Leaflet Design, Print and Distribution Costs

Leaflet Design Costs

The cost of designing a professional looking leaflet or flyer is not substantial, particularly when also having the leaflet printed at the same company.

Generally the cost will be in the region of £60, although some designers charge on a per hour basis so the cost does vary. It’s highly recommended to agree a set price at the start – per hour pricing simply rewards inefficiency. Also, if your leaflet requires a number of images this can increase the price as often these must be purchased.

It’s also worth noting that some printing companies offer free design providing you place a minimum order for the printing of the leaflets. This tends to be the most time and cost-effective way for startups to get leaflets designed and printed.

Leaflet Printing Costs

The cost of printing leaflets depends on their size, the number of colours used, whether the leaflet is one or two-sided, the quantity ordered, a gloss, matt or laminated finish, and how thick the material is.

Regarding VAT on the printed material, the rules in the UK are quite complicated. HM Revenue and Customs classifies most printed items, such as postcards, posters and promotional stationary, at its standard rate of VAT (17.5%), but there are some notable exceptions.

In general, leaflets & flyers are VAT-free unless one of the following is applicable:

• If an area of your leaflet is designed to be written on by customers it is likely to be classed at the standard rate for VAT.
• Mentioning a discount promotion, such as “20% off when you show this leaflet”, means that the leaflet is classified as a voucher and VAT of 17.5% must be paid.
• Mentioning “free entry with this flyer” results in the flyer being classified as a ticket so VAT must be paid.
• Leaflets designed to be shown in shop windows are classified as posters and become eligible for VAT.
• Finally, the use of thick paper or card, or laminating the leaflet results in HM Revenue and Customs determining that the leaflet is designed to be retained by the recipient, resulting in it being classified at the standard rate of VAT.

Some printing companies will still look to charge you VAT on leaflets and flyers even when they are classified as being exempt from VAT. Knowing the rules can help you negotiate a better deal for yourself.

Leaflet Distribution Costs

The cost of door-to-door leaflet distribution depends primarily on the leaflet distribution method. Estimated costs are below:

• Solus Distribution: £50 per thousand
• Shared Distribution: £30 per thousand
• Local Newspaper Insert: £20 per thousand

The main concern when using a leaflet distribution company is reliability. There are many stories of businesses paying for leaflets to be distributed, only to get such a very poor response rate that the question arises whether all the leaflets were actually delivered.

Therefore don’t always choose the cheapest quote, ask and follow up references, and even consider meeting up with the leaflet distributors on the day.

Related articles:

1. Marketing with Leaflets
2. Direct Mail Costs
3. Guide to Inbound and Outbound Telemarketing Costs
4. Types of Print Advertising
5. Newspaper and Magazine Advertising Costs