1. Postcard Design Guidelines
The idea of creating and using postcards was conceived by Dr. Emanuel Herrmann in
1869. The first card went into circulation in 1870. Since then, the postcard has been used
by countless advertisers and individuals as an inexpensive and effective way to
communicate a message to a recipient through the mail. Travelers use postcards to send
back to loved ones when on a trip, while advertisers use these handy little cards as a
cheap, simple way of letting potential customers know about products and services
offered.
Size
o When creating your postcard, you first have to know postal guidelines for
the size of your postcard. The post office requires that your postcard be
between 5 and 6 inches long and 3.5 to 4.25 inches high if you want to
mail it at the postcard rate. If your card is larger than that size, you could
be charged full postage rather than the postcard rate.
Create a Front and Back File
o A standard postcard has a matte front for text and a glossy, attractive back,
which is usually a nice-looking photo. Create two separate files in your
design program labeled "front" and "back." Draw a line down the middle
of your "front" file so that you can have a guide to work with (the line can
be deleted later).
First, decide if you want the postcard to "bleed." A bleed means that you
want the image to run all the way to the edge of the postcard---no white
edges. To do this, add 0.125 to each side of both documents (front and
back). That extra 1/8 inch will be snipped off by whoever you choose to
print the cards. So, for example, if you chose a card sized at 6 inches by
4.25 inches, you would create a file that is 6.25 inches by 4.5 inches to
allow for that 1/8 inch "bleed" around the sides. Remember that anything
in that 1/8 inch area will be cut off. Pick a photo to use for your colorful
back and insert it into your "back" file. (See "Resources" for a site that
lists a wide selection of inexpensive, royalty-free photos).
Then work on your "front" file. Lay out your front in two halves---the left
half will be for your message and the other half will be for your address
and postage information.
Address
2. o Place a small, gray outline of a box on the lower part of the right side of
the postcard but not at the bottom. This is where your address labels will
be placed. Size the small box at about 1.5 by 2.5 inches (adjust the size to
fit your postcard). This does not have to be perfect, it is just a guideline.
Postage
o Place a small, square outline in the top right corner of the right half of the
postcard. This is where you will place your stamp after the postcard is
generated. The small box can be about 0.75 by 0.5 inches, which is
roughly the size of an actual stamp. You can omit this box outline if you
plan to have postage printed directly onto each postcard using an
automated machine.
Message Area
o You have much more flexibility when it comes to the message area, which
is on the left-hand side of the postcard. You can either leave the area
completely blank, or type in a standard message within this space. You
can also just type in "Greetings" at the top and "From" at the bottom, then
fill in your message by hand once the postcards are printed.
More Resources
Postcard Printing http://www.samedayprinting.com/postcards.html
4×6 Postcard Printing http://www.samedayprinting.com/postcard-
printing.html
5×7 Postcard Printing http://www.samedayprinting.com/standard-
postcard-printing.html
