Typography & Layout

Have you ever wondered what all those fonts on your system are?

And more importantly, how to use them?

In this class, we're going to show you the power of typography.

Very soon, you'll see words in an exciting new way.

What is typography?

Typography is powerful. It can change how you feel about a message being conveyed.

Understanding typography is incredibly important if you want to make impactful designs.

In a nutshell, typography is everything to do with the design and selection of text in your design.

This includes the smallest detail of individual letter forms, the arrangement of letters into words, sentences, and lines, and the setting of larger blocks of text like paragraphs which we often call body copy.

So why is typography important?

Every day, we observe a staggering range of typefaces.

The designer's job is to communicate and make messages unmissable and unforgettable.

Knowing how to select appropriate typefaces will help you communicate ideas better and create more meaningful and impactful designs.

Knowing how to design with type will make your designs more accessible to a larger number of people.

But before we go too deep, it's worth clarifying some definitions.

Fonts versus Typefaces

Today, the terms font and typeface are often used interchangeably, but they mean different things.

So let's make it as simple as possible.

A typeface is created by a designer and consists of a particular set of letters, numerals, and punctuation.

A font is the thing we use like a specific style, weight, or width within the typeface family.

Helvetica is a typeface. Helvetica Bold is a font.

Within a typeface, there may be one font style or dozens.

Using a font with different weights or widths is a great way to create impact and hierarchy in your design.

Helvetica for example has a large family of fonts.

Take some time to scroll through the font list.

You'll see some typefaces have light, medium, regular, italic, and bold versions.

Some even have different widths like condensed, wide, and extra wide versions.

Remember, when you need a bolder font, look for heavier weight fonts in your fonts list.

These have more detail and were designed to be part of the typeface.

Clicking B for bold is faster, but it won't look as good.

Hierarchy in text

The world would be a boring place if everything was presented to us in a single size, shape, or color.

Consider the reader and how you can tempt them to enjoy and read your text.

One way is to use visual hierarchy. This is all about organizing and prioritizing your content.

We've discussed font weights and widths as a way to create impact.

Changing the size of your text is also a simple way to create hierarchy.

When measuring type, points are our unit of measurement.

Increasing or decreasing the point size simply means making your text bigger or smaller.

To get a basic idea of hierarchy, just picture a newspaper or magazine article with a headline, subhead, and body copy.

Here, size and weight are the simplest way to create contrast and hierarchy within our text.

The header is our focal point and designed to catch the eye in a larger, bold font.

A subhead in a smaller, bold font will lead the reader into the story.

Our body copy will be more comfortable and readable in a smaller, regular weight font.

If you're wondering if your hierarchy is working for you, try this.

Sit back from your computer screen a bit and squint at your design so the text blurs and you see the general shapes.

What stands out? Is it what you would want viewers to look at first?

Typeface categories

Think of typefaces as personality types.

Some are loud and flamboyant. Some are quiet, but interesting.

And others are flexible and adapt depending on who they're with.

A Serif is a typeface with small decorative details at the ends of the letters often referred to as feet.

Serifs have a more traditional look. Think novels, newspapers, and formal documents.

Serifs are more readable for long blocks of text because the feet and other details give our eyes plenty of anchor points as we read and read and read.

If less is more your thing, a Sans Serif might suit.

These typefaces are more modern and minimalist and have a geometric style.

Sans Serifs are great for punchy headers.

Sans Serif also work very well for body copy on screens.

You might be wondering about the more decorative and fun fonts.

We call these display fonts.

Let's look at a few. Inspired by handwriting, a script font mimics the stroke of a pen or paintbrush.

The letters are often linked together. Some scripts are like calligraphy and have a very elegant and traditional style.

Others are more edgy and might look like a quickly painted poster.

As we know, a serif is a typeface with feet. Well, a slab serif is a font where the feet are more pronounced.

They might be extra large or sit like planks at the end of their letter.

Forms scripts, slab serifs, and other display fonts are fantastic for headers.

They add character and life to a design.

Always remember, your message comes from the design and the words themselves.

The right style of display font will match your message and always be readable.

