Door Hanger Design Strategies

by Claire Lawson | Last Updated January 30, 2024

Door hangers are a great tool for marketers who segment their customers by location. They’re versatile, tangible ads that give personal touches to a campaign. However, when it comes to designing them, it can be hard to know where to start. So, here’s a quick guide to door hanger design: wheres, hows, and whys.

  • When your design is finished, you’ll need to make it physical. Burris Computer Forms offers a wide variety of blank door hangers that can be easily printed at-home or work. Our door hangers are an affordable choice for any business owner, simplifying print jobs on-demand. They come in 3-, 2-, and 6-per-page variations to save paper, ink, and time. Find them at our door hangers main page.

Door Hanger Design Software and Tools

There are many software programs to choose from when designing a door hanger. For the purpose of this quick guide, we’ll cover three popular choices: Microsoft Word, Canva, and Adobe Acrobat, along with some pros and cons of each.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is one of the most popular design software on the planet. This can be an easy option for most non-designers, who both: 1) already have access to the software, and; 2) are familiar with its layout and navigation.

If you haven’t already read our blog post about how to use Microsoft Word in door hanger design, here’s the shortened version, in steps:

  1. First, download a door hanger template. Our page has templates corresponding to the variety of print-your-own door hangers we offer.
  2. Then open the template in Microsoft Word. To ensure the proportions match, show the grid lines using “Layout.”
  3. Next, insert your copy in text boxes. Leave the top portions blank to account for the circular cut-out. You can use your own images or assets you have to add interest to the design.
  4. Lastly, print! It’s generally OK if margins fall outside the page, but if the test sheet loses some of your design, move your content further into the center.
Final door hanger design in Microsoft Word
Sample Microsoft Word Door Hanger Design

Microsoft Word Pros and Cons:

Microsoft word is highly available, prints well, and has free resources all over the internet. Its long-time popularity has made it a go-to option for years, and users are often familiar with its layout.

When it comes to design capabilities, other programs may rival it. But, once you own it, you can use your creativity to achieve spectacular results.

Canva

For those unfamiliar with this recently-popular choice, Canva is a free or paid online tool with a simple design process that provides pro-worthy results.

While it requires an account to use, their interface is both powerful and user-friendly. Canva allows users to pick from a large variety of free or paid images, icons, patterns, and shapes, easily click and drag design elements across their (many, many) templates, or even upload their own photos or logos.

canva homepage
Canva Homepage

How-to

Creating a door hanger in Canva is a quick process once you’re used to the software. A quick search in the search bar on the home page leads to a list of door hanger templates. From there, it’s important to choose one that matches the dimensions of your paper.

You can also search by dimensions using the “Custom size” button. Sizes can be in pixels, inches, millimeters, or centimeters.

custom size input on canva
Finding a template using a custom size: 8.5 x 11″

If you’re using Burris’s 3-per-page door hangers, the “Trifold Brochure” templates fit our page dimensions. The “infographic,” or “door hanger” templates match our 2-per-page hangers.

After making your selection, the world of designing opens to you.

For a first timer, the plethora of options may seem daunting, but it only takes a little time to get the software under your fingers. Take some time to look through the options and experiment with how they look on your project. Don’t forget to include room for the hole punch at the top!

Printing From Canva

When it comes time to print, click the share button on the top right of the design area.

design sharing options on canva
“Share this design” on Canva

Choose “Download,” then change the file type to “PDF Print.” Next, check the “Flatten PDF” option to optimize printing. It’s important to note that CMYK coloring is locked behind a paywall, but RGB is available for download. When you’re ready, hit download. You can then print the PDF from your computer.

settings to download the design for print
Settings for downloading your printable door hanger design

Canva Pros and Cons:

Canva is relatively simple to use, and has a variety of design capabilities suitable for beginners or pros. Much of the site, however, is locked behind paywalls.

Adobe

Adobe’s Photoshop and Illustrator work for the purposes of designing door hangers. Their subscription prices can be prohibitive, but the functionality, as a favorite of the design industry, is top-of-class. If your company is acquainted with and already pays for Adobe suite, it’s a top option for most design projects.

