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FAQs About Postcard Printing

Wondering how to print postcards? You’ll find out here! At Presort, we specialize in postcard printing. Postcards remain an effective marketing strategy and, in some cases, great souvenirs, despite more competition from digital marketing strategies. But if you’re new to the world of postcard marketing, or postcard printing overall, you may have some important and frequently asked questions in mind. We’ll do our best here to answer the most common FAQs about postcard printing.

What Are Postcards?

Let’s start with an easy one. What are postcards, exactly? A postcard is a relatively small, single sheet of paper, typically applied with a special protective coating that improves its durability. Postcards can be printed on the front, back, or both, and are traditionally used as an inexpensive, convenient piece of mail.
Perhaps most commonly, postcards are used as a marketing material. It’s highly cost effective and convenient for companies to design and send out postcards to thousands, or even millions of people. You can also find postcards in most gift shops and tourist attractions around the world, since mailing a postcard home is a common activity.

How Does Postcard Printing Work?

When you start a postcard printing job, what happens on the back end? First, you’ll provide your design to your postcard printer. They may need to make adjustments so the design is compatible with the type of postcard you’ve chosen and the printing equipment used to apply that design on paper.
Then, the design is applied to large sheets, which are fed through our printing equipment at relatively high speeds. Before, during, or after the drying process, we can also apply an optional special coating to the sheet, making your postcards more durable and more visually impressive. Once that’s done, we can cut the sheet to size and prepare the job for distribution.

Interested in learning more about postcard printing, or any of our other services? Don’t hesitate to contact us today!

What Paper Stock and Weight Should I Use?

Paper stock thickness is measured in weight; the higher the weight of the paper, the thicker the sheet is going to be. Typical printer paper is 60-80#, and 100# is a noticeably thicker sheet. Generally, you want a thicker, heavier stock for the paper you use when postcard printing. Thicker paper is more durable, sturdier, and to most people, more impressive. It’s a bit more expensive, but if you’re trying to stand out in a marketing campaign, it’s worth the money.

What Sizes Are Available?

6×4,” ” 6×9,” and 6×11″ are some of the most common sizes, but it’s also possible to create custom postcards of different dimensions. Smaller sizes tend to be less expensive, easier to distribute, and easier to handle. Bigger sizes tend to be more expensive, more prominent, and more impressive.

What Coating Should I Use?

There are many different types of coatings you can get for your postcards as well. A simple varnish coating can provide a bit of protection, but aqueous and UV coatings can offer even more protection; they can also improve the design of your postcard aesthetically and make a better impression on your recipients. You’ll also need to choose between a matte, gloss, or hybrid “satin” finish.

Can Printed Postcards Be Double-Sided?

If you’re interested in printing double-sided postcards, there’s good news: It’s easy to print on both sides of a postcard. In fact, this is typically used by default in marketing. You use the front of the postcard to get attention in the back of the postcard to provide more information.

What Is Postcard Marketing?

Postcard marketing is a traditional form of printed marketing that relies on sending postcards to large numbers of people, grabbing their attention, increasing the brand visibility, and transmitting an important message. Postcards are a direct mail strategy, so you’ll need to buy or procure a mailing list, then make arrangements to have your postcards prepared, addressed, and delivered.

Are Postcards Effective Marketing?

When used as a form of direct mail marketing, postcards are one of the best modern marketing strategies you can use. There are several key advantages, including:

Cost Effectiveness

Compared to other traditional forms of marketing, postcard marketing is relatively inexpensive. If you’re printing high volumes of postcards, the price per piece is low, and the cost to mail a postcard to an individual person is minimal. As long as your postcards are designed effectively and targeted to the right audience, you should see a positive return on investment (ROI).

Targeted Reach

Postcards can be used to reach almost anyone, assuming you can get their address. You can also use postcards to easily and effectively reach people based on geographic region.

Impactful Messaging

As a medium, postcards are valuable for being able to display impactful messaging in a small, concise frame. With a single glance, you can increase brand visibility.

What Is Custom Postcard Printing and Mailing?

With the right printer, you can also purchase custom postcard printing and mailing. Instead of buying and printing your postcards, then arranging for all the mailing yourself, you can get it all done in one spot. Your partner will take care of all the addressing, sorting, and distribution on your behalf.

What Is Variable Data?

Variable data is an option in postcard printing that allows you to print many different variables of one section of your postcard. For example, you can provide your printer with a spreadsheet containing the names and addresses of all your customers; when the postcard is printed, all postcards will look the same on the front, but the back will have different names and addresses in place, following the data in the spreadsheet.

Postcards can be a highly effective marketing strategy, but you need a reliable postcard printing partner to see the best results. At Presort, we offer quality, durability, and cost efficiency—so work with us on your next postcard printing project!

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About

Presort Inc. specializes in a variety of direct mail services including printing, mailing, warehousing, and fulfillment. We have the resources and capabilities to help companies pull off any direct mail campaign.

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5051 Southwest Ave.
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5111 Southwest Ave
St. Louis MO, 63110



515 W. Pearce Blvd.
Wentzville, MO 63385-1347

334 South Plaza Way Drive
Cape Girardeau, MO 63703

6104 Brown Station
Columbia, MO 65202

 

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