Spacing and alignment

We've looked at how the tiniest detail like a Serif on a letter might make text easier to read.

Our typographic power extends to the arrangement of larger blocks of text.

Controlling the letter spacing is the first step.

Tracking is adjusting the overall spacing of your letters, making the text look loose, tight, or just right.

Have you ever looked at a word or phrase and something just looked off about it?

It might be a kerning problem.

Kerning refers to the amount of space between two letters and the process of adjusting that space.

Readability is greatly influenced by the length of your lines.

If your lines are too short or too long, readers will have trouble scanning the text.

An average length of 45 to 75 characters per line including

spaces and punctuation is a common rule of thumb.

Though the ideal length will depend on your typeface's specific characteristics.

Now, let's get vertical.

Leading or line spacing is the vertical space between lines.

Adjusting this can have a significant impact on how easy a block of text is to read.

Most word processing and design programs have a default or auto setting which is often a bit too narrow.

The common recommendation is to make your leading 120 to 150% larger than the point size of your text.

So if your text is 12pt, the ideal leading might sit between 14 to 18pt.

With lots of objects on your page, alignment might just be your new best friend.

Alignment is the arrangement or adjustment of objects to make them sit together.

Try creating order with different points of alignment.

Alignment also applies to how the lines of text are arranged. Usually left, centered, or right.

Remember, left-align type is the easiest to read in the Western world.

You'll see the right edge of the paragraph is nicely racked like a torn sheet of paper.

When we get to the end of one line, our eye can easily find the next.

Pairing fonts

There's a science to styling headings, subheadings, and body copy to suit the type of content you're producing and the message or tone of your design.

Don't be afraid to use one typeface across your entire design.

A single font with a few style variants is a clever way to create nuance without over complicating things.

Here, the Serif is used in a bold, all caps, and regular version.

The combination has a strong hierarchy while looking stylish, organized, and refined.

You can also combine fonts from the same category.

For example, different Sans Serifs. Here, a bold and rounded Sans Serif header works nicely with a lighter and condensed Serif body copy.

All three fonts in this example are strong and easy to read.

Pairing completely different typefaces is a great way to add character and movement to your design.

This example features a modern Sans Serif typeface with strong structure and geometric form.

As a header, it contrasts well against the elegant and more traditional Serif for body copy.

While there is a strong contrast, these two typefaces work well together because both have rounded letter forms.

Remember, keep it simple. Try different combinations that work to your advantage by creating hierarchy in your text.

Allow some text to become a focal point and other text to recede.

This lesson has introduced the basic tools and techniques that are essential in mastering typography.

Mastery won't happen instantly, but by making stylistic choices and using appropriate fonts, your designs will have more and more impact.

Visual hierarchy and alignment will organize designs making them readable and easier to navigate.

Learning which fonts work together will give you go-to font pairs you can trust to get the job done.

Typography might be a big area to learn, but is a powerful tool for designers.

When you meet a potential customer or client, you obviously want to make a good first impression.

But how do you make a lasting one so they remember you when they need your services?

Let's learn why business cards are important and how to design a card that best showcases you and what you do.

A business card is a small piece of marketing you can give to any existing or potential customer.

It shows you are established ready and willing to work together.

A business card makes you look professional, makes it easy for people to understand what you do, and provides information people need to contact you.

They're also a great icebreaker and a useful prompt for those times when your clients need you most.

They can be handed out in person or accompanied by a note sent in the mail.

Well-designed business cards are kept.

When you take the time to craft a beautiful card, people respond by hanging on to it and remember you when they need your services.

So, what should a business card look like?

Business cards are often the first exposure a new client or business will have to you and your business.

Base it alongside other designed material like stationery, email signatures, a website, and social media presence.

A consistent approach to this material will help create a consistent brand experience.

Business cards are small in size and sometimes need to fit a lot of text.

You will often be working with a font size of around 8 to 10pt or smaller. Don't go too small.

At all times, the priority should be making the text easy to read.

What is the most readable color?

Because of the small font size, you will often see business cards that have dark text on a white or pale background.