Make sure to set the dimensions correctly. To make your own template, you can use guides. Set the parameters for the margins on the door hanger. Then, add the door hanger hole with the ellipse tool. You can align the hole on the page using more guides, to put it at the top center portion. For a tutorial that goes into greater detail, check out this article by Tutsplus.

Adobe Photoshop Pros and Cons:

Photoshop is a high level program with a high-level price, and a high required skill set. While certain things can be learned with online articles and tutorials, it’s best used by seasoned professionals who have spent time working with the software. If you’re used to the software, it will output just what you put in, a best choice for those familiar with it.

Door Hanger Design Principles

example door hanger design. bright red and blue with a one-liner

Once you’ve decided on a software, it’s time to design. Don’t let each software’s presets or blank canvases box your design in; keeping design principles in mind will help the door hangers to turn out looking attractive and professional.

There are many ways to design a door hanger, so whether you’d like to use high resolution pictures, abstract, colorful shapes, or to focus on the text, here are some strategies to stand out on a door.

  • Simplicity – Keep any text simple, and get straight to the point. If possible, sum up your benefits in one line. You need to draw customers into your pitch. Any other, more complicated information should go on the back.

    Additionally, if the design is too complex, you risk losing customers’ attention. That means to avoid crowding too many pictures into your design. Keep it to a few colors or designs, and don’t feature multiple patterns.
another example door hanger design, this time with people on it
  • Bold Colors – Using bold colors is a classic way to catch potential customers’ attention. The contrast is proven to draw eyes to your ad.
  • People – Customers are drawn to images of people, as they feel a more personal connection.
  • Surprise – As with most ads, aim to surprise and delight. Whether that’s stand-out pictures, new facts, a fun tone, or a joke, do something unexpected.
  • Call to action – This is the most important piece! As with any ad material, the most important thing you should do is include a call to action. Make an offer somewhere, prominently.

Once you’ve designed the front, put any more substance on the back. Who you are, contact info, and another call to action. Infographics and QR codes work well here.

Conclusion

Door Hangers, a useful and favored marketing tool for real estate agents, political groups, local businesses, home services, and many other organizations, can seem daunting to get into. But designing them can be fun and easy for those with all levels of graphic design experience. Burris Computer Forms makes designing and printing your own door hangers accessible with our print-your-own door hanger sheets and free, downloadable templates. Check out our product page or contact us at burris@pcforms.com or (800) 982-3674 to buy, get samples, or for more information.



Burris Announces New Specimen Label Forms

by Claire Lawson | Last Updated November 9, 2023

ROANOKE, Va November 2023

Burris Computer Forms® announces new additions to their product offerings for lab specimen labels. The first addition is an 8.5×11″ sheet with 8 thin labels compatible with LabCorp. When ordering tests, clinics, doctors, and other testing organizations can include patient information and testing requests on the same page as their specimen labels.

With 8-up specimen label forms, Burris provides sample collection offices with a simple, all-in-one order form they can print themselves.

Another new product offering is a 4×6″ sheet with 10 1.5×1″ labels. The 10-up specimen label forms offer high-quality, long-lasting adhesive on a small sheet. Additionally, both specimen label forms can be used by doctors’ offices, health departments, and other professional, high-volume medical labs such as Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp.

About the Specimen Label Forms

The first form has eight 1.875 x 0.375″ labels on the bottom. They fit on standard 8.5mL specimen containers.

The top portion has space to include order requisition details sent with the samples. Each sheet measures 8.5 x 11″ and prints as normal printing paper, in an inkjet or laser printer.

The second form has 10 1.5 x 1″ labels arranged in two columns on a 4 x 6″ sheet. These labels can fit testing details and stick to plastic, glass, and other specimen containers and surfaces. They resist smudging ink and stick securely.

To request samples, please email burris@pcforms.com.

Burris’ product page contains more information about our forms, labels and pricing.

Who is this for?

