Flyer (pamphlet)

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Thousands of flyers litter the streets in South Beach, Miami. Scenes like these are not uncommon in cities known for their nightlife.

A flyer (also spelled flier^[1] or called handbill) is a single page leaflet advertising a nightclub, event, service, or other activity. Flyers are typically used by individuals or small business and are a form of small scale, community communication.

Flyers are handed out on the street, posted on bulletin boards, or given away at events. Bulletin boards are found on college campuses, in cafes, community meeting houses, laundromats and small markets.

Flyers, along with postcards, leaflets and small posters, are vital and free forms of communication for people who want to engage the public but do not have the money or desire to take out classified advertising in a local newspaper. However, as marketing became more direct in the late 1980's and 1990's, flyers have evolved and currently there are many formats to be found. Some examples are:

A4, A5, A6 flyers
3-fold A4 flyers
4-fold A4 flyers

Cheap to produce, flyers are usually produced in 150gsm glossy paper and are a very effective form of direct marketing.

Their widespread use intensified with the spread of desktop publishing systems. In recent years, the production of flyers through traditional printing services has been supplanted by Internet services; customers may send designs and receive final products by mail. Flyers range in tone from humorous to irreverent or absurd.

The Craigslist website is a web-based system that mirrors the sort of community communication that occurs via flyering and bulletin boards.

Recently, flyposting (pasting flyers to walls) has been banned in many places, causing concern among media activists and ordinary citizens. However, citizens concerned with the appearance of urban neighborhoods support the ban.

San Francisco has a long history of flyering. The first flyer company was The Thumbtack Bugle which has been around for over twenty five years. Haight Street is very popular for postering on telephone poles.

Flyers have become an integral aspect to the Edinburgh Fringe, where flyers are handed to people on the Royal Mile.