Does your brand have a font that works well for body copy?

This will suit most of the text on your business card.

Overly, decorative and display fonts will be too hard to read on a business card.

Save these for other items in your brand collateral.

A business card answers three important questions:

Who are you? What do you do? And how can you be contacted?

First things first, your name is important. It's essential your name is legible.

Position your name somewhere prominently on the card.

Using visual hierarchy, your name might stand out by being a bit larger or a bit bolder than the rest of the text.

Always remember less is more. Consider what can be achieved by using only one or two clean, simple typefaces.

Secondly, what do you do? Your business name or service is as important as your name.

You want the recipient of your card to associate your name with the business you own or work for.

Do you have a company logo? Many people add this to their business card as a visual replacement for the company's name on the card.

This adds a sleek visual element to the business card and breaks up the text elements.

No logo? No probs. Just spell it out.

Use hierarchy to achieve the right balance for the elements in your design.

Just like the card itself, a little bit of design goes a long way.

A common method to achieve simple hierarchy is to adjust the weight of your type.

Perhaps your name is in bold and your title is underneath in the same size, in a lighter version of the same typeface.

Simple hierarchy is elegant and effective.

Finally, how can you be reached?

Your email and phone number are important, but less important than your name and business.

Hierarchically, your contact information can be lighter or smaller than the main copy.

A good rule of thumb is to never go smaller than 6 points.

Depending on the typeface, you don't want people

needing a magnifying glass every time they want to contact you.

You may also choose to include relevant social media handles.

It's easy to forget how small a business card actually is.

So when you are designing your card, try and do some test prints.

All the details should be easily read.

Of course, designing your own business card goes beyond just your name, title, and contact details.

Your business card is a reflection of you.

Consider what you would like to convey to customers.

What makes you the right person for the job?

What do you offer that no one else can?

If your service is quite common, how can you make it compelling in a visual way?

How much content do you have to include on your card?

Do you need a card that is one-sided or two?

An elegant and simple single-sided card might be sufficient.

If things are getting squeezed, consider putting some information on the back.

Double-sided cards are very common and often have a side that is informative and a side that communicates something about your brand or service.

Popping some content on the back like social media handles might also free up some space.

Thinking about colors or designs that represent your industry will help people understand what you do.

The most important thing, if there's text on top of a color or image, make sure it can be read easily and effectively.

Never underestimate how a business card feels to touch.

Avoid your card feeling thin and flimsy, by keeping the paper, often referred to as stock, 250 GSM or more.

The thickness of the card will send a subliminal message about your brand.

A very heavy card stock, say 350 GSM, will feel very rigid and strong, hard to bend.

That could send a message that your business is trustworthy or depending on what you do, it might send a message you are strong-minded.

So consider the purpose of every design decision.

Consider the finish. This sends a subliminal message as well.

High gloss has a shiny look and feel.

A matte finish has a slight sheen and is softer.

An uncoated finish uses the paper's natural texture.

Recycled stock is also a consideration. It has a grainy, tactile feel.

What suits you and your business the most?

Ultimately, the goal is for the feel or the texture of your business card to convey an idea about your business as much as the words themselves.

When it comes to shape, horizontal cards are the most common.

But if you're looking to stand out from your competitors, you could choose portrait format.

Beyond the rectangle, your card could be a square, a circle, or an even more interesting shape.

It might have rounded edges or have cutouts.

Just think about where the recipient is going to put it after you give it to them.

You want it to fit in their pocket or their wallet.

An embellishment might help your card really stand out and help your card feel unique or decadent.

The options are endless. Some popular choices include raised or embossed text, metallic inks, and colorful painted edges.

Anything is possible, but custom shapes and embellishments can be costly.

For a business card, it is often enough to choose an appealing paper stock.

Refine your typography and concentrate on elegant hierarchy and color use.

Before you send your business card to the printer, check everything carefully.

Do a test print. Ensure all words are large enough to read and there are no mistakes.

Get a second or third pair of eyes to check the card for errors and ask for feedback.

The last thing you want is a lot of printed cards with a silly spelling mistake on them.

