How to Make a Missing Person Flyer (Free Template Download)

Final product image — What You'll Be Creating

When someone goes missing, it becomes a time-sensitive search to find them. Use this missing person flyer to cut out the stress of making a missing person template.

This tutorial also includes a free missing person flyer template for you to download, with files for Word, Photoshop, and InDesign.

In this tutorial, you will learn the key details you need to include in your missing person flyer template and how to edit the attached missing person poster template files.

What You'll Learn in This Missing Person Template Tutorial

How to create a missing person poster template
The key details you should include
How to edit a free missing person template in Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Microsoft Word

What You'll Need

To recreate the tutorial as it is pictured, you will need to download these two assets available on Envato Elements:

You will also need the Verdana font. No download is required because it is a system font.

1. How to Set Up a Blank Missing Person Poster in InDesign and the Details You Should Include

Step 1

Open InDesign and create a new document (File > New > Document) and make the dimensions of your flyer 8.5 x 11 in. Set the Margins to 0.5 in and the Bleed to 0.125 in on each side.

Step 2

Since this is a missing person flyer, time is of the essence. We want our flyer to grab attention and draw the viewer in. One of the ways we can achieve this is by the use of color. The color red is a perfect choice because it demands attention and is often used to indicate danger.

Select the Rectangle Tool (M) and make a red bar at the top of the flyer. The dimensions I'm using are 8.75 in x 1.73 in. Fill this bar with the red swatch in the Swatches panel.

Step 3

Make another red bar at the bottom using the Rectangle Tool (M). The size for this bar is 8.75 x 0.8 in.

Step 4

Now, let's add the headline. Along with the red color scheme, your wording should grab attention as well. Using the Type Tool (T), type your headline. For this tutorial, I am using the headline "MISSING PERSON". Another alternative headline would be "HAVE YOU SEEN ME?" Both of these headlines cause the viewer to want to learn more and could garner more leads for your missing person.

Use these settings for the "MISSING PERSON" headline:

Verdana Bold
53 pt font size
Paper swatch

Step 5

Create another text box underneath the headline. For this information, include the name of the missing person, the location, and the date where the person was last seen. This information is vital and aids in the location of said individual. Use the settings below for the name, location, and date:

Name: Verdana Bold, 40 pt, Red swatch
Date and location: Verdana Bold, 16 pt, Black swatch

Step 6

Now we will create the most important part of our missing person template. Including photos puts a face to the name, and of course humans are visual creatures. Using more than one photo is a good idea because one square can be used as a close-up shot and the other a full body photo. Create two squares using the Rectangle Tool (M). The size of my boxes is 3.5 x 3.9 in.

Step 7

Open the woman wearing glasses photo in Photoshop. Go to Image > Mode > CMYK Color to convert the image for print. Press OK if a dialog box pops up. Now, go to Image > Image Size and change the Resolution to 300, making sure Resample is unchecked. Save the file as a TIFF to your desktop. Do the same to the young woman holding basketball photo.

Step 8

Go back to InDesign and place the TIFF files you just saved into the squares by going to File > Place. Make sure the square you want to place the photo into is selected.

Step 9

Underneath the first photo, use the Type Tool (T) and type the physical description of the missing person. This information is important in identifying the person being searched for. Include the age, sex, race, height, weight, hair color, and eye color. Use Verdana Bold, 16 pt, and the Black swatch for this information.

Step 10

With the Type Tool (T) selected, type the full description of the missing person under the second photo. Tell the viewer what the missing person was last seen wearing. You can also add any other physical attributes that would stand out, like a tattoo or a birthmark. I'm using Verdana Regular and Bold, 13 pt, and the Black swatch.

Step 11

Now, we need to add a call to action. What do we want the viewer to do if they spot this person or have a tip? Include the contact information in a large font—this is usually a phone number or email address. Use Verdana Bold, 44 pt, and Paper swatch.

Step 12

This part is optional, but if you have a cash reward available for the retrieval of the missing person, then place this information at the bottom. Select the Rectangle Tool (M) and make a Black rectangle under the tips banner. Next, with the Type Tool (T) selected, include the cash reward information. Here are the font settings I used:

Header: Verdana Bold, 33 pt, Paper swatch
Subheader: Verdana Regular, 14 pt, Paper swatch

We're now done with the tutorial part of this article. Next, I will teach you how to edit this missing person poster template in Photoshop, Word, and InDesign.