Running a gym, boutique fitness studio, or personal training business in Australia means competing for attention at street level, inside your space, and at every local event you attend. Digital marketing does a lot of the heavy lifting, but print does something digital cannot: it meets people where they work out, shop, and walk every day.
This guide covers the five prints every gym and fitness studio owner should have, how to use each one to drive memberships and class bookings, and a budget-tiered starter kit to help you spend where it matters most.
At a glance
- Must-have prints: timetable and motivational posters, membership flyers, entry and challenge banners, referral business cards
- Best poster size for studio walls: A1 (594 x 841mm) or A2 (420 x 594mm) for class timetables
- Flyer format for letterbox drops: DL (99 x 210mm) or A6 (105 x 148mm)
- Retractable banner: standard 850 x 2000mm works for receptions and entry points
- Brand consistency across all pieces is non-negotiable; use one colour palette and logo version
- Referral cards (same size as a standard business card) are the highest-ROI add-on
1. Motivational and Class Timetable Posters
Posters are the workhorse of in-studio marketing. Used well, they serve two jobs at once: reinforcing your brand inside the space and communicating essential information to members.
Motivational posters
A motivational poster is not a generic stock quote. The best ones reflect your studio’s specific culture: a boxing gym poster reads differently from a yoga studio or a HIIT box. Use imagery from your actual space or trainers where possible, and keep the headline to five or six words maximum. Members glance at walls between sets; they do not read paragraphs.
Common placements include the area above free weights, facing the cardio row, and inside the change rooms. A3 works in tight spaces; A1 or A0 commands a wall in a larger box.
Class timetable posters
The timetable poster is the single most-viewed piece of print in any studio. It answers the question new and existing members ask every week: “When can I come in?”
Print a fresh timetable poster whenever your schedule changes. A2 or A1 laminated and mounted near the entrance, the front desk, and the change room doors gives members fast access without having to open an app.
Design tips:
- Use a clear grid layout with days across the top and times down the left
- Colour-code by class type (e.g. HIIT, yoga, strength, cycling)
- Include trainer names for classes that sell on personality
- Add a QR code to your booking link in the footer
For timetable posters, a matte finish prevents glare under gym lighting. For motivational feature posters, a gloss finish lifts contrast and makes bold colours pop.
Order your custom poster printing through the Paperlust Print Shop product page for live sizing, stock, and finish options.
2. Membership and Class Flyers
Flyers are your primary acquisition tool outside the studio. A well-targeted flyer drops into the letterboxes of people who live and work within two kilometres of your location, which is precisely the catchment most studios actually fill memberships from.
Letterbox drops
DL flyers (99 x 210mm) fit standard letterboxes without folding and feel more premium than an A5 sheet. A6 is cheaper per unit and works if your offer is simple enough to express in a tight format.
A converting membership flyer has:
- A specific, time-limited offer on the front (“Join in June, first month half price”)
- Three to five reasons to choose your studio (class variety, trainers, location, community, no lock-in)
- A single clear CTA: visit, call, or scan a QR code
- Your address, opening hours, and a map if space allows
Do not list every class or service on a letterbox flyer. The goal is to get someone through the door, not to explain every detail. Leave that for the next step.
In-studio class schedule flyers
Smaller A6 or DL flyers sitting in a holder at reception double as take-home materials for people who like to plan their week in advance. Print a batch each time the timetable changes and encourage front-desk staff to hand them out when new members join.
Event and challenge flyers
Running a 28-day challenge, a charity workout, or a community open day? A4 or A5 flyers work well for community noticeboards, partner businesses (health food stores, physio clinics, cafes), and local community centres. These are also the flyers you hand out at local markets and pop-up events.
Browse flyer sizes and pricing to compare DL, A6, A5, and A4 options.
3. Premium Retractable Banners
A retractable banner in the right location does not just display information: it signals to every person who walks in that your studio is professional, active, and open for business.
Where retractable banners work in a fitness studio
- Reception and entry: A banner at the entrance or beside the front desk is the first thing a prospective member sees. Use it to carry your current offer, a “Book a free trial” CTA, or a challenge campaign.
- Open days and expos: Fitness studios that exhibit at local health expos or shopping centre activations need at least one or two retractable banners as backdrops and sign-posting.
- Challenge start lines: A branded banner at the start or finish of a 12-week transformation challenge, a Hyrox prep event, or a fun run gives participants a photo opportunity that generates social media content for free.
- Studio rebrands and new locations: If you have just opened or rebranded, a retractable banner in the window or on the footpath (where council permits) does the job of a shopfront sign while permanent signage is being installed.
What to put on a gym retractable banner
Keep it to one message per banner. Common formats that work:
- New member offer + QR code to join
- Challenge campaign header (name, dates, enrolment CTA)
- Class timetable overview for a reception banner that needs to be informative
- Trainer or team photo with branding for a community feel
Standard retractable banner size is 850mm wide by 2000mm tall. Premium retractable banners come with a sturdier cassette, a quality carry bag, and a harder-wearing graphic panel that holds up to repeated assembly across events.
See the full premium retractable banner range for specs and ordering.
4. Referral Cards
Referral cards are the smallest item in this kit and consistently one of the highest-return prints a studio can invest in.