The 8.5 x 11″ Specimen Label forms are meant for labs who need small sample labels and a test detail sheet. Doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics, researchers, and health departments in general can use both of our new label forms in their day-to-day practice, tagging specimens with all necessary information.

Printing Specifications

The specimen label forms print with laser or inkjet printers (not thermal printers). Setting the printer to “label” or “thick” may provide best results.

Here’s what Burris Computer Forms’ President Jerry Guzi said about the new product release.

“In response to customer requests to help expedite specimen labeling process, we are providing these Lab Label Sheet Forms – the first to provide the option of quickly printing up to 8 specimen labels on an 8.5 x 11″ sheet, the second up to 10 specimen labels on a 4 x 6″ sheet, both using a standard laser or inkjet printer.”

Similar Products

Burris also sells Specimen Label Forms of other label dimensions in both 8-UP and 4-UP versions. Both are 8.5″ x 11″ sheets and print using laser or inkjet printers. Those labels are 2″ x 1″ each.

In a review for the 4-UP label sheets, a customer who rated them 5 stars said,

“In our current market our specimen labels have been hard to find, it has been wonderful ordering and using Burris for these label sheets. It has been a saving grace for our lab.”

– Lisa M. October 13, 2022

About Burris Computer Forms

Burris Computer Forms® sells a broad selection of print-your-own products and forms, giving organizations the option to print in-house. Founded in 1992 in Roanoke, Virginia, Burris has been reliably serving businesses, non-profits, governments, labs, and educational institutions throughout the US and Canada for over 30 years. They have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

For more information on the Company and its products and services, visit their website https://www.pcforms.com, or call 1-800-982-FORM(3676).

Burris Computer Forms® is unaffiliated with LabCorp (Laboratory Corporation of America®) and Quest Diagnostics but enjoys serving both and their customers.

Burris Computer Forms is a registered trademark of Jerry Guzi & Company, a Virginia Corporation.



Bringing small businesses into more homes starts with getting set up with an online store, the right products, and shipping supplies.

“Shop small!”
“Buy local!”

These phrases have become staples in our world over the past few years and for good reason. Spending our dollars in locally-owned businesses keeps more money in our own community and fosters a stronger sense of connection that can’t be found when buying at big box stores, retail chains, or online. For the past 10 years, ever since American Express started Small Business Saturday, customers have increasingly taken to the movement. Embracing the businesses that they know, trust, and love continues to be on an upward trend.

Unfortunately the pandemic threw us a curveball. Local businesses are finding themselves severely challenged. Stores have slowly reopened but with new guidelines and related expenses. As we head into the fall and holiday season we are facing a completely different landscape with new questions to ask. Are customers going to feel safe enough to shop in person? Are we going to have to shutdown again if we see another increase in cases?

What can small businesses do to continue giving their customers the opportunity to support them now and during the upcoming fourth quarter?

Although it may seem daunting and perhaps futile to try to compete with companies who have been online for years, it may also be an ideal time for small businesses to take the dive. This year has not surprisingly seen a drastic increase in online sales as customers have been shopping from home more. Adobe has reported that by October 5th of this year, online sales will have surpassed last year’s. Small businesses should be sharing in the fruits of this trend in a way that’s comfortable, affordable, and sustainable. Adding eCommerce will also give customers an opportunity to support their favorite local businesses. Last but not least, business owners may find that having an online presence creates a feasible new revenue stream. In the future they can continue to maintain or grow once our lives return to normal.

In this article, Burris Computer Forms® would like to offer a few thoughts and pointers about taking this plunge.

Keep it simple

You only need one product to get started selling online. Pick something that customers identify with your store or business. It’s also good to choose items that won’t break the bank for you to stock and ship. Products that can be branded with your logo are also a good option. They have the potential to spread the word about your business near and far. They can become gifts that can give a gift in return – more customers!

Choose an eCommerce platform

There are many choices when it comes to platforms you can use to serve as your online store. The folks at ecommerceCEO have done a fantastic job of putting together an article that discusses them all. We recommend starting there first to get a good overview and comparison of some of the options. Or if that’s too much to process at once, check out what Shopify has to offer. They seem to be one of the more widely used eCommerce platforms that can help you take care of all of your needs, from giving you a visually appealing online marketplace all the way through producing the shipping labels for customer orders.

