12 fantastic flyer ideas for design inspiration.

Ignite your imagination with this collection of outstanding flyer designs, tips and tricks.

Design with your idea

1. Grab your audience’s attention with colour.

These flyer designs are undeniably eye-catching. Let’s talk about the Bauhaus example. The contrast of the pink, blue, white and black colours results in bold and bright composition and would likely catch a viewer’s gaze wherever it was posted. The pink and blues work well here as they represent the cyan and magenta of CMYK, a standard colour model used for printed designs, which echoes the flyer’s intent.

2. Choose imagery that makes an impact on your audience.

As the old saying goes, a photo is worth 1,000 words. Images can communicate emotions or sentiments sometimes much more than any words can, so explore what type of imagery can speak up for you on your flyer. This example is playful, showing a candid moment of a giraffe having a snack. An animal lover might respond positively to this and might be interested in reading more about what the flyer offers. Feature a high-quality image that is relevant to your flyer and then build your design around it with Adobe Express.

3. Use icons and graphics as imagery.

There are many forms of imagery. Photographs are one, as well as illustrations, paintings, graphics and even icons. Each medium has its own strengths in communicating certain messages, but let’s talk about icons and graphics. These digital imagery options work well for modern designs, minimalist designs, creating patterns and repetition or as part of an infographic. Maybe you don’t have photos to use as you’re hosting an Orange Picking Festival that hasn’t happened yet. Icons and graphics can be used to provide imagery and communicate the messaging. You can resize and re-colour icons to match your flyer’s design.

4. Create an impression with an incentive.

How can you transform your flyer into an enjoyable experience for your audience? Consider discounts, promotions, gifts or even just quirky, engaging copy. Incorporate your incentive into the design in a way that your readers are sure to see.

5. Experiment with typography for your messaging.

A good way to stand out is to create something original. Choosing unique typefaces is an easy way to switch up an ordinary design into something extraordinary. As seen here in this flyer design, mixing and matching typefaces create a playful and vivacious visual that gives us a taste of the festivities to come. If you’re mixing up typefaces, you generally want to keep some order, such as consistency in the structure, so the typefaces can display diversity.

6. Make a statement with bold type.

The voice of an activist speaks loudly to promote a powerful message. These flyer designs do an excellent job of depicting that tone of voice to almost hear the passionate voices as you read the messaging. If you have something important to communicate, don’t be afraid to take up the entirety of your flyer design with a copy that is bold and impactful. Share your most important message right from the start and do so in a way that reflects your cause. The International Women’s Day poster is in a handwritten font that echoes handwritten posters at marches, while the HIV poster uses a reddish accent colour that matches how the colour red is used to mark awareness of HIV/AIDS.

7. Experiment with the Generate Text Effect tool.

As you often see in magazines or emailers, headline copy can be approached with a more artistic style to emphasise the importance. Add text effects to your tool belt and explore all the new ways you can showcase your headline copy. You can find Generate Text Effect in your Adobe Express workspace and remix your font to perfection. Here, we see an image of Martin Luther King, Jr. himself in the letters of his name, which creates an unexpected yet artistic surprise.

8. Create layers with images, text and graphics.

As you craft your banner, allow yourself to think outside the box and try something unconventional. Start with the focal point of your poster - maybe that’s a headline or a featured image. In this case, we have a photo of a dancer that’s been edited to black and white. The artist then added watercolour splashes over it to add action and excitement. The text banners further emphasise the energy as they’re placed at an angle in a bold handwritten font. It may seem like a lot is going on here, but all the elements work together to communicate the same feelings. Take this approach as you layer different design elements in your flyer.

9. Showcase facts with infographics.

Flyers are a great canvas for infographics as they help you to get your message out there to your audience. Keep in mind when building your flyer that you want your infographic to be easy to read and understand when printed out and held in your hands. That being said, you can use design elements like icons, imagery, collaging or even just colour-coded text to break up your information and make it fun to read. Icons are an especially great tool as they can communicate ideas so you can save space on text in your design.

10. Feature collages to organise details or for an artistic effect.

Collages can be a collection of images, as seen on the left or a mix of images, text and graphics, as seen on the right. The face collage is a fascinating example of how collaged photos can create a cohesive bigger picture. Rather than showing many faces and taking up all the space, collaging them into one communicates unity and emphasises the flyer’s messaging. The other example uses collage to create a hierarchy with the information. Collages can be symmetrical or more playful and asymmetrical, as found in our layout options. Choose the layout that fits the aesthetic you’re going for.

11. Incorporate illustrations into your flyer.

While from a distance, this might seem like a zebra graphic, closer inspection shows strokes made by calligraphy tools to create varied widths and negative space. This is an illustration incorporated into the graphic design. Pictures feature different textures and imperfections that make them unique and special. Take an image from paper and scan it into your digital workspace to place in your design. You can enhance illustrations to clean up unwanted details or brighten colours, blending them perfectly into your desired product.

12. Share powerful quotes.

Quotes are an excellent way to communicate a sentiment. You can use quotes that are recognisable to create a shared understanding between you and your reader. Or feature a quote someone may not know to provide insight into your brand or business. In design, quotes are generally emphasised more than other text, so find a way to show it off. Make it bold text when next to regular-sized copy. Type it out in a striking font different from the rest of the design. Make it clear that you’re referencing a quote using quotation marks and don’t forget to attribute the quote’s origin.

How to make a flyer with Adobe Express.