Member referrals are the cheapest acquisition channel most gyms have, and a physical card makes the referral conversation easy. Instead of asking a member to “tell a friend,” you hand them five cards and say: “These are for people you think would love it here. They get a free trial, you get a free month if they join.”
The referral card lives at the same size as a standard business card (90 x 55mm). The front carries your branding and a one-line offer. The back has space for the member’s name (or a unique code if you track referrals digitally), the offer for the new prospect, and your booking or sign-up URL.
Order referral cards in batches of 250 to 500. Front-desk staff should have a small stack at the counter and hand them out after each induction. Include a few in each new member welcome pack.
This format also works for:
- Class passes (buy 10, get one free)
- Personal training intro sessions
- Partner offers (e.g. co-branded with a nearby health food store or physio)
5. Putting It Together: Branding Consistency Across Your Kit
The prints above are only effective if they look like they belong to the same brand. A member who picks up a flyer, looks at your timetable poster, sees your entry banner, and then receives a referral card should see the same logo, the same primary colour, the same font style, and the same tone of voice across all five pieces.
Practical rules for a consistent gym print kit:
- Use the same logo file (vector, not screenshot) on every piece
- Restrict your palette to two or three colours: one primary, one accent, one neutral
- Use one or two typefaces maximum; a bold display face for headlines and a clean sans-serif for body
- Keep the quality of photography or illustration consistent (all high-contrast photography, or all illustrated, not a mix)
- Align your print copy to the same offer language you use on your website and socials
If you are building or refreshing your studio’s brand identity, this is also the right time to review your existing print assets and retire anything that does not match your current visual identity. A dated flyer with an old logo undercuts the professionalism of everything else.
Budget-Tiered Starter Kit
| Tier | What to Order | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Starter (under $300) | 2 x A2 timetable posters + 500 DL membership flyers + 250 referral cards | New studio just opening, or a single-location gym starting to systemise print |
| Growth ($300-$700) | 2 x A1 motivational posters + 1,000 DL flyers + 500 referral cards + 1 x retractable banner | Established studio running a membership campaign or challenge |
| Full kit ($700+) | A0/A1 feature poster + A2 timetable poster + 2,000 DL flyers + 500 referral cards + 2 x retractable banners | Multi-location studios, studios attending health expos, or a rebrand launch |
For live pricing on each product, visit the individual product pages: posters, flyers, premium retractable banners, and standard business cards (for referral cards).
Related Reading
- Poster Printing Australia: Sizes, Paper Stocks and Costs Explained
- Flyer Printing Australia: DL, A5 and A6 Sizes Compared
Frequently Asked Questions
What size poster is best for a gym class timetable?
A2 (420 x 594mm) is the most practical size for a gym timetable: large enough to read comfortably from two to three metres, small enough to fit in most reception and change room wall spaces without dominating the room. A1 works well for larger open-plan studios or as a statement piece near the entrance. If you are updating your timetable regularly, order unlaminated so you can replace them quickly, or switch to a monthly print run.
How many flyers should a gym order for a letterbox drop?
The general guide for a localised letterbox drop is 1,000 to 2,000 flyers per suburb, depending on the density of the area. A typical suburban gym catchment covers two to three surrounding suburbs, so a starting run of 2,000 to 5,000 flyers covers a meaningful radius. Factor in that you will also want some for reception, partner businesses, and events. Ordering in larger quantities reduces the cost per unit significantly. See our flyer print run guide for more on sizing a run to your budget.
Can I print a retractable banner for an outdoor event?
Yes, but with some conditions. Standard retractable banners are designed for indoor use: the cassette and pole system is not designed for wind load. For outdoor activations, a teardrop or bow banner is a better choice as these are engineered for outdoor and wind conditions. A retractable banner is excellent for protected outdoor spaces, such as under a marquee at a market or expo, or in a covered entry foyer.
What should I put on a gym referral card?
Keep it to four elements: (1) your studio name and logo, (2) the offer for the new prospect (“Book a free trial” or “First week free”), (3) the offer for the referring member (“Refer a friend, get a free month”), and (4) a URL, QR code, or phone number to take action. Referral cards work best when they are simple and look good enough that your members are comfortable handing them to someone they respect.
How long does poster printing take in Australia?
Turnaround depends on the printer and the size of your order, but fast Australian turnaround is widely available. For your timetable posters, plan to order at least a few business days ahead of when your schedule changes. For a larger print run across multiple products for a campaign or challenge launch, two weeks of lead time gives you room to proof-check and avoid rush fees.
Should gym flyers be single or double sided?
For a letterbox drop membership offer, single-sided is usually fine: the front carries the headline, the offer, and the CTA, and people decide in three seconds whether to read on. Double-sided is worth the small cost premium if you need to include class schedules, pricing tiers, or testimonials on the back. For a simple “free trial” or challenge campaign flyer, single-sided keeps the design focused and reduces the risk of cluttering the message.
Do I need different branding for each print piece?
No; in fact, using different branding across different pieces is a common mistake. Every piece in your gym’s print kit should use the same logo, colour palette, and type style. The format and content change (a poster is not a flyer), but the visual identity should be immediately recognisable as coming from the same studio. Consistency across print and digital is how brands build trust at a local level.