Your business card is now ready to be supplied to a printer.

Multiple versions of your design will be laid out on a single sheet of card which is cut or trimmed down into individual cards.

While printers make every effort to ensure cards are trimmed in the right place, the trim line can alter slightly.

For safe measure, ensure all text is 5mm from the edge of the card so it doesn't get chopped off when the cards are trimmed at the printer.

In this lesson, we've learned about how to design business cards,

what to include and how to use hierarchy

to convey the most important information.

There's nothing quite like the excitement of your printed business cards arriving, stacked with so much promise and possibility.

Make sure you always have some on you, particularly when attending conferences or events.

Insert them into thank you notes and packages and present one next time someone asks you what you do.

Get into the habit of giving them out to see how they feel, noting any feedback or comments you can apply to your next print run.

If your business card is inspiring and pleasant to look at, it will be kept and eventually be utilized.

And that's the goal.

Whether it's for your business or for a client, you'll soon be designing business cards.

Let's learn how.

Starting from the home screen, click "Business Card".

It might look big on your screen, but remember,

in reality, this printed piece fits in the palm of your hand.

This design looks great from the template options here. Click "Apply both pages".

In the menu underneath, you'll see two pages. Notice how one side is about brand and color and the other more informative?

This is a great approach. Let's call these the front and back.

Now, refine the card front. What typeface would suit this business?

With the text box selected, use the drop down menu to find a new font.

Here's one that might work.

Now, edit the color palette. Select the background and in the toolbar, click the color tile. Choose a ready-made swatch or something custom by clicking here.

This color is perfect.

Make the type white like this so it feels lighter and fresher.

Now, select the pictogram.

Notice how commonly used swatches appear under document colors.

That's a handy shortcut. Let's use this color.

Now, look at the layout. Increase the pictogram size by clicking and dragging the handles.

Use the handy alignment guide and move it to the horizontal center of the card.

Reduce the width of the text box so it isn't so wide.

Group items to keep them together and avoid things moving. Hold down the Shift key, select both objects, then right-click, and select Group. Done.

Now, move to the card back. Using one font across the card will help achieve a sense of consistency.

First, ungroup these text boxes by pressing this keyboard shortcut.

With all the text boxes individually selected, make them the same font.

Is there some social info? Make a new text box and type in the Instagram handle.

To ensure people recognize the social link, find an Instagram icon.

In the Elements tab, type in "Instagram".

Note some elements have a crown icon. This means they're paid elements included in Canva Pro.

This one looks good. Drag it over and adjust the objects to keep a clean alignment.

And this color will make it stand out. Nice.

Small, simple steps in hierarchy can be very effective.

Hit the upper case button and make the person's name the regular version of the font.

Take the bold formatting off the "INSTRUCTOR".

See? A simple weight change is a handy technique for subtle, yet effective hierarchy.

Business cards need to balance readability and space. Text should be legible, but not so big that everything feels cramped.

The minimum size we use for a business card text is 6pt.

Depending on the typeface, adjust the size, weight, and letter space of the contact details.

Okay. This is looking good. Once you're happy, send it to the client for a sign off.

Click on the Share button. You can directly enter their email or share a link.

Involve your client in the process.

They need to check all the details and that the spelling is correct.

Once it's approved, we're ready to print.

Did you know you can print with Canva? Select the options that suit.

In this case, we want double-sided. Premium paper and an uncoated finish will have a nice organic feel.

Choose the quantity and click Continue.

Printers aim to ensure cards are trimmed correctly, but things may move slightly.

Creating bleed means including extra color around the edges of the artwork so it can be safely trimmed.

Do that like this.

Canva helps check the danger zone ensuring your text and elements are a safe distance from the card edge.

Make sure you check both sides of the card and download a proof here.

And there you have it.

There's one thing to be sure about in the design and business world.

You need to attract an audience and then turn them into customers.

In this lesson, we'll show you how business stationery can help you get the message across.

Whether it's a bill received in the mail, a business card shared in a meeting, or a signature at the bottom of an email,

well-designed stationery will speak volumes about a business.

