Make Your Own Print Ready Business Marketing Flyer in Photoshop

You can't miss flyers, especially when they're designed well, making them one of the best local marketing tools you can use.

What makes a 'well designed' flyer?

• · Brevity - Keep it brief, use short sentences and catchy phrases
• · Color - Opt to spend a little extra for full-color printing because it catches the eye
• · Art - Photographs or illustrations, it doesn't matter; artwork within the design gives the viewer at-a-glance information about your business.
• · Graphics - Make sure that the colors and actual graphics you use within your design reflect the logo and colors you have already established for your business.

In this tutorial, we'll start from a blank canvas in Photoshop (you can also follow along using any graphics editor that supports layers) and design a flyer that is super catchy, leads the viewer's eye right to the information you want them to see, and is the perfect layout for any business. In the examples, the business is a baby boutique - but this is an example. I'll help you out with ideas for other businesses along the way.

Let's get started then, shall we?

Print-Ready Business Flyer: How to Design Your Business Marketing Flyer in Photoshop

• · Program: Adobe Photoshop or Other Graphics Editor that Supports Layers and Effects
• · Version: Illustrations show Photoshop CS5, but any version will work
• · Difficulty: Moderate - You need a good working knowledge of your software and tools
• · Estimated Completion Time: Approximately 1 hour if following the tutorial exactly
• · Prerequisites or Requirements: Printer-supplied flyer template, 3 Photographs or Illustrations and a logo to use

Step One

First, you will need a canvas to work on. I can't stress how important it is to use the templates provided by the printer you will be using. Not only will they be in the correct size, resolution, and color format the printer needs but they will also include bleed, trim, and cut lines that allow you to place your flyer elements properly.

So, if you're following this tutorial with the express intention of coming out with a flyer ready-to-go, make sure you download the template your printer provides you before you get started. Otherwise, you can usually get away with a standard 8.5 x 11" canvas (just make sure that you set it to 300 d.p.i.) that can be slightly resized (just design everything to the edges so you can make it smaller as necessary) if and when you're ready to print. Of course, you can also follow the tutorial for the sake of doing so, learning some new Photoshop tricks, and how to come out with a stellar marketing flyer.

Step Two

So we've got our blank canvas, all stark white and craving color. This is where we start blocking the background pieces in. With this particular flyer, I had it easy - I simply referenced an existing flyer and knew what elements I wanted and where they should go. Otherwise, make a very quick sketch on a piece of paper that shows how you want your basic elements to look, or just follow along exactly to get the same 'look' as the flyer in the preview. Just choose your own colors and graphics to match your business and products.

Background making time. To create the background in this tutorial, you will create 3 pieces. First, create a solid block of color that runs across the bottom half of your canvas. In the example, texture has been added to the block using Photoshop effects. Next, draw a block using your polygonal lasso tool to create a diagonal bottom edge that runs low on the left and high on the right. In the example, I've added a blue gradient effect and a thick white stroke effect to really set this apart from the bottom block and ended with a light drop-shadow effect. Finally, I ended the background with a series of clouds taken from a brush set I had on hand as a freebie from … well, I don't know where any more but you can find some great ones at QBrushes or Brusheezy.

Reference the second illustration attached to this article for an example showing where I'm at, at this point.

Step Three

At this point, I usually take a second to sit back and look at how the flyer is currently laid out and where text and graphic elements will 'fit' best inside that layout. What we want to do in this step is block out the spaces where photos, layout design elements, and other 'extras' will go. This determines where our text and photographs or illustrations will find a home.

For this flyer layout, I began with 3 white vertical lines that I dropped the opacity on so that the background comes through. This will be one spot for text. To make those lines more visually appealing, the bottom of each one is capped with a solid color that runs exactly along the same line as our uneven gradient layer. Each of these caps had a slight drop-shadow effect added to them for visual appeal and to make them really 'pop'. Finally, I marked where I want pictures to be by adding 3 circles the exact size I want the pictures to end up at the top of each vertical line.

Reference the third illustration attached to this article for a visual example of where I'm at. Use your own colors and shapes to match your existing business 'look'.

Step Four

Now it's time to start wrapping this baby up. Begin with your photographs or illustrations and the text that supports them. Reference the fourth illustration for an example of how the text and graphics can be used here. The example shows a very simple - remember brevity! - layout of product, product name, and price in a color scheme that supports the rest of the flyer. To make the graphics and photos the correct shape and size, place them right behind the shape they will replace and size it properly. Then, simply use the magic wand tool to select outside the original shape, select your image layer, and hit the backspace key to delete everything unwanted.

Step 5

All that is left is text. For this flyer, I wanted to really amplify the info-at-a-glance idea so I kept everything very, very simple. The informational text that I wanted to convey was simply a quick idea of the kind of baby products available at this fictional baby boutique. Then, to continue the branding (that's why we've focused on using the same colors and types of graphics), I ended the flyer with the business logo. Re-reference the first illustration attached to this article for an example of the finished piece.

Remember, less is definitely more when you're talking about a marketing flyer. Your business needs to be displayed in all its glory - but FAST. Let people see your name, your look, and the types of products or services you offer and make sure that they can get all this information within a minute of actually looking at the flyer. If you're lucky, you'll get some viewers that come in for a close look and really take note of everything. For the most part, though, you want to give a very good impression of your business and leave the idea of it in the viewer's mind.

When having your flyers printed, make sure that they will be printed in full color on a heavy paper stock. Glossy stock - a light gloss - will really make your flyers more professional. And really, really make sure that you get proofs before you print and that you look at them carefully before approving the print job. Anything you see in a proof is what you'll see on your finished product, so you want to make sure you're getting what you feel you've paid for.