provide more space for content.

There is no clear-cut answer so let us discuss what each one is in turn and what they can be used for.

Printed Flyers

Printed flyers are thought more of being a cheaper alternative.  They can contain information which might be limited.  They are sometimes printed on cheaper paper to advertise something.  You would normally print flyers for any small scale and affordable event or to advertise your business.  One sheet flyer printing is the best option if you are trying to get your message out to as many people as possible.  They do not usually have many graphics or complicated designs on them making them quick and easy to produce. The types of flyer printing that would be produced are for event announcements, information handouts, fact sheets or advertising your product or business.

Printed Leaflet

A print leaflet is usually better designed and might be printed on higher grade material so will not have such a cheap feeling to it.   A leaflet also might be a little larger perhaps a A4 or A5 size whereas a flyer could be as small A6 size.  Printing leaflets generally does involve more thought towards the design.  Most of the time leaflets cost a little more to produce and print.  They are usually printed in full colour with the intention that the leaflets will be kept and read in more detail at a later date.  Leaflets that are used for a targeted marketing campaign have a bigger budget and they will be wanting to leave a lasting impression on the customer reading it.  The wording, layout design and graphics working on a leaflet are very carefully thought out as the message needs to be just right.  Usually, the content in a leaflet is much heavier and more focused than a flyer. The examples of a leaflet and where it can be used are for newspaper inserts, product information sheets, advertising a business or a product, telling you more about a business and how to get in touch with them.

According to Jamie from Leeds Printing Company “Which one you choose depends on the amount of content you have that you wish to share and your budget.”  Leaflets let you have more space to go into more detail and the opportunity to create separate sections using natural breaks in the paper.  Flyers generally focus on one specific thing such as an event or an offer.