For starters, designing stationery to look consistent across different forms of communication shows you're credible, organized, and professional.

Think about what the opposite might feel like where all your stationery is different, where the design is inconsistent.

The customer might question whether all the correspondence came from the same business. They won't realize it's linked.

Or in the worst case scenario, they'll think the business is disorganized or unprofessional.

A brand kid is an essential tool for consistency.

They're normally made up of colors, text, imagery, logos, and layout styles that are unique to a business.

These elements show that all parts are connected. They all appear on stationery, so it becomes a set, not individual items.

Let's explore each of those areas in more detail.

Color gives a brand the ability to express different moods. It has the power to express a brand's attributes and values and increase brand recognition.

Through color choices, a business could appear bright and vibrant or serious and professional.

Understanding what specific colors mean allows you to align the business with a color's meaning.

Text does the same thing.

Is the business traditional or modern?

Is it future-facing or does it celebrate the past?

These are some of the questions you can ask yourself when trying to find a typeface for a business brand kit.

Just like you chose colors that the brand could align with typefaces will send their own subtle, subliminal messages.

A strong bold, Sans Serif will say one thing. Where a delicate, classic Serif will say another.

Find typefaces that express the business. You'll want a primary typeface for the big, important stuff.

And a secondary typeface for the smaller stuff like contact details and body copy.

Imagery will also set a mood for the brand and provide a unique look and feel.

Perhaps the images look like they were all taken by the same photographer or perhaps you use the same treatment or filter across all images.

By having them consistent, you're again sending the message that all these items belong together.

Do you have a logo?

Any visual assets should be treated consistently across all stationery.

For example, the positioning and padding around each side of a logo can be made the same across different pieces for balance and aesthetic harmony.

In the brand kit, the logo is king often dictating colors, text, and imagery styles, so they emphasize the logo and not compete with it.

Finally, layout style can show consistency and bring the different types of stationery together as a cohesive set.

When working on the layout of business stationery, consider the vibe of the business.

Is it playful, dynamic, and bold? Convey some of these ideas with positioning and color.

Gave some elements sitting diagonally, increase the size contrast between objects.

Or is the tone more calm, meditative, and quiet? Then lots of white space and a feeling of order and softness will be important. No diagonals here please.

While so many things are online these days, it's important not to forget the medium that started it all.

Print.

Handing someone a beautiful tactile business card or sending them an important document on a branded letterhead is sure to impress.

To work out what to print, assess the business, note down its needs, and go from there.

Custom designed letterheads are timeless and make any business document look more thoughtful and intentional.

The nice thing about creating a letterhead is that the design can be applied to more than just letters.

Things like digital documents, invoices, thank you notes, and more.

A letterhead will be the standard paper size for where you live.

For example, A4 or US Letter because it needs to run through a typical office printer or photocopier.

The letterhead will contain a logo or business name and the essential contact information.

Use hierarchy to position things in order of importance.

Remember, the most important piece of content on the letterhead is the written letter itself.

The logo and other branded elements should never dominate or distract from what is written.

A beautiful letter received in the mail is one thing, but the envelope makes the first impression.

The most important thing about a business envelope is its function.

It needs to get to the receiver.

Keep the envelope design simple with a logo or business name and a return address.

A large company will rely on automated systems and your postal service may have guidelines.

A light-colored business envelope possibly with a window with minimal branding and a clear address area might be the best solution.

Or you might have the opportunity to be more experimental and really push the envelope.

Beyond letterheads and envelopes, printed stationery options are limitless.

Perhaps different documents are created regularly justifying several types of letter formats.

Business cards are important to showcase an individual within a business.

Perhaps the business sends out a lot of parcels and address stickers are called for.

Then you have complement slips, notes, memo pads, sticky notes, and more.

Ultimately, the best kind of printer stationery runs out and needs to be reprinted.

Of course, we live in a digital world these days and print is declining in use.

An email signature is important because it is often seen after the main communication.

It leaves a lasting impression.

A good email signature is simple, informative, professional, and puts the information at the forefront.

