How to make a lost pet flyer in Word or Google Docs
Set narrow margins, type one big headline, add one large photo and your number, then export a PDF. It takes about 15 minutes.
The short version
To make a lost pet flyer in Word or Google Docs, open a blank Letter page, set narrow margins, type LOST DOG in very large bold letters, insert one large photo, then add a short description and your phone number in big type. Save it as a PDF so it prints the same everywhere. That is all a flyer needs. It takes about 15 minutes if you have a photo ready. A dedicated free poster tool will do it in about a minute, but if you already have Word or Docs open, these steps work well.
Set up the page
In Word, go to Layout, then Margins, and choose Narrow. Check that Size is set to Letter. In Google Docs, open File, then Page setup, choose Letter and set each margin to 0.5 inches. Keep the page in portrait orientation, which suits a poster at eye level. Delete any header or footer text. Do not begin from a decorated template unless it is very plain. Borders and clip art take up space that should go to the photo and the phone number, and they waste ink.
Add the headline
Type LOST DOG or LOST CAT on the first line and center it. Pick a thick, plain font. Arial Black, Impact, Oswald or Anton all work, and so does Arial in bold. Size it up until the words fill the width of the page, which may be 80 to 120 points depending on the font. Google Docs lets you type a size directly in the box. Use dark text, or red if you are printing in color. Do not use all-caps script or decorative fonts, since they get harder to read at a distance.
Insert and size the photo
In Word, choose Insert, then Pictures. In Docs, choose Insert, then Image. Click the photo, then drag a corner so it fills most of the width. Use the corner handle so you do not stretch your pet out of shape. Crop away background first, with the crop tool in the Picture Format tab in Word, or the crop button in the Docs image toolbar. Set the picture to In Line with Text so that it does not jump around when you add text. If it pushes text onto a second page, shrink it a little or reduce your headline.
Add the details and number
Below the photo, add two or three short lines at about 24 to 30 points. Give the description, the last-seen area with cross streets and the date. Then add the phone number in the biggest size that fits, around 60 points or more, in bold. If you like, make a solid band behind it. In Word, select the text and use Shading on the Home tab. In Docs, use the highlight color. Leave out your home address and hold back one detail so you can check callers.
Make two to a page
If you want half-sheet flyers, change the setup so you get two copies per sheet. In Word, insert a one-column, two-row table and put one copy in each cell. In Docs, insert a table the same way. Make the row heights equal, then paste the same content in both. Reduce your font sizes by about a third. Set table borders to thin, so that the line can serve as your cutting guide. Print a test copy, since text often overflows when moved into a table.
Export and print
Word: choose File, then Save As, then PDF. Docs: choose File, then Download, then PDF Document. Use the PDF for printing, as fonts and spacing can change when a document file is opened on another computer. Print at actual size or 100 percent. Check the phone number on the printed page digit by digit. Print one copy before running the whole stack. If the image looks pale, darken it a little or change to a different photo, and save the file again.
Common problems
If your photo jumps around, change its wrapping to In Line with Text. If everything spills over to a second page, make the picture smaller and delete any blank lines at the end. If a Word table adds an unwanted blank page, reduce the size of the paragraph after it to 1 point. If the font looks different in Docs than expected, choose one from the Docs font menu. And if you are using a phone, Google Docs on mobile is awkward for page layout, so it may be quicker to use a computer at a library or a friend’s place, or use a poster tool built for phones.