Flyers · Glossary
What is door hanger size? Standard sizes and the hole
Door hangers are usually 4.25 by 11 inches or 3.5 by 8.5 inches, with a die cut hole about 1.18 inches, or 30 millimetres, wide near the top and a slit so the hanger slips over a handle. VistaPrint sells 3.5 by 8.5 and 4.5 by 11. At 300 DPI a 4.25 by 11 hanger is 1275 by 3300 pixels.
A door hanger reaches every house on a street without a stamp, and it has to work in one glance from a doorstep. The size is tall and narrow because it hangs from a handle, and the top few centimetres belong to the hole, not to the design.
Indunil Asanka · Co-founder
4 min read · Published
| Measure | 4.25 x 11 in | 3.5 x 8.5 in | 4.5 x 11 in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millimetres | 108 x 279 | 89 x 216 | 114 x 279 |
| Pixels at 150 DPI | 638 x 1650 | 525 x 1275 | 675 x 1650 |
| Pixels at 300 DPI | 1275 x 3300 | 1050 x 2550 | 1350 x 3300 |
| Aspect ratio | 1 : 2.59 | 1 : 2.43 | 1 : 2.44 |
| How it is cut | 4 across an 11 x 17 sheet | sold by VistaPrint | sold by VistaPrint |
| Hole | about 30 mm (1.18 in) across, top centre, with a slit | same | same |
Three sizes printers use
VistaPrint offers door hangers in two sizes, 3.5 by 8.5 inches and 4.5 by 11 inches, both with a hole and a slit, and lists the hole diameter as 1.18 inches, 30 millimetres, on both. A third size, 4.25 by 11 inches, is common because four fit across the 17 inch side of an 11 by 17 inch sheet, the tabloid sheet papersizes.org lists as ANSI B, which keeps waste low on short runs. The narrow proportion, around one to two and a half, is what makes a hanger look like a hanger rather than a flyer.
Designing around the hole
The top 3 to 4 centimetres hold the die cut circle and the slit that runs from it to the edge. Nothing important can sit there, and a design that runs a photo through the hole looks broken once it is cut. Start the headline just below the hole, put the offer and the contact details in the middle third, where the eye lands when the hanger is at handle height, and keep a strip at the bottom for a tear off coupon if you want one. Perforation adds cost but gives people a reason to keep part of it.
Paper and weather
Door hangers spend hours outside on a handle, sometimes in rain and wind, so they are printed on heavy card, typically 300 gsm or more, often with a gloss or UV coating on the front so dew does not smudge the ink. Thin stock flops off the handle and tears at the slit. In very windy areas some businesses choose a hanger with a longer slit or a smaller hole so it grips the handle more tightly.
Common mistakes
The first is a landscape flyer reused as a hanger, with the text running sideways. The second is a call to action buried in small type at the bottom, which is the part closest to the ground. The third is ignoring the slit, so a word is cut in half where it meets the hole. The fourth is too much copy; a person collecting the hanger reads the headline and the phone number, and the rest is for later if they keep it.
Door hangers and the flyer editor
The flyer editor has no door hanger canvas or die cut hole; its print sizes are A4 portrait and A4 landscape, which are much wider than a hanger. A hanger is best laid out at its exact size from the printer's template, or from the blank PNG linked above, 1275 by 3300 pixels, 4.25 by 11 inches at 300 DPI. The bleed and trim calculator adds the margin around it, and an A4 flyer from the generator, in the same colours, can go in letterboxes on the same round, since many streets have more letterboxes than reachable door handles.
Questions people ask
Is it legal to put door hangers on doors?
Rules vary by country, council and building. Distributors should respect any no junk mail or no advertising sign, and strata or apartment buildings often forbid flyers on doors altogether. Check local rules before a large drop, and never put unstamped material inside a mailbox in countries where the postal service reserves it.
How do I plan a door hanger route?
Pick streets that match the service, such as houses with gardens for a lawn business, and map them in loops so the walker never doubles back. Time a sample block before committing to a large run, because driveways, gates and apartment blocks change the pace far more than the number of houses.
What should a door hanger say?
One clear offer and one way to respond. A short headline about the benefit, a price or discount, the area served, a deadline and a phone number or QR code are enough. A local line, such as a note that the team is working in the street this week, gives a reason to call now rather than later.
Can a door hanger have a tear off coupon?
Yes. A perforated strip at the bottom can carry a discount code or appointment reminder that the person tears off and keeps. Leave the strip at least 5 centimetres tall so it is easy to tear, and repeat the phone number on it.
Double sided or single sided door hangers?
Double sided costs a little more but gives the reverse to a price list, testimonials or a map of the service area. Because hangers twist in the wind, both sides are seen, so a blank back is wasted space. Keep the front for the offer and the back for detail.
Make one with flyers
The button opens the generator with this use case already described. Change the wording to match your own.
Create a flyer with OneCraftRelated questions
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Step by step in the builder: Choose your flyer template, theme and size.
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .