Leaflet Design Tips: Layout, Safe Area and Print-Ready Files

A good leaflet layout has one message, one main image and one clear action, set out so a reader gets the point in a few seconds. Put the headline and offer on the front and the details on the back, keep text at least 5mm inside the trim, run backgrounds 3mm past it, and use text no smaller than 6pt. Start from a template with those lines already drawn, then check the on-screen proof before you pay.

Start with what the reader should do

Before you open any design software, write down the one thing you want a reader to do: call, book, visit, scan or come along on a date. Everything on the leaflet should lead to that. A leaflet that tries to sell five services usually sells none of them well.

Then write the words, in this order:

1. Headline: what you offer or what is happening, in a few words.
2. The reason to act: an offer, a date, a benefit.
3. The action: a phone number, web address, QR code or address.
4. Supporting details: prices, opening hours, a map, terms.

Short copy fits more easily and reads faster. If the words do not fit, cut words before you shrink the text.

Plan the front and back

On a double-sided leaflet, treat the two sides as different jobs.

Repeat the phone number or web address on both sides: a leaflet left front-side up on a counter should still tell people how to reach you.

Layout tips by size

For a folded leaflet, design panel by panel. The front cover is the panel people see first, so treat it like the front of a flat leaflet. Our guide to folded leaflet types shows which panel ends up where on a half, roll and Z fold.

Make the text easy to read

• Size: our minimum is 6pt, which is fine for small print such as terms. We suggest 8pt or more for body text, phone numbers and web addresses, and much larger for the headline.
• Contrast: dark text on a light background, or light text on a dark one. Pale grey text and text over busy photos are hard to read.
• Black text: set small black text in 100% black only. Use rich black (C63 M52 Y51 K100) for large dark areas, not for small text, which can look soft if four inks are mixed.
• Lines: make rules and lines at least 0.25pt thick.
• Fonts: two typefaces is usually plenty: one for headings, one for text. Embed them in your PDF or convert them to outlines.

Respect the trim, bleed and safe area

Leaflets are printed on large sheets and cut to size, and the cut can move by a small amount. Three lines protect your design:

• Bleed: run backgrounds and photos 3mm past the trim on every edge, so an A5 file is 154 x 216mm. Our guide to what bleed is explains why.
• Trim: the finished size, where the leaflet is cut.
• Safe area: keep text, logos and QR codes at least 5mm inside the trim. On folded leaflets, also keep 5mm clear either side of each fold, so nothing disappears into the crease.

Avoid thin borders around the edge. A narrow frame shows any small movement in the cut, so one side looks wider than the other. On anything smaller than A4, use a border at least 20mm wide, or let the background run into the bleed.

Use our templates

Our free print templates give the exact artwork size for each product, with the bleed edge in red, the trim line in black and the safe area as a blue dashed line. The leaflet templates cover A6, A5, A4 and DL, with a front and a back page; the folded leaflet templates mark every fold and panel. Download the PDF for Illustrator, InDesign or Affinity, or the SVG for Canva or Inkscape, and delete or hide the guide layer before you export. Our guide to using our print templates walks through each program.

Pictures, colour and QR codes

• Resolution: images at 300dpi at the size they print. A photo from a web page is usually too small; see dpi.
• Colour: set your file up in CMYK. Bright screen colours, especially vivid greens, blues and oranges, can print duller. Our CMYK vs RGB guide explains why.
• QR codes: make them large enough to scan easily, dark on a plain light background, with a clear margin around them and inside the safe area. Scan the finished file with a phone before you upload, and check the address it opens.

Vouchers and tear-off slips

A cut-out voucher or reply slip is a good way to measure response, but keep it small. Under HMRC VAT Notice 701/10, a leaflet stays zero-rated if areas to fill in or tear off take up no more than 25% of it, added together. A leaflet that is mostly a form may be standard-rated. Our VAT on printing page explains the rule.

Check before you approve

When you upload, our free automatic check looks at size, bleed, colour mode, resolution and fonts, and the on-screen proof shows the trim, bleed and safe area on your design. The check does not read your words, so before you approve:

• read every phone number, web address and email digit by digit;
• check dates, days and times against a calendar;
• check prices and offer terms;
• check the back is the right way up, especially on a landscape leaflet.

If you want a person to look at it too, add a manual proof in your basket. Our proofs and file checks page explains what is checked, and our artwork guidelines list every setting.

Questions

What makes a good leaflet layout? One message, one main image and one clear action. Put the headline, image and offer on the front, the details on the back, and repeat the phone number or web address on both sides. Keep text inside the 5mm safe area and run backgrounds into the 3mm bleed.

What is the smallest text I can use on a leaflet? Our minimum is 6pt, which suits small print such as terms. We suggest 8pt or more for body text, phone numbers and web addresses, set in 100% black or another strong colour against a plain background.

How far from the edge should text be on a leaflet? At least 5mm inside the trim line, so 8mm from the edge of a file that includes the 3mm bleed. On folded leaflets, also keep text 5mm clear either side of each fold.

Should I put a border around my leaflet? We advise against a thin border. The cut can move by a small amount, which makes a narrow frame look uneven. On items smaller than A4, use a border at least 20mm wide or let the background run to the edge.

Can I design a leaflet in Canva or Word? Yes. Set the page to the artwork size with bleed, such as 154 x 216mm for A5, run backgrounds to the edge, keep text 8mm from the edge and save as a PDF. Our Canva to print guide gives the settings.

Do you check my leaflet design? Every upload gets a free automatic check for size, bleed, colour mode, resolution and fonts, and an on-screen proof before you pay. It does not read your wording, so proofread it yourself, or add a manual proof for a person to check your file.