A great email signature might also inspire clients about business, showcase a value, or help make things feel personal.

An email signature will generally include a person's name, title, and a representation of their business like a logo or business name.

It will also include essential contact information and perhaps some links to the business website or social media.

As always, employ the brand kit using the agreed typefaces, weights, scale, color, and style options.

Simple hierarchy will convey what's important. Consider that the email signature might be read on different devices.

Mobile screens are significantly smaller than desktops, so be sure that all elements are legible when scaled down.

This is why our email signatures are often left-aligned as this is more likely to be viewable on any screen size.

A signature in the center or on the right might not be seen.

Space above is important to create distinction between the email signature and the email content itself.

You might even want to put a line in there so everyone can see the separation with all stationery whether it's printed or digital only.

Include contact details that are desirable to the client.

If they prefer not to take calls, don't include the phone number.

Are they very active on social media? Consider including links.

If they want people visiting their store, include their address.

If they prefer people to interact with them digitally, include their website.

Find out how the client wants to be contacted.

Don't feel the need to include every type.

Other types of digital stationery could include things like email marketing, digital newsletters, or even social media profile pics.

Remember, trust in your brand kit. Don't just plonk a logo anywhere.

Like printed stationery, digital stationery needs to feel like a set. like it connects.

It's a great way to ensure the voice is consistent and professional.

A suite of beautiful prints and digital stationery is something that a designer can be proud of and a business will love to use.

Most importantly, appealing material will tempt new audiences to get in touch, engage with the business, and use the products and services on offer.

How does a business show they're competent and can be trusted?

By presenting themselves professionally and consistently.

A suite of stationery enables a brand to be applied across all their communications print and digital.

Let's learn how.

A letterhead is a useful document for offers of employment, contracts, quotes, and invoices.

From the home page, click Office and the Letterhead document.

This will open a blank page. The letterhead is the standard letter size for your location.

A business card design is a great starting point for designing stationery. Let's use this as a reference.

The card and letterhead are now open in two separate browser tabs.

We can copy everything by selecting all, then copying and pasting into the letterhead document.

With the existing brand elements applied to the letterhead template, it's ready to design.

With a Pro account, take advantage of Brand Kit.

Pop in logos, colors, and fonts so they are accessible in any document whenever they're needed.

No more copying and pasting back on the letterhead.

Duplicate the page in the pages panel and begin with placing the logo.

Position and scale the logo and text to the top of the page.

Not too close to the edge. This creates a point of alignment for contact details at the bottom.

The text looks tiny. 8pt is a standard size for text on the letterhead.

The text can be adjusted to sit across the bottom of the page.

Now, let's refine the text. Initially, by making everything match.

With the text box selected, copy style allows you to apply the same text formatting to another text box like this.

In terms of hierarchy, the address is important. The other contact details can be reduced in weight with a bit of adjusting.

The letterhead is starting to look good.

From the home page in the search field, type in "envelope".

Select size and create a blank envelope. See the grey guide? This indicates the address area.

Keep the area below this line clear.

Time to revisit the business card design. Again, select and copy the objects needed and paste onto the envelope template.

It's easy to create a basic envelope with existing brand elements and a little adjustment.

Okay. That's getting somewhere now.

Pro accounts can use the Resize feature.

Let's open our original business card. Click Resize and scroll down the list to Postcard.

This creates a new file at the dimensions of a postcard. See how quick that was?

Of course, the design needs some adjusting. The back side of the postcard needs a clear area for writing.

Select and delete the unnecessary text.

Then shift click all the text boxes and make them 8pt.

When designing stationery, it's essential to keep everything looking consistent, so cross-reference the different pieces.

Re-use arrangements from the business card, letterhead, and envelope.

For example, on this page, you can copy and reshape the contact details from the letterhead.

Does that work? Try lots of options with the ultimate goal of brand consistency.

An email signature captures someone's essential details and it's a nice visual, professional ending to an email.

The usual format for a signature is a rectangle that sits on the left below the content of an email.

From the home page, click create a design and click on the plus symbol to enter a custom size.

600 for the width and 300 for the height will work.

