Door hanger printing: sizes, paper, die cuts and distribution

Why door hangers still work

A door hanger is one of the few printed pieces a person must physically touch. It sits at eye level on the one route everyone takes into their home, and it cannot be swept into a pile with the rest of the mail. That makes it ideal for hyperlocal services: lawn care, roofing, pest control, painting, window cleaning, pizza delivery, real estate and political canvassing.

The format also lets you choose exactly which houses to reach. A roofer who just replaced a roof can hang pieces on the forty neighboring homes that share the same age and style. A realtor can target a single subdivision where they want listings. No mailing list is required, only a map and a pair of comfortable shoes.

If your audience is spread across a whole city, or you cannot walk the routes, compare the format with mail using the guide on choosing flyers or postcards by distribution.

Standard door hanger sizes and specs

Most door hangers come in two sizes. The smaller one is economical and fits most knobs and lever handles; the larger one gives you room for a coupon or a detailed service list.

The hanger hole is usually a circle about 1.25 in across near the top, with a slit that runs to the edge so the piece slides over the knob. The printer adds this with a die, so do not draw it yourself unless the template asks you to. Keep roughly the top 1.75 in free of important text and logos, because the die cut will remove part of that area. Use a template for the exact position, since hole size and placement vary slightly between printers. The door hanger product page lists the current options.

Paper and coating that survive outdoors

A door hanger lives outside for hours, sometimes days. It needs to stay stiff in humidity, resist a light shower and not tear when someone yanks it off the knob. That rules out text weight paper.

• 14 pt or 16 pt cover stock is the usual choice. It holds its shape and feels substantial in the hand.
• A gloss or UV coating on the front helps shed moisture and makes photos vivid.
• If people will write on the back, such as a technician noting the services performed, leave the back uncoated or matte so pens work.
• Avoid very dark full coverage backgrounds on uncoated stock, because scuffs and fingerprints show easily.

In rainy seasons, some teams fold the hanger into a clear plastic sleeve with its own hole. It adds cost and time, so reserve it for high value campaigns or wet climates.

Design for the three second read

The homeowner sees the top third first, usually while holding keys or grocery bags. That area must answer who you are and why they should care. Put the benefit headline and your logo there, directly below the hole. The middle holds the offer and proof, such as a photo of recent work or a short review. The bottom holds the response: phone number, web address or QR code.

Write for the neighborhood. We just finished a roof on Oak Street is far more persuasive than We do roofing, because it proves you are local and working nearby. If you canvass several neighborhoods, a variable street name or a short version for each route is worth considering.

Use the back. It is a second chance to sell, with room for a service list, a coupon with an expiration date, a map of your service area, or a short checklist the homeowner can use. A perforated tear off coupon at the bottom, roughly business card size, gives people something to keep while the rest goes in recycling.

Know the legal lines before you walk

The most important rule is federal. Depositing circulars and similar material without postage in a mailbox is prohibited, with a fine for each offense. Keep hangers on door knobs only, and do not attach them to mailboxes, mailbox posts or flags either, since the mail receptacle is reserved for the postal service.

Local rules vary. Some cities and homeowner associations restrict commercial solicitation or require a permit for door to door distribution, and many homes post No Soliciting signs. Check your city's rules before the first route and brief everyone who walks for you. Skip homes with signs; the goodwill is worth more than one hanger.

A few courtesy rules also protect your reputation. Do not walk across lawns or through flower beds, close gates behind you, and never leave a hanger on a door that already has one from another company pinned under it. Homeowners remember how you treated their property.

Plan routes and track results

Door hangers are measurable if you plan for it. Before printing, divide the target area into routes of similar size, give each route a code, and print that code on the hanger or use a unique QR link. When calls come in, ask which code they have.

• Map routes in advance and assign each to a person and a day.
• Time your first route to learn your real pace, then plan the rest from that number.
• Go on weekday afternoons or weekend mornings, when fewer people are leaving or arriving.
• Avoid days with heavy rain or strong wind.
• Record which streets were covered so you can follow up in four to six weeks.

Repetition matters. Many households need to see a local service more than once before they call. A second pass with a different offer to the same streets often outperforms a first pass to new ones.

How many to print

Count the homes on your routes, then add about 10 percent for replacements and surprise opportunities, such as a street fair or a neighbor who asks for extras. If you plan two waves to the same area, print both designs at once, since larger runs usually lower the cost per piece.

For a first test, pick two contrasting routes of equal size, run the same hanger on both, and compare response. That tells you more about where to invest than any guess. Once you have a winner, scale to similar neighborhoods. Build the design in one of the ready made templates and run the file through the PDF health check before ordering to catch missing bleed or low resolution photos.

Get the free Small Business Print Planner

The free Small Business Print Planner includes a 12 month print calendar for planning door hanger waves by season, a quote comparison sheet and an order checklist, so each round is printed and on the street at the right time.

Door hanger checklist

• Choose 3.5 × 8.5 in for a single offer or 4.25 × 11 in for more content.
• Use 14 pt or 16 pt coated cover stock.
• Keep the top area around the hole clear of key text.
• Put the benefit and logo right below the hole.
• Add a route code or unique QR link to track response.
• Confirm local solicitation rules and never use mailboxes.
• Plan a second wave four to six weeks later.