Best leaflet size for distribution and which paper to use
DL, at 99mm by 210mm, is the best all round leaflet size for UK distribution: it fits standard brochure racks, pockets and letterboxes. A5, at 148mm by 210mm, suits hand to hand and door to door. iDO distributes more than 5 million brochures a month across 150,000 print points.
Sugandan Balaji
What is the best leaflet size for distribution?
For most UK campaigns the best leaflet size for distribution is DL. DL is a paper size that measures 99mm by 210mm, one third of an A4 sheet, and it is the size a standard UK brochure rack pocket is built around. It is the only common size that fits a rack, a pocket and a letterbox without being folded.
Choose A5, 148mm by 210mm, when the leaflet needs room for a programme of dates, a map or a money off offer. A5 also reads better hand to hand, because it is large enough to register when it is held out. A6, 105mm by 148mm, is a cheap high volume flyer for street work and counter piles, not for racking, because it sits below the lip of most pockets.
Which leaflet sizes fit a brochure rack?
Standard UK brochure racks are built for DL, 99mm by 210mm. A DL leaflet sits in the pocket with only its top third on show, so the rack decides your design as much as your size. A5 fits the wider pockets used in tourist information centres, hotel foyers and attraction lobbies, but not every rack, so confirm the pocket before printing a season of stock.
iDO racks and replenishes print across 150,000 print points, the biggest print distribution network in the UK. In those racks, the leaflets that fail are almost always the ones designed as a flat page rather than for a visible top third.
| Size | Dimensions (mm) | Fits a brochure rack | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 99 x 210 | Yes, the standard pocket | Racking, hotels, attractions, letterbox |
| A5 | 148 x 210 | Wider pockets only | Hand to hand, door to door, offers |
| A6 | 105 x 148 | No, sits below the lip | High volume street flyers, counter piles |
| A4 | 210 x 297 | No | Counter sheets, mailed packs, small posters |
| A4 folded to DL | 99 x 210 folded | Yes | Six panels of detail at rack size |
| A4 folded to A5 | 148 x 210 folded | Wider pockets only | Programmes and what is on guides |
What paper weight should a distribution leaflet be?
For a distributed leaflet, 150gsm to 170gsm is the working range. 130gsm is the lightest stock worth using and suits a short hand to hand run where the leaflet is read and discarded the same day. Above 170gsm you are paying for durability you may not need.
Paper weight moves two costs at once. A heavier leaflet survives handling, rain and weeks in a rack pocket, which is exactly what a racked leaflet has to do across a season. It also costs more to print, and a distribution team carries fewer per round, so 250gsm raises the distribution cost as well as the print bill.
- 130gsm: short hand to hand runs, cheapest to move
- 150gsm to 170gsm: the standard for door to door and racking
- 200gsm to 250gsm: folded programmes and long racking seasons
- Above 250gsm: treat it as card and price it as one
Which finish works best on a leaflet?
Matt or silk lamination suits a racked leaflet better than gloss. Silk holds ink density without the glare that makes a glossy leaflet unreadable under the strip light above a hotel brochure rack, and it takes a pen if venue staff write a date or a price on it.
Uncoated stock is the quieter option and works well for membership, heritage and museum print. It marks easily, so keep it to short campaigns rather than a six month racking season. Spot UV and foil add cost and do very little in a rack, where only the top third of the leaflet is visible.
What is the most common leaflet artwork mistake?
The most common artwork mistake on a distribution leaflet is burying the important information in the middle of the front panel. In a brochure rack, the lower two thirds of a DL leaflet are hidden behind the pocket, so the name, the offer and the reason to pick it up must sit in the top 60mm.
The second half of that mistake is the file itself. Artwork supplied without 3mm of bleed, or with text closer than 5mm to the trim, comes back with a white line down one edge or a cropped phone number. Supply a print ready CMYK PDF with 3mm bleed, crop marks and fonts outlined, and keep every live element inside the safe area.
Frequently asked
- What size leaflet fits a brochure rack?
- A DL leaflet, 99mm by 210mm, fits the standard UK brochure rack pocket. A5, 148mm by 210mm, fits the wider pockets found in tourist information centres and hotel foyers, but not every rack. A6 is too short and drops below the lip of the pocket, where visitors cannot see it.
- Is 130gsm too thin for leaflet distribution?
- 130gsm is acceptable for a short hand to hand leaflet run that is read the same day. For door to door or brochure racking, use 150gsm to 170gsm. A 130gsm leaflet curls in a rack pocket and creases through a letterbox, so it will not last a racking season.
- How much bleed does leaflet artwork need?
- Supply leaflet artwork with 3mm of bleed on every edge, crop marks, and no live text within 5mm of the trim. Export a print ready CMYK PDF with fonts outlined. Missing bleed is the most common reason a leaflet arrives with a white edge or a cropped line.