How are flyers and leaflets different from pamphlets and brochures?

Most people can easily pinpoint the differences between a magazine and a book, however it is quite tricky to explain the differences between flyers and leaflets or flyers and brochures or pamphlets. While some people may definitely believe that they are all the same but technically they are quite different and serve different purposes too. Anyway, it is easy to get confused when all these terms are used together and hence we opted to share some vital information on these marketing tools.

The common thing between these marketing tools is that they are all quite cost-effective and an excellent way to advertise your brand and stay relevant. Hence, it is a quite a popular option for small businesses who are looking to market their products or services to a wider audience. Flyer printing and leaflet printing is an ideal way to launch a successful guerilla marketing initiative. Let us first find out what are flyers and leaflets and then understand how they are different from pamphlets and brochures.

Flyers

Flyers are also commonly called handbills as they are economical to design and produce and quite easy to distribute to a wider audience. They are generally flat, rectangular and the size of a notebook page which makes it easy to pass to people on the streets or in a shopping mall. However, these days you can get flyers in various custom sizes and shapes as well to suit your business needs. Flyers are typically printed on both sides to include as much information as possible. But, if in case you are planning to hang them somewhere, then it is best to print on one side. The best part about flyers is that you can use them for all kinds of events, trade shows, promotions or even hand it out to people on the streets. Ideally, flyers work well if you are targeting a certain region only.

Leaflets

Leaflets are almost identical to flyers and hence it is natural that people get confused between these two types of print products. It is true that both flyers and leaflets are used alternately, there are certain minor distinctions. Leaflets are a bit smaller in size compared to flyers and also produced with a better quality paper. Due to this reason, leaflets are a bit more expensive than flyers. There are different types of flyers used for promotion but the most common ones are the folded leaflet, bi fold and gate fold leaflet. So, flyers are used for a one-time event but leaflets can be used to share vital information which has a longer shelf life. Leaflet design and print is a vital step and you must contact a professional print agency for your marketing material.

As we have discussed flyers and leaflets, let us understand how they are different from pamphlets and brochures.

Brochure and Pamphlets

Brochure and pamphlets are very similar types of advertising tools but there is a major difference between flyers, leaflets and brochures or pamphlets. The first and the most significant difference is that brochures are custom designed keeping in mind the brand’s requirements and cost a lot more to print than flyers and leaflets.

A pamphlet is a multiple sheet of printed material which can be unbound or can look like an unbound book. More often than not, it is used as a reference material for internal usage or as a product catalogue or a manual given to customers for external usage.

On the other hand, a brochure is a more detailed and complex advertising material printed on a standard sized glossy paper with multiple folds. The most commonly used brochure types are the bi fold leaflet and tri-fold brochures. Additionally, each of the individual panels have separate margins and have a specific layout. Brochures are mostly used as reference material for internal usage. They have detailed information about a particular campaign or a project and have a far greater shelf life than a flyer or a leaflet.

Conclusion

There are a quite few distinguished features between these commonly confused marketing tools, however each has a specific purpose. You will not see a company using just one of these products exclusively. Now that you have found the different applications of the print products, we hope that you have a better understanding of the differences and can make a better choice with VC Print for your next marketing campaign.

Ravi Patel is a marketing consultant, working with VC Print, UK based printing company providing high-quality printing services. He shares his knowledge and gives the edge you need to create truly memorable marketing materials for your brand.