Speaking of labels, if you need any help with ordering forms and labeling supplies, feel free to contact us at (800) 982-FORM (3676) or click here to request samples. We have products, including our popular PeelOut!® Shipping Label Sheets™, that are specifically designed to work with many of the eCommerce platforms and that are sure to speed up order processing and reduce errors.

Get going and start spreading the word

Once you have everything in place and you’re ready to start accepting orders, shout from the rooftops that you have something to offer your customers online. Get them excited about the opportunity to support you in this new way so they can become cheerleaders for you and your business, especially during the upcoming holiday season.

It’s been a whirlwind these past few months, challenging everyone to stay flexible and creative. Until the pandemic is over, let’s do what we can to keep providing the magic that small, local businesses have to offer. Who knows? The changes we make today to keep ourselves viable may serve us well, even when this crazy time is just a memory.

If there’s anything we at Burris Computer Forms can do to help, let us know!



How to Mail Merge with Microsoft Word 2016

by Chelsea | Last Updated January 3, 2020

Mail Merge is a great time saver if you need to create documents that are mostly the same but unique in some way. For example, name tags for an event or envelopes with each person’s name and address.

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Address Labels Design in Microsoft Word

by Chelsea | Last Updated March 29, 2019

When designing and printing address labels, whether you’re printing an entire sheet or a single label, using a template helps simplify the job as well as quickly produce results. Some versions of Microsoft Word® 2007 and 2010 do offer built-in templates, but using these require step by step instructions for correct measurements. They also have various print options that many may find time-consuming.

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Design and print your own price tags

by Chelsea | Last Updated March 25, 2019

As a small business, printing your own price tags lets you to create and modify while avoiding the hefty prices that come with special ordering. When it comes to inventory, retail products, and identification tags, customers often see the price tags first. Whether it be to price check or see the products name/company, the key is to design them simply and effectively.

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Burris Computer Forms® announces the release of Peel Out!® Shipping Label Sheets for Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) users. SFP Sellers now have the option to print their shipping labels on 8.5X11” sheets enabled by the accurate placement of the built-in 4X6” Peel Out! shipping label. If sellers don’t have a thermal printer that prints the 4X6” labels, Amazon Prime Sellers may have to print onto a full 8.5X11” sheet and cut out their label and tape to the packages. Burris’ goal when creating this was to offer Seller Fulfilled Prime merchants more printing options, along with cutting down on time spent. Here’s what Burris Computer Forms’ President Jerry Guzi said about the new product release.  Read More…



Customer Focus: KCCDD uses Note Cards in Art Expression

by Amy | Last Updated January 12, 2017
KCCDD printed cards 3

Knowledge, Creativity, Caring, Development, Dedication (KCCDD) has been a long-time customer of Burris Computer Forms®. KCCDD customizes blank printable note cards with unique images. The following is about KCCDD’s clients and experience printing note cards in-house. Read More…



Promoting Your Fall Festivities

by June | Last Updated September 30, 2016

It’s that time of year again: crisp cool autumn days, hot apple cider and spiced pumpkin lattes! It’s also time to start thinking about advertising your upcoming autumn activities, fall festivals and trunk-or-treat events. Here’s how you can put an autumnal twist on your promotions with postcards, door hangers, and more.

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Door hangers help local health department, police tackle Zika

by Outside Source | Last Updated August 15, 2016

Door hangers have many uses beyond “do not disturb.” A local health department, in conjunction with help from their police force, found them beneficial to spread the word about the Zika virus.

The Zika virus, spread by mosquitoes, became an issue of concern in Martinsville, Virginia in 2016. Therefore, to inform citizens on how best to protect themselves, the health department distributed informational door hangers along the streets.

Read on to see an excerpt from the Martinsville Bulletin with greater detail. Also, check out our blank door hangers to tackle issues of your own.

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