The standard flyer is 8.5 x 11 in on 100 lb gloss or matte text paper, which is about 148 gsm. Drop to 5.5 x 8.5 in or smaller for pieces handed out on the street, and move up to 80 lb or 100 lb cover when the flyer has to stand in a rack or survive a pocket. Paper weights only compare within one grade: 100 lb text is much thinner than 80 lb cover.
Pick the size and stock for where the flyer will live. A sheet pinned to a bulletin board, a card in a hotel rack and a handbill pushed into a commuter's hand need different things from the same artwork.
What are the standard flyer sizes?
Most flyers are cut from US letter paper: a full 8.5 x 11 in sheet, a half sheet at 5.5 x 8.5 in, or a quarter sheet at 4.25 x 5.5 in. Postcard sizes and the 4 x 9 in rack card cover most of the rest.
| Size | Dimensions | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | 8.5 x 11 in | Bulletin boards, sell sheets, handouts that get filed | Too big for a pocket, so people fold it or leave it |
| Half letter | 5.5 x 8.5 in | Handbills, counter stacks, takeout bags | Room for one offer and one picture, not three |
| Quarter letter | 4.25 x 5.5 in | Street handouts, bag stuffers, invitations | Keep text to a headline, an offer and an address |
| Postcard | 4 x 6 in | Club card flyers, event promos, mailing at the postcard price | USPS postcard pricing stops at 4.25 x 6 in |
| Large postcard | 6 x 9 in | Mailed flyers and door-to-door drops | Mails at the letter price, not the postcard price |
| Rack card | 4 x 9 in | Hotel lobbies, waiting rooms, visitor centers | Only the top few inches show above a rack pocket |
| Tabloid | 11 x 17 in | Window posters and event boards | Use cover stock or it curls on the wall |
The postcard and letter limits come from the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, section 201. If a flyer is going in the mail, read our comparison of postcards, self-mailers and letter packages before you settle the size.
What is the difference between text and cover paper?
Text paper is the flexible sheet used for flyers, letters and brochure pages, and cover paper is the stiff sheet used for postcards, rack cards and booklet covers. The pound number is the weight of 500 sheets at each grade's own basic size: 25 x 38 in for text and 20 x 26 in for cover, as set out in WCP Solutions' paper basis weight guide. Because the basic sheets differ, the same number means different paper.
Grams per square meter (gsm) avoids that confusion because it measures every grade the same way. To convert, multiply text weight by 1.48 and cover weight by 2.70. Those factors follow directly from the two basic sheet sizes.
| Stock | Approx. gsm | How it feels | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 lb text | 104 gsm | Light, a little heavier than good letterhead | Handbills and high-volume street handouts |
| 80 lb text | 118 gsm | Light but crisp; heavy ink can show through | Budget flyers, inserts and bag stuffers |
| 100 lb text | 148 gsm | The standard flyer sheet | Flyers, sell sheets, folded brochures |
| 80 lb cover | 216 gsm | Stiff, light card | Rack cards, rip cards, heavier flyers |
| 100 lb cover | 270 gsm | Firm card that stands up | Posted flyers, postcards, bookmarks |
| 14pt or 16pt card | Measured by thickness: 0.014 or 0.016 in | Rigid, like a business card | Club card flyers and mailed postcards |
Point (pt) is a thickness measurement, one thousandth of an inch, not a weight. Our guide to card stocks and finishes explains how the point scale compares with pound weights.
Should a flyer be gloss, matte or uncoated?
Choose gloss for photographs and strong color, matte when the flyer is mostly text, and uncoated when anyone will write on it.
- Gloss: photographs and saturated color look their best. Glare under shop lights, and pen ink smears.
- Matte: easy to read at any angle, still holds good color. The safe default for text-heavy flyers and sell sheets.
- Uncoated: takes pen, pencil and stamps, and feels like paper rather than a printed ad. Colors print slightly softer.
Which flyer format suits the job?
