Leaflets and Flyers

Leaflets and flyers that share a message.

Simple, effective, and affordable: those are the characteristics that have made leaflets and flyers the medium of choice for distributing simple messages to large numbers of people.

The word leaflet is used to describe a single sheet of paper, with writing (and sometimes an image or two) on either one side of the page, or both sides of the page. A flyer is also a single sheet of paper, but it is folded, so that there are four panels rather than two, allowing for a more sophisticated presentation of the content.

Leaflets and flyers that make a statement.

If a leaflet or flyer has more than one colour, or contains photographs, it has usually been necessary to have it printed at a commercial print shop with appropriate equipment. Simpler leaflets could be printed on simpler equipment, like mimeograph machines and Gestetners (of which there were both hand-cranked and electrical models) which were within the reach of even small activist organizations.

Leaflets and flyers can be produced quickly and easily without the need for any particular expertise or equipment. If an issue arises suddenly, it is possible to write text, set it up on an original, and produce copies for handing out by the next day, or even later the same day. If folding is required for a flyer, they can be hand-folded.

The per-unit cost of producing leaflets and flyers is quite low, making them an affordable means of reaching numbers of people by handing them out, for example at protests or picket lines.

Leaflets and flyers that take a stand.