Quick answer: in Free Pub Editor, start an A4 or Letter page, add your headline and details, then choose Insert › Tear-off strip. It adds 8 rotated phone number tabs along the bottom. Change them all at once with Replace all, print at 100% scale, and cut between the tabs before you pin it up.
What is a tear-off flyer?
It's a notice with a row of small vertical tabs along the bottom edge. Each tab repeats your name and phone number, so people walking past can tear one off and call later. You see them on supermarket, library, café and university noticeboards, usually for:
- lost and found pets
- lawn mowing, babysitting, tutoring and music lessons
- rooms for rent and flatmates wanted
- clubs, choirs and sports teams looking for members
How do I make one, step by step?
- Open the editor and choose File › New. Pick the A4 or Letter blank size, or the Flyer template if you'd like a starting design.
- Add a short, big headline with Insert › Draw Text Box. "LOST CAT" or "LAWNS MOWED" beats a clever slogan.
- Add two or three lines of detail underneath: what, where, when and price.
- Add a photo with Insert › Pictures. A clear photo of the pet or the room does more than any wording.
- Choose Insert › Tear-off strip. You can also find it under Insert › Page Parts.
The strip sits along the bottom of the page: a long dashed tear line, 8 tabs with sideways text, and short dashed lines between the tabs to show where to cut. The pieces are grouped, so you can move the whole strip as one.
How do I put my number on every tab?
The tabs start with a sample name and number. Rather than editing eight boxes, change them all in one go:
- Choose Home › Replace (or press Ctrl+H).
- In Find, type the sample number exactly as it appears on a tab.
- In Replace with, type your number, then click Replace all.
- Repeat for the sample name. Use "Call Sam", "Text Aroha", or whatever suits you.
Read one tab aloud before printing. A wrong digit on every tab is the most common tear-off flyer mistake, and nobody can tell you about it.
What should go on each tab?
| Put on the tab | Why | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| A one-word reminder ("Lawns", "Cat", "Room") | A week later, people won't remember what the number was for | Full sentences |
| A first name | Callers know who to ask for | Full name and address on a public board |
| A phone number | The fastest way to reply | Spaces in odd places that make it hard to read |
| A short web address, if you have one | Some people prefer to look you up first | Long email addresses that need tiny text |
If a line doesn't fit, select the strip, double-click a tab and make the text slightly smaller, or shorten the wording. Each tab on an A4 page is about 26 mm wide and 42 mm tall, so two or three short lines at 9 pt fit comfortably.
How do I print it?
- Choose File › Print, then click Print.
- In the browser's print window, set Margins to None and Scale to 100% or Default. Turn on Background graphics if you used a coloured background.
- Print one test copy and check the two end tabs. The strip runs right to the edges of the page, and most home printers can't print the last few millimetres of a sheet. If the end tabs lose a letter, make the tab text a little smaller so it sits nearer the middle of each tab.
Printing lots? Choose Save as PDF as the printer and take the PDF to a copy shop. Plain 80 gsm office paper is fine. Tabs tear more easily from ordinary paper than from card.
How do I cut the tabs?
- Use scissors or a craft knife to cut along each short dashed line, from the bottom edge up to the long dashed line.
- Don't cut along the long line. That's where people tear.
- Fold the strip back and forth along the long line once or twice. It then tears cleanly.
- For a stack of flyers, cut a few sheets at a time with a sharp knife and a metal ruler.
Tips for a flyer people actually notice
- One idea per flyer. A noticeboard is crowded, and people glance for a second or two.
- High contrast. Dark text on a light background, or white on a strong colour. Bright paper also helps.
- Ask first. Some shops and libraries want you to ask at the counter or add a date before pinning anything up.
- Take one tab yourself. A flyer with a tab already gone tells passers-by others have shown interest.
- Save a copy. Use File › Save to keep an editable .fpe file, so next season you only change the dates.
Have an old tear-off flyer made in Publisher? Since Microsoft retired Publisher in October 2026 (Microsoft Support), you can still open the .pub file online and update it here.