A plain flyer is the right answer most of the time, but several specialist formats do one job better.
| Format | What it is | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Flyers | 8.5 x 11, 5.5 x 8.5, 4 x 6 or 6 x 9 in on gloss, matte or uncoated text | You need a general handout, notice or mailer |
| Handbills | Small flyers on lightweight stock | You are handing out large quantities on the street or at an event |
| Club card flyers | Heavy 16pt cards with a gloss or UV finish | The piece has to survive a pocket, a bar or a door-to-door drop |
| Die-cut flyers | Flyers cut to a custom shape from your artwork | Shape carries the message, such as a ticket, a bottle or a building |
| Rack cards | 4 x 9 in cards sized for standard literature racks | You have rack space in lobbies, hotels or waiting rooms |
| Rip cards | A full-size card with a perforated tear-off business card or coupon | You want the reader to keep a piece and you want to count redemptions |
| Sell sheets | One-page product or spec sheets, usually 8.5 x 11 in | A sales team needs a leave-behind with specs and prices |
| Bookmarks | Long narrow cards, available with foil or metallic stock | Bookstores, libraries, schools, authors and event giveaways |
Die-cut flyers need a cutting die made first, so allow extra days on the schedule. Rip cards are perforated so the coupon tears cleanly; put your name and phone on both halves so the part people keep still says who you are.
Can you post flyers on lampposts in New York City?
No. NYC 311 lists street lights and utility poles among the public property where flyers, posters and stickers count as illegal postings. Sanitation removes them and may issue a violation if it can identify the party responsible, which in practice means the business named on the flyer. See the city's poster and sticker complaint page.
Spend the budget on handbills given out by hand, counter stacks, rack placement and window posters in businesses that have agreed to show them.
How many flyers should I order?
Order for the distribution plan, not the price break. Count the places a flyer will actually go, then add a small margin.
- Racks and counters: number of locations times the stack each one holds, times the refills you expect before the offer ends.
- Street handouts: how many people are handing out, for how many shifts. A box nobody hands out is waste.
- Mail: the list count plus a few percent for spoils and the people who ask for one at the counter.
- Events: the expected attendance, not the venue capacity.
Short runs print digitally and long runs move to offset, where the price per piece falls with volume. If you are close to the line, ask for both prices; our post on digital vs offset printing explains where the crossover tends to sit. Standard turnaround is two to three business days, rush is 24 to 48 hours on most flyers, and delivery anywhere in Manhattan is free.
Many free design templates default to A4, which is narrower and taller than US letter. An A4 file sent for an 8.5 x 11 in flyer either gets scaled down with white strips at the sides or cropped at the top and bottom. Build the document at 8.5 x 11 in with 0.125 in bleed on every side, which makes the full canvas 8.75 x 11.25 in. Our free file check flags this before anything prints, but fixing it at the start saves a proof round.
Flyer size and paper questions
What is the most common flyer size?
8.5 x 11 in (US letter), followed by the half sheet at 5.5 x 8.5 in. Handouts often go smaller, to 4.25 x 5.5 in or 4 x 6 in.
What paper weight is best for flyers?
100 lb gloss or matte text, about 148 gsm, suits most flyers. Choose 80 lb cover (about 216 gsm) or heavier when the flyer sits in a rack, gets posted or has to survive a pocket.
Is 100 lb text thicker than 80 lb cover?
No. Text and cover use different basic sheet sizes, so 100 lb text is about 148 gsm while 80 lb cover is about 216 gsm. Cover stock is the heavier of the two.
What size is a rack card?
4 x 9 in, which fits standard literature racks. Put the headline and logo in the top few inches, because the rest sits inside the pocket.
How fast can flyers be printed?
Standard turnaround is two to three business days after proof approval, and rush is 24 to 48 hours on most flyers. Die-cut flyers take longer because the die has to be made first.
See the full range of flyer, rack card and sell sheet printing, or read our guide to brochure fold types if your flyer needs more room than one sheet gives you.
Need this printed? We are at 40 Wall Street, and we deliver free anywhere in Manhattan.