POSTCARD MAILING 101

by Gino

Many businesses are turning to postcards as their first choice when considering media for their marketing campaigns. Postcards can be a valuable resource for the budget minded during an economic downturn where every dollar spent is important. Many printers, both local and online, have recognized this and are now offering beautiful four color, glossy postcards at very low costs. Here are some things that you might want to consider before making that final decision on your postcard purchase.

Even though the smallest sizes of postcards have the most attractive prices they may not be the best choice.

The smaller the media the smaller the message. You can only fit so much info on a small postcard. If you have a lot to say and or offer you may want to move up to a slightly larger card. I always recommend at least a 5.5” x 8.5”. Many “Quick Printers” find this size easy to print due to their ability to “Work & Turn” the print run since this size is half of a standard sheet of paper and will either give a lower cost or faster turnaround.

A small postcard is not as visible.

When a potential customer retrieves their mail a small postcard can be dwarfed by the other, larger media in the bundle. Getting your prospects eyes on your media is the most important step in a successful marketing campaign. A larger postcard, especially a creatively designed one with eye-catching graphics or tag line(s) will more easily be viewed.

Gloss or no Gloss?

While having a glossy look can enhance your design having the mail side of the card glossy may cause problems for the mail house during production. High speed inkjet addressing is much easier and more accurately applied to a non-gloss or matte finish so it is usually recommended to only have your info side glossy.

Postcard paper thickness

One of the most common problems with printing postcards is using card stock that is underweight by the Post Office standards. Larger postcards (larger than 4.25” x 6”) are required to be at least 9/1000 of an inch thick. Anything less and your mailing could be upcharged in postage or refused altogether by the Post Office.

Leave enough room for a Barcode

Many designers, especially while designing small postcards, do not allow enough space for the mail house to print a barcode on the mailing addresses. The post office has many placement requirements for printing a barcode and if the mailer does not have adequate room the mailing may be subject to higher postage costs.

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