An effective signature might be a very simple version of the business card.

Copy the elements needed and paste them onto the signature page, then scale everything to fit.

Now, we have the beginnings of some great stationery.

So what's next? Print it all out and have a look at each piece together. Keep refining things.

Are there any other pieces to design?

Begin any creative process by considering what already exists.

A business card is a great starting point for business stationery.

Consider the function of each piece of stationery and when designing, cross-reference each piece and use existing text, proportions, and combinations whenever you can.

That way, it'll all tie together.

Is print marketing still something to consider in the digital age?

The answer is a definite yes.

In this lesson, we'll take a look at how to design a flyer in a way that's going to grab people's attention, deliver key messaging, and drive real results.

People are so inundated with digital media feeds, emails, and ads.

It can be a great idea to try something different like print.

Flyers give you the opportunity to capture target audiences and deliver the most relevant information at the most relevant time.

For example, if the flyer is advertising an upcoming race, you could pass it out to runners at a local marathon.

If you're advertising consulting services to small businesses, leave some flyers at a local co-working spot.

Well-designed flyers appeal to an audience in their natural habitat.

What is a flyer exactly?

Sometimes referred to as handbills, a flyer is a quick and affordable

printed marketing piece designed to get a single marketing message across.

Flyers are generally a piece of printed paper in a flat, rectangular format.

They range in size from the small scale to almost poster size.

A single-sided flyer will be more economical to produce and suits formats where only one side is seen.

Perfect for hanging in store windows or on notice boards.

Double-sided printing may enable the flyer to have one side that is informative and the other side that is brand driven or more visual.

Perfect if it's going in post boxes or distributed straight to the audience's hand.

And speaking of the audience, always design with them in mind.

A flyer that's going to drive results with millennial business owners is going to be completely different from the flyer design that really makes an impact on new parents.

A flyer targeted at travel-loving retirees will be visually distinct from one for corporate entrepreneurs.

The goal is to build trust and make the product or service appealing to an audience.

This goes hand in hand with developing brand recognition.

Ultimately, a great flyer is designed to appeal to the right people as well as be clearly recognizable as belonging to a specific business.

A brand kit will tie the visuals, logos, colors, and text to other marketing material produced by the business.

Consistency is key. It will create a connection to the business and this will help the flyer look legitimate.

A flyer usually concentrates on a single key message or promotion.

The less you try to communicate, the easier the message will be to get across.

Resist the temptation to include any and all information you can fit on the page.

A cluttered page will make it hard for the audience to know what they should be paying attention to.

A flyer can be reduced down to three simple ingredients.

Imagery and graphics should support and not distract from these three essential ingredients.

A powerful and eye-catching header, a description, and finally, most importantly, a call-to-action.

If you want the audience to attend an event, sign up for an email list, or come into the office for a free consultation, you need to tell them.

A clear call-to-action, commonly referred to as a CTA, is essential to maximize the effectiveness of your flyer design and get you the results you're looking for.

Ask yourself: What is the flyer asking the audience to do?

Get in touch?

Buy now?

Find out more?

Go to a website?

The most successful flyers are the ones that drive results. A good CTA will do that.

Next, we'll look at how these elements can be designed for maximum impact.

There are a few design considerations that every flyer needs in order to make an impact.

The way each element is treated on the page will help the audience understand what's important and what they need to pay attention to.

Think of ways you can draw people in. What would get them excited to find out more?

The headline really needs to stand out and grab attention.

It also needs to be in line with the branding and flyer messaging.

It should be visually dominant. In other words, it should have hierarchy over the other information. Think about where this flyer will be seen and that will tell you how big you need to make the headline.

If it's being viewed while being held, it can be smaller than if it needs to communicate through a store window.

The written content of the flyer like body copy needs to be succinct.

If there are images describing products or services, perhaps the amount of body copy can be reduced.

Use a font here that is clean and readable.

Body copy is less important than the header to initially grab the audience's attention.

Once you have their attention though, body copy is what will convince the audience.

As mentioned, the call-to-action is very important.

Use hierarchy like a weight, color, or scale, to ensure the CTA is distinct and stands out.

A strong CTA on a flyer should leave no doubt about how to get in touch or take part in the offer.

Think about the arrangement of objects on the flyer and how the arrangement could help convey the message.

By keeping things aligned, you show relationships between objects.

This hints that these objects should be understood together.

To help with your alignment, a simple grid might help.

Try a few columns and align the elements of the flyer to one of the column edges.

Similarly, horizontal guides may also help structure the page.

Make use of clear areas of space often referred to as white space.

These areas will help emphasize key design elements. The more space around them, the more the audience's eye is drawn to it.

What about balance? For starters, each element on the flyer should be proportionate to the rest.

Look at the content of the flyer objectively and work out a logical balance.

Perhaps symmetrical balance works using a centered alignment.

This is effective when you need the audience to read from top to bottom.

Or create a more dynamic layout with asymmetrical balance.

Place objects on the page to create a diagonal movement for the eye.

Just make sure the place where the eye ends up is memorable like a logo or a CTA.

You might also use proportion. If you have a large graphic that takes up a solid portion of the design space, make sure to contrast it with smaller text, so the entire design doesn't feel too overwhelming.

There are many ways you can make a flyer design go further.

Perhaps the design works as a great social media post.

Or a simple re-shuffle can turn the layout into a great email campaign.

You can even add it to a website.

Flyers are a great way to create a face-to-face connection with an audience.

In this lesson, we've looked at what a printed flyer is and the reason a business might produce one.

We've also discussed how to achieve a great design using hierarchy and the design principles.

When you design your next flyer, consider the audience, the message you're sending, and the call to action.

What do you want the audience to do after they have seen the flyer?

This will lead to a design that drives great results.

A flyer's purpose is to communicate quickly and effectively to an audience.

So making the flyer appealing to that audience is essential, but so is understanding the goal of the flyer.

Let's find out more.

Flyers promoting a music festival to college students will look completely different to one advertising real estate services to luxury homeowners.

Let's design that festival flyer so we can see how it comes together.

Begin with audience research and how the material will be distributed.

In this instance, the audience is broad, not gender specific, and made up of 18 to 24-year-olds.

The flyer will be pinned on campus' notice boards.

We also need to know what kind of music it is, where it's happening, and what's the vibe.

Information like this will be essential.

From the home page, click Marketing, roll over Flyer, and notice the dimensions.

This template looks great because it will be pinned. Single-sided is fine.

There is space for a background image and the text has some nice hierarchy.

Let's customize. Upload an image here or use Canva images by clicking the Elements tab, typing "music festival" and limiting the search to photos. The filter button here will further narrow the search.

Note: Images with this symbol are only available for Pro users.

Drag images into the editor to try them out. Then resize and use the crop tool as needed.

The filter tool offers different effects and the adjust tool are great for refining things further.

Every flyer needs three essential ingredients: a strong header, a clear description, and a prominent call-to-action.

Are these ingredients working?

There is some hierarchy, but the call-to-action could be stronger.

This is eye-catching and can be moved to become the call-to-action.

How are the fonts working? Are they communicating the vibe or is there a more suitable font?

With the header box selected, click the drop down menu to find something more relaxed in style like this.

The text can be tidied up by using the position button, selecting the vertically button evens up the space in between each text box.

Small adjustments like this make a big difference. It is important to consider the hierarchy of information and how the audience will view the piece.

Some people will see the flyer from a distance. Others will be close up.

A great way to evaluate hierarchy is to make all the text black. Does a simple color change to the dates here make this info stand out just enough?

Perhaps there's a color that suits the image and the vibe of the festival.

This is looking good. With a few more tweaks, the flyer can be sent to the client for approval.

Simply click the share button here and enter their email or create a link for them to view online.

Canva's Brand Kit available to Pro users is an area to upload logos, fonts, and colors.

It keeps everything consistent.

Is there other collateral to produce?

Pro users can take advantage of the Resize tool. Select another format and Canva will duplicate and Resize for that purpose.

For instance, let's adapt our flyer for Instagram.

This